reaction to apple cider vinegar? 
Leollipop
11 y
10,518
† Cross †
Hi! I have been recently trying to improve my digestion which has been really really difficult regardless of what i do.. I seem to have gotten rid of my candida as i got retested for it and it was gone and the majority of my symptoms are gone other than my ability to digest..
I started taking apple cider vinegar not long ago before my meals and it actually was working quite well in helping me digest food, but at the same time it gives me horrible headaches, some stomach pain and fatigue.. it sort of goes away after a while, but then when i take it again the fatigue and everything comes back then goes away again in a few hours..
Is that normal with ACV?? Is it like a detox thing or is it some kind of bad reaction..? i don't think I'm killing off any candida with it or anything.. I stopped taking it today and i didn't get any fatigue and whatever, but now my digestion is just as screwed up as it was before...
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
10,136
MoreThis is a reply to # 2,046,664It's good to hear that you're making progress.
How much ACV did you take before meals, and how were you taking it?
I went back to trying HCL tablets (two half-way through meals) over the weekend, but was unable to tell if they made any difference to my sluggish digestion.
On one day I had sharp, sharp pains in my left upper back and lower abdomen...but it may not necessarily have been the HCL.
I'm wondering if I should try ACV instead.
Incidentally, I've been trying the stomach acid test in the morning (a 1/4 tsp on baking soda with a cup of water, then timing to see if you burp within 5 minutes), but it seems inaccurate and inconclusive.
Anyway, back to your query, perhaps you could try taking ACV for a few more days, but be very disciplined with your meals and lifestyle - try to do more or less the same thing each day, to have a better understanding of the ACV's influence.
Best of luck!
J x
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
10,115
This is a reply to # 2,046,678Hi Geoff thanks for replying :) i was taking 1 tbsp of ACV about 15-20 minutes before each meal in a glass of water and it would almost immediately cause me some stomach pain and weird gurgling then later on the fatigue and headaches, but i kind of felt like it was helping the food move through me more while nothing else seems to work.. i guess it has more benefits that just helping with digesting food
I've tried betaine HCL as well but it doesn't seem to have much of an effect and i was taking a lot! It makes me wonder if the root of my problems is somewhere else even though it feels as if it's in my stomach! I haven't done any colon cleansing yet so maybe that has something to do with it.. I also did that burp test a while ago over a few days and didn't burp for a long time, i made my family do it too to test if it was accurate, but they all had pretty random results lol! I guess it wouldn't be surprising though with our modern lifestyle that they'd have digestion problems as well, but just don't realise it
I have been quite disciplined on myself, or at least trying to be haha I always try to keep things routined and i keep journals to track things and stuff.. i just always get confused when i get reactions from things since i don't know if it's good or bad lol! I guess i will try the ACV again, but if the reactions don't go away I'll probably stop.. maybe if you decide to try it out u can let me know if you have weird reactions too lol!
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
10,065
This is a reply to # 2,046,684Interesting stuff, thanks for replying. ;)
How much water are you drinking before your meal? This could be 'dampening' down your digestive fire (Ayurvedic teaching) a little...although probably not too much - and it's probably better than taking a glug of ACV neat! ;)
J x- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
10,034
MoreThis is a reply to # 2,046,686LOL I'm definitely not up for any ACV shots! i haven't been drinking with my meals.. i was just taking that glass of ACV before and then not drinking after my meals for about an hour or 2.. makes me feel so dehydrated, but i feel 100 times worse when i do drink with meals so i guess it's worth it! Have you managed to find anything that helps u with ur sluggish digestion so far? I wish i could just take HCL and have all my symptoms gone like what happens for others, but i guess it's not that easy lol!
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,935
This is a reply to # 2,046,692> Have you managed to find anything that helps u with ur sluggish digestion so far?
No, not really, unfortunately.
For me, I believe the issue is kind of a vicious cycle:
Stagnation (poor energy flow) --> weak digestion --> toxicity from undigested food + lack of nutrient absorption --> Additional stagnation.
I spent a couple of weeks in an Ayurvedic hospital in India last year. The doctors would often talk about the feeling of lightness after eating a meal called 'laghu'. For me this is almost an alien concept - I cannot remember the last time I didn't feel heavy and bloated after eating.
The other day I went out for lunch with my bandmates before going to a rehearsal. We had around 25 minutes to order, eat, then get back to the venue for the soundcheck. They wolfed down their large, meaty dishes, while I slowly ate my bowl of food, chewing every mouthful carefully...as we're supposed to, you know? Five or so minutes later, they're all finished, while I'm still there, less than half-way done! So, I try to hurry-up...just to finish. We pay, leave the place, and walk quickly back to the venue - they're all fine, almost sprinting away, while I'm feeling as sluggish as an old man, belly-full of food, and bloating-up.
Kinda sucks. ;(
I also wonder how much of this is psychological too, you know? My mind gets so worried about digesting the food that it actually creates the problem for itself. The million dollar question is how to break that cycle?
J x
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? saywhatagain
11 y
10,185
This is a reply to # 2,046,700Hi J, sorry you are not making more progress with improving your digestion. Sounds like the two of you have very similar problems as far as low stomach acid and decreased motion in the bowels. My be a little psychological but I really think it is mostly physical coming from energetic imbalances. Regarding the ACV, I would not take it if it gives you stomach pains, the ACV is basically mimicking stomach acid that is why you feel better but your stomach lining may not be resilient enough to handle this, you could do permanant damage, the road to true health and balance is slow and steady and takes time. As far as the ayurvedic viewpoint, there are two things going on, fire is too low in the body and air is too high. Low fire means digestion will be weak and increased air (cold, dry energy) will make it impossible for even what little fire is there to do much of anything. In my case, my fire is quite high but also my air is very, very high so my digestion will still be somewhat impaired until the air energy is brought more into balance. Also the air energy is what controls motion in the body, but when it is way to high motion becomes very sluggish, with regard to digestion this refers to peristalsis, bowels don't move and you feel sluggish and heavy. I recently visited an ayurvedic doctor and it was very enlightening and he also prescribed some herbs that I am hoping will be beneficial. If you want to follow the ayurvedic approach it is probably best to visit a certified ayurvedic practitioner so you can really get the proper advice otherwise you will just be guessing about most things. I have recently started eating meat again and I do seem to feel better with at least some meat in my diet (this was just on my own not because of anything the doctor said), I think generally vata types will need at least some meat of course if you are already feeling heavy this can add to those problems. There is an ayurvedic herbal mixture called chayanvaprash which can be very beneficial in correcting vata imbalances but probably for either of you two, you will need an additional boost with other herbs. Also my visit to the ayurvedic doctor made me realize that it is very important to get an accurate pulse diagnoses so you can know for certain what you need to get into balance. For example, it is pretty easy to diagnose when vata is out of balance but you also want to know specifically what type of secondary imbalances there are. For example if you have a primary vata imbalance but with a secondary earth imbalance, you will need a very different diet and herbs than someone with a secondary fire imbalance, or someone who just has a pure imbalance of one dosha and needs to increase both of the other doshas. I have enrolled in Sai Ayurvedic College located in Miami, Florida and will be starting the program the middle of May, I am very excited to learn all the details of this ancient science.
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,906
This is a reply to # 2,046,782argh! ok i thought maybe the stomach pain wasn't a good sign so I'll stop lol! I think i have been reducing my air so far quite a bit as i have got less gassiness hehe but maybe i still don't have enough fire? I'm only very new to the concept of ayurveda.. but i am definitely mostly a vata type with vata imbalance.. however I have had some Depression which is kind of a kapha imbalance? Maybe some of my digestion problems are kapha type problems.. eek! confusion!
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,801
This is a reply to # 2,046,782I'm thinking if i am actually ok with rice to eat nothing but kitchari for a while.. this would help digestion right? i remember you suggested it to me before but i was scared of rice LOL, maybe basmati is better than brown rice though.. I'd eat it for the rest of my life if it would help me lolololol!! ok i lol too much but thats just how i am im actually loling right now at how much i lol.. LOL
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? saywhatagain
11 y
9,917
This is a reply to # 2,046,828lol at all your loling. Kitcheri is really good but you probably shouldn't eat it every day, the doctor I spoke to said it can cause problems if you it eat just that for long periods of time but it is definitely good to have a couple of times a week or you can do short kitcheri fasts, 2 or 3 days of just eating this. White basmati rice is very good for balancing vata but can increase kapha. I have a feeling that you are going in the right direction with what you are doing, it takes time. If you want to make more progress you need to meet with an ayurvedic practitioner who can tell you what herbs will help you to balance your energy faster. Depression is most often linked to vata imbalance but also can be associated with kapha. Vata-kapha types can tend to get lethargic and depressed.
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- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,852
This is a reply to # 2,046,838ooh ok thanks for the warning! I wonder why that is?? Maybe i should see a professional.. you already seem like a professional yourself though haha! I guess I am improving a lot I just get confused sometimes when my problems go back and forth! I didn't realise until now how much the ACV was effecting me! I seem to have almost fully recovered my mental problems like insomnia and stress now though and i guess i am very much more vata than kapha and I'm returning to my old crazy self! :) just need to get my digestive fire working again and i think I'll be fully recovered! but that's the hardest part haha! oh well I'm staying positive I have my plans
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- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,852
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? saywhatagain
11 y
9,917
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,895
This is a reply to # 2,046,782Thank you for your reply saywhatagain,
It's a little frustrating for me, as a month or two ago I genuinely felt like I was making progress with my digestion - especially with bowel movements, that were smooth, efficient, and satisfyingly emptying (TMI, sorry...).
As you probably know, I'm reasonably familiar with the concept of digestive fire ('Agni') in Ayurveda, so try to consume foods and spices that 'fuel' this fire, while avoiding too much liquid before meals.
However, the imbalance of air is perhaps an area I should consider more closely. Do you have any suggestions for reducing this element? I recall that when receiving the two week panchakarma treatment in India last year, the doctors would advise that I wear full clothing, and wrap my head in a scalf before going outside. They believed that the wind would aggravate vata, especially while undergoing the treatment. Alas, I live in a coastal city, and as a cyclist, am often battling against strong winds - it's pretty much unavoidable for me.
I received consultations with two different Ayurvedic doctors (here in Japan, not India) last year, so am considering contacting them again. One chap was relatively young, and admitted that his pulse reading ability was limited. However, the other, a much older chap, visiting from India, was very experienced and picked-up on a number of my health concerns straight away...it was incredible!
>I have recently started eating meat again and I do seem to
>feel better with at least some meat in my diet...
This is an interesting coincidence, as last weekend - perhaps motivated by another recent post here on curezone - I decided to purchase some salmon. That tasted pretty good...so the following day I took things a step further and bought a little chicken! That was petty tasty too - it reminded me of the roast chicken lunches I used to eat with my family as a child. In the evening, I even took the bones and left overs and created bone broth!
I've been vegetarian for most of my life, but am feeling that perhaps the time is right to eat meat. I was never a big meat eater in my childhood and teens, but would enjoy fish and chicken. I believe returning to the food that I was raised on may be worth pursuing for a little while, in addition to the other approaches of Chinese medicine and Ayurveda that I'm also fascinated by.
>There is an ayurvedic herbal mixture called chayanvaprash
>which can be very beneficial in correcting vata imbalances...
Yes, I consume a small spoonful of chavanprash each morning, shortly after waking.
> I have enrolled in Sai Ayurvedic College located in Miami,
> Florida and will be starting the program the middle of
> May, I am very excited to learn all the details of this
> ancient science.
Wow, congratulations!
I'm also keen to take everything I've learned and experienced over the past few years (i.e. since my health started to deteriorate) and study it formally. As mentioned above, I'm deeply interested in both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, so am rather hoping that one day something will click into place, and I'll find the answer - when that happens, I'll probably quit my job and devote my life to studying one of the other, and then using this knowledge to treat others. Well, that's the plan anyway.
Thanks!
J x
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? saywhatagain
11 y
9,961
This is a reply to # 2,046,844Regarding other suggestions to help reduce vata, as you said eating meat may be helpful, ayurveda doesn't really account for this much but many vata types may need to consume at least some meat, fish may be of particular benefit for vata types as it contains omega 3 FA but they also can contain high levels of mercury which some vatas may tend to accumulate rather easily so you have to take in moderation and always add lemon and cilantro when eating fish. Generally foods with omega 3s are good but should be consumed in limited quantities, vatas will need more fat than other doshas but still large amounts of fats are never good. Oils like olive and sesame used in limited quantaties can help to increase digestive fire but again not to be overused (I'm sure you are already aware of this). I think in your case you probably need additional herbal supplements to really get hold of the imbalance, best way is to have someone prescribe specific herbs that will be most helpful to your imbalance. Herbs should be taken correctly and in proper dosages, they can absolutely have side effects and we shouldn't just take certain herbs because we hear they are good to take or even good for balancing our doshas. Some are completely safe and can be taken in somewhat large amounts with no problems, other herbs can have side effect if the wrong person takes them or taken in large quantities. Bramhi is very potent to remove stress and reduce vata but this should be taken in small dosages as it is very powerful and people can have side effects if not taken properly.
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,918
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,918
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? saywhatagain
11 y
9,961
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,906
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,776
This is a reply to # 2,046,700Aw I'm sorry that you haven't found much to help with your problem :\ It's very hard when all the things that should work dont.. I have been trying so many things myself! HCL, Bitters, making teas, slow cooking food, bone broth, fermented foods, food combining, I've recovered from my stress, i do moderate exercise, chew food, don't drink with meals argh!! Nothing works lol! This only started for me a few months ago too.. I was having 3 BM's a day, but was dealing with leaky gut and candida at the time.. then out of nowhere it all just stopped working.. i thought it was because of stressing out so much, but I'm not anymore.. At the moment I've managed to eliminate my gas problem lol and my food is more digested, but still very very slow =\
The whole thing makes me wonder if i just need to clean out my whole body maybe I'm all backed up and toxic.. i can try to eat as well as i want but it's not gonna get me anywhere if I'm all clogged up lol.. :/- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,873
This is a reply to # 2,046,809Yes, stress and mental outlook is definitely part of it, I believe.
I noticed that you mentioned Depression in another post. I too suffered Depression in my early 20s - I was going through a very rough patch at that time, and even managed to develop an eating disorder.
Horrible stuff.
Fortunately, those days are long behind me, however I believe the mental stress suffered at that time may be one of the reasons for my current health malaise.
Indeed, this is one of the points picked-up on by the experienced Ayurvedic doctor I had a consultation with. I'd never met the guy, hadn't told anyone my health history, yet a minute or two after reading my pulse was able to pin-point this mental suffering. Pretty incredible!
Anyway, back to digestion...
May I ask, after eating, do you ever feel a degree of tightness in your chest that almost restricts your breathing. Do you also feel the sensation that you need to burp, but that the automatic action/movement just doesn't 'happen'?
Thanks,
J x
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,994
This is a reply to # 2,046,857Hey yeah I think the Depression and stress i had not long ago caused my digestive system to go out of control too! I wasn't too bad then i started freaking out much much more and it just got completely destroyed!
I don't tend to get chest tightness or restricted breathing.. it's more just a very very full feeling in my upper abdomen like everything is just sitting there not moving.. i do often get hiccups and burps but i don't feel any better or worse doing so
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,994
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,873
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? saywhatagain
11 y
10,185
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,935
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
10,034
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
10,065
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
10,115
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? dave505
11 y
9,970
This is a reply to # 2,046,664Leolli
The first possibility that strikes me when I read your issue is potassium sodium imbalance and weak adrenals possible tyroid too. The cause is uncertain for me cause i did not read your posts but my opinion is ACV has lot of potassium and you lose sodium - that is a possible reaction besides distroying candida...please read more about the connection of weak adrenals low tyroid and digestion
Same for Geoff - make sure your adrenals are ok and test yourself several times too see if avoiding or reducing high potassium food or too much toxins from digestion or too much dyeoff helps. Also make sure you reduce an underlying inflammation in the body that will help adrenals more. A subclinical inflammation or chronic undiscovered infection could keep the things this way IF the cause is not already known.
I would stick with hcl and other enzymes until things clear.
I could be wrong but might worth thinking. Everytime I have good bowel movements less inflammation less exposure to toxins my digestion improves a lot.
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,942
This is a reply to # 2,046,704Hi Dave thanks a lot! I actually had my adrenals, thyroid and everything tested when i go tested for candida a few months ago and apparently i did have a pretty bad problem with my adrenals and my nervous system back then! I was depressed, stressed had anxiety and insomnia.. so when i was trying to get rid of candida i made sure to work on that too.. i got retested for them as well and I've apparently recovered them almost completely, but i think im starting too get a bit stressed out again so I should probably calm down lol!
When it comes to mineral imbalances and things i am so lost lol! But thanks a lot for that tip I will try to see if it is a sodium/potassium problem
And yeah i think i really do need to take my bowels and other infections more into consideration with this.. maybe the toxins i've built up are causing me digestion problems too =\
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,921
This is a reply to # 2,046,704Thanks for your suggestions Dave!
May I ask what kind of testing you would recommend for thyoid and adrenals?
I spent a considerable amount of time visiting various hospitals a few years ago, undergoing numerous tests, but more or less everything was considered 'fine'. The only obviously low levels were cholesterol and neutral fat - I weighed around 70kg at that time, so was already skinny for my height. The other day I had a routine company medical and was surprised that my weight had fallen to under 65kg, despite my best efforts to eat more.
Thanks,
J x- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? JrDavis
11 y
9,739
This is a reply to # 2,046,841I too struggle with the weight.
Not quite sure what it is.
Do you eat a lot of protein and not a lot of carbs?
The reason being is your body will burn protein if there is no carbs.
Carbs are the first source of energy.
I feel like we all are struggling with thyroid problems.
To address the potassium and adrenal fatigue use licorice root.
If you have high blood pressure I wouldn't do this (Although, I myself weighing 130lbs. My blood pressure is 120/90. I don't know if this is with white coat syndrome or not) but the licorice root lowers potassium and supports the adrenals.- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,809
This is a reply to # 2,055,563Thank you for the suggestions.
I believe I eat sufficient carbs (certainly more than I used to), however my body just seems to struggle with the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Incidentally, I recently purchased some DGL lozenges and slippery elm powder, which will complement my current leaky gut regiment of aloe vera and l-glutamine powder in the morning and evening.
Take care,
J x- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? JrDavis
11 y
9,653
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? JrDavis
11 y
9,653
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
9,809
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? JrDavis
11 y
9,739
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Leollipop
11 y
9,942
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? bearcryst
11 y
9,308
This is a reply to # 2,046,664Hi. I am told that it matters what ACV you use. Organic Raw (with the mother) ACV such as Braggs might be different effect. Also, a lot of my digestive problems were eliminated when I went organic. How non-organic food is grown may be what's affecting you also.
- Re: reaction to apple cider vinegar? Geoff1981
11 y
10,136
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