I can relate. Try adding some whole leaf aloe juice - I take a swig each morning. Also, there is a good supp. out there called Intestinew, which combines L-glutamine with other gut healers such as marshmallow, and several others, that I like. A little ACV with the "mother", maybe a tablespoon in about 6 oz water, sipped before, during and after meals (play with it to see what works best for you) will help ease food passage while the gut heals. IF it burns badly when you try this, forget it for now, and try it again in a week or so. A teeny burn at the first sip is ok, but if it keeps burning after a second or 2, now is not the time to use this. Finally, a good way to address the low acid issue is to take a half-dropper full of digestive grape bitters a few minutes before your first bite of a meal. Planetary Formulas is a good one. Bitters help stimulate your own acid secretions in much the way HCL does, without the danger of becoming over-acidic. I'll bet what happened to you is, yes, the PPI's did a number on your stomach acid and reduced it to such a level that you developed leaky gut. Not all sites mention this, but I have read multiple times it is not a good idea to take HCL until your gut has healed at least to some degree. It will not stay in the gut where it is supposed to, and the result is overall acidification, like you experience. Get off the PPI's immediately, they are only doing more harm. IF you cannot stand it and need to, take a Tums after meals or at bedtime if the acid is just too painful to bear. They are less harmful than stuff like Prilosec, and won't interfere too much in the gut healing process, as long as they are not taken too often. Soon, you will be able to get off them completely. You can also try a supp. called D-limonine which, if taken right after a meal, is helpful to prevent post-meal reflux. Finally, since the acid causes inflammation, the best anti-inflammatory I have ever tried is an enzyme called serrapeptase. It is by far the most helpful supp. I have ever tried on this candida journey. If you are achy-painy due to the over-acidity, this stuff is a miracle. I take 2 in am and 2 in pm. Obviously avoid caustic stuff like alcohol and coffee and tea for now.

No advice (too late), only what you read everywhere where HCL capsules are talked recommended:

STOP AS SOON AS YOU FEEL SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!

Myself, I had great success with that stuff after PPIs destroyed my ability to digest ANYTHING, *and it would not get better by itself*. But I had GREAT RESPECT for this stuff and used it only for a short time and VERY carefully.

D@$n, what were you thinking??? It's ACID! You don't take this stuff for MONTHS! Just as with the opposite (the PPIs), you should only take it for a few weeks at most. If you go beyond that, you must have a really (REALLY!) good reason.


The stomach lining is recreated every three days. If you feel anything for longer than that - time to see the doctor.

I was wondering if stopping ppi wasn t enough of a start to recover the acid balance. What were the problems before you took the ppi first time?