The Missing Piece

[HopefulOne]

Hey guys, I just wanted to post a quick update.

Basically a bad breath sufferer for over 40 yrs. Symptoms thick tongue coat, feces & sour smell, bloating & gas, smelly dental floss.

I had three things wrong with my body. Hpylori positive, periodontal disease, and silent reflux (just discovered)

Hpylori treated twice with triple and quadruple therapy...bad breath came back after treatment with antibiotics

Periodontal disease finally under control: I water floss with sea salt water (1 tsp) brush tongue (Orabrush) with hydrogen peroxide 3%; brush teeth with baking soda toothpaste, gargle with unflavored Closys mouthwash. I do this morning and night. I have no more smelly floss. Teeth are fine as confirmed by dental hygienist. Most tongue coat is gone. I also stopped eating sugar and milk products. I can eat cheese with no smell.

After doing all of the above I still had a slight sour taste and odor. When I licked my wrist it smelled like vinegar.

My cure: I drink one small teaspoon of baking soda in warm water after breakfast and before bed. Bloat and gas gone, smell GONE ALL DAY!! I also bought baking soda (not baking powder) tablets for on the go. Also in a pinch drink club soda.

This morning after weeks of fresh breath (yes confirmed) I noticed a slight bad taste...I started to panic but then I remembered I forgot to drink baking soda. I drank it, burped and within minutes bad taste was gone. I'm guessing I have too much stomach acid.

If you've tried everything else and you have a sour vinegary smell with gas and bloating. Try drinking the baking soda...it works and from my research it's safe. People have been using baking soda for years for acid reflux. Much safer than PPIs and fast acting. As you can see everything I'm doing is basically cheap with the exception of Closys mouthwash. I use plain old arm and hammer baking soda and store label sea salt.

[HopefulOne]

Oh I forgot to add....I wake up with NO morning breath and just a tiny bit of tongue coat but it doesn't stink. I think a little tongue coat is normal for most. Thank you God!!!

[StillHoping]

Welcome back HopefulOne! Its fascinating to me how soo many of us have similar symtoms, must not be a coincidence. I'm glad you've found something that works for you.

I also just found out a few months ago that I have GERD. I suspect it slowly developed from drinking lemon water and acv w. Water regularly. For a period of time, I was able to control the BB enough by eating properly and drinking acv water every morning. This was all based on the theory that low stomach acid was the cause of the BB.

I got some type of tonsillitis/strep throat earlier this year. I had no choice but to go on antibiotics because I had just started a new job and couldn't stay home. After the course of antibiotics, the BB came back ofcourse but much worse than ever and my dry mouth worsened.

Through the post of another user on here, I recently started drinking one coke zero (sugar free coke) every morning and stopped the acv. I got immediate improvements! I suspect it produces a similar internal reaction to your drinking baking soda.

Its just soo interesting to me how people's experiences on here are similar; in relation to digestion/reflux/when the BB starts etc. I wish there was a scientist who could research us all and just figure it out lol

[HopefulOne]

Interesting...I just watched the YouTube video of "coca cola zero vs. stomach acid." Amazing stuff. Perhaps the potassium in the coke zero is acting as a base calming the stomach acid (like baking soda) whereas the regular coke is setting off the acid via all the sugar. We all know sugar is terrible for bad breath. Or maybe the potassium benzoate and baking soda are acting as fungicides and/or bacteriocides in our stomachs. Someone else on here wrote how club soda had a positive effect on their BB. This is interesting stuff!! All I know is I have never been this fresh. I'm no longer self conscious while talking face to face. My mouth no longer takes on the lingering odor of my food...I just had salsa for dinner and I have no lingering smell...AMAZING!!!

[winter]

Do acid reflux medicines help you all? How do you take baking soda? I couldn't stand the taste.

[HopefulOne]

The prescription acid reflux medicine from my doctor didn't work at all and it gave me horrible nightmares. I also tried gaviscon advance which is supposed to be good but it didn't work for me. I drink the baking soda in warm water. It doesn't taste good but you get used to it. I also bought baking soda capsules online and I normally take five at the same time. You can probably buy your own capsules and make your own.

My reflux is silent without heartburn. I get a churning with gas and bloat. It also gives me a weird taste in my mouth and makes my tongue white. Some people feel a lump in the throat.

[HopefulOne]

Today I bought a bottle of milk of magnesia (MOM) which is magnesium hydroxide in water. The PH is over 10 which is probably why it's a good antacid. I'm gonna test and see if it works better than baking soda and report back. Can't take too much or it will cause diarhea. Many people are buying magnesium hydroxide powder and mixing with seltzer water to make their own alkaline water. I think the mixture is magnesium bicarbonate. I will report back with the results.

[winter]

If I have reflux, it's also silent.

I used to get burning and lump sensation in the throat. However, those symptoms were gone after I maintain a strict GERD-friendly diet.

I almost always have a thick coating on my tongue in the morning. BB is still present on the rare occasions that I don't have a thick coating.

How does MOM taste?

[HopefulOne]

MOM doesn't taste too bad. I had the unflavored kind and took two teaspoon. It did not work as well as the baking soda for me. I need to correct my original post. I drink one HALF teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in warm water. I sip it slowly like drinking tea. I do this morning and night and the bad breath stays gone all day.

[everhopeful81]

Thanks for this useful information. Does the baking soda work immediately or what is the delay? I have been using it for 2 days (day and night - half a teaspoon dissolved in a glass of water) notice a difference. I also drink it very quickly so this may effect the potency. My symptoms are not the same as yours but I want to check this off the list in case!

[HopefulOne]

If you don't have any other issues, it should help within a few minutes. However if you're like me with multiple problems, you have to address each one. I have to keep my periodontal disease in check in order for my breath to be 100% fresh. The acid reflux is only part of the problem for me. All the bacteria in my mouth is probably what caused the bacterial imbalance in my stomach along with all the antibiotics. It's a vicious circle.

[badbrlady]

If I have reflux, it's also silent.

I used to get burning and lump sensation in the throat. However, those symptoms were gone after I maintain a strict GERD-friendly diet.

I almost always have a thick coating on my tongue in the morning. BB is still present on the rare occasions that I don't have a thick coating.

How does MOM taste?

Could you tell me what the diet is? What to eat and what not.

[winter]

Could you tell me what the diet is? What to eat and what not.

You can start with this list and see what works for you. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/a ... nt-of-gerd

Some of the generally safe food like baked potatoes trigger my gerd too.

[badbrlady]

Thank you.

[jo317]

Did the dentist perform any special cleanings/gum surgery to help fix the periodontal disease?
Both times I have had check ups in the last couple years my dentists have not thought I had any problems with my gums, but its always on my mind that they missed something.