Yoga for Duodenal Ulcers and Nausea

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi All,

I am a 29 year old male with acidity and duodenal ulcer related problems, I first got a duodenal ulcer 5 years back and started using medications,i was forced to use the medication as a maintenance thereapy in order to reduce stomach acid, now after 5 years i again get Stomach pain, burning sensation and severe nausea even after using Maintenance thereapy, i am scared that the ulcer is back.I want to change my lifestyle stop the medication and practise yoga to naturally heal myself, Please suggest me what to do

#2

As a first advice I would recommend to stick to medications and check what is happening with a specialist. Yoga will assist healing in longer run (I believe mainly through lowering of the acid production related with greater relaxation). But in the mean time this ulcer will cause more and more damage.

So since you ask for suggestions: go to medical specialist and leave him the job of finding what is happening and dealing with it, go for yoga classes and leave it the job of healing you on unconscious levels, and you yourself: relax. You did what you could. And this ulcer will not go away because of worry or strong will.

#3

Hi Pawel, Thanks for the reply, yes i am in touch with my doc who had examined me and suggested PPI therapy for 8 weeks.

Parallely i want to learn and do some Yoga stomach acid reducing exercises, I agree with you that in long term they have a healing effect, It would be great if you could suggest few.

#4

hi arvindmanda,
I’m not very advanced person so maybe someone else will give you specific asanas for stomach acid reduction. I had a similar problem and my intuition tells me that relaxing component was the most important in recovery. So maybe try some classes and watch yourself how you react to specific postures. And pick those which make you feel most relaxed and secure. Also I find meditation very important. With greater self-awareness you can early feel first stress-symptoms (which later on can result in a bad response of your body) and immediately react to them (e.g. going for a walk to your favorite place, letting go of some argument, asking a friend to cheer you up etc.).

#5

Hi Pawel, Thanks again, I have seen some Pranayama techniques like Alternative Nostril breathing will calm your mind and i read that Vajrasana is very helpful in digestion, i would start practising them.

Any other suggestions would also be useful, I plan to enroll in a yoga class soon

#6

Arvindmanda,

Hello my friend.
The first thing is to deal with your fears. Since we are not working together in contact you will have to do that either on your own or in conjunction with the health practitioners you deem appropriate.

Additionally, since you are under the care of a medical doctor then it is appropriate that all things are cleared through that person you have chosen. Should you be sincere in your desire to pursue the support of Yoga then I suggest finding a well trained teacher there in Stockholm or traveling to workshops.

I will tell you that my view of the stomach differs from the one you and Pawel are asserting. The stomach acid should NOT be reduced. In fact the stomach is one of two organs in the human body which absolutely must be acidic in nature in order to function. So to me a protocol reducing stomach acidity would not be called for. Most of the malady in the stomach is caused by not enough acid rather than a shortage.

I would direct you to read the following if they speak to you. They are, at very least, informative.
The Truth About Stomach Acid

Get Off Prescription Acid-Reducing Drugs

Eradication of H-Pylori

The yoga approach would likely be regimented dietary changes and stress management.

#7

Dear Gordon, Appreciate the information you have shared with us, i was under the impression that excessive amount of stomach acid was causing all my problems, but now you have showed me a new path.

Since the pain is high i some times become very scared especially in the nights, I have to find a way to control my fears, Regarding finding a Yoga Practitioner in Sweden, is there any referral you could provide from your experience? I have checked for Yoga and i could find many Yoga Studios teaching basic yoga but couldnt find any one whom i can explain my problem and find the right yoga asana treatment on the long run.

Again thanks alot for the information, hoping to hear from you soon

#8

Hi Gordon,

Good you brought up H.Pylori to discussion. I hope Arvindmanda’s doctor checked for it before prescribing those medications. Also, I don’t think we have different views in this subject. I think this problem is similar to inflammation problem. Some people say it is good and you shouldn’t interfere and some people say inflammation is bad and should be removed. And both are right. As initial response inflammation is good, but as chronic condition it is dangerous. Stomach acid is similar. It is important to function properly, but in case of ulcer, it is too late and a high level of acid is not so good. It hurts and impedes healing of the ulcer. It doesn’t have to be the cause of condition (like inflammation is not the primary cause of the chronic inflammation), but it is impeding the recovery. I’m not 100% sure, but I think there is a link between elevated acid production and ulcer extent. If such link exists, it may be good idea to deal with a cause (e.g. this H. Pylori) and lower it until ulcer heals.

Also, the first two articles you cite talk about acid reflux and not ulcer. In the second one author suggests to even increase the acidity in the stomach. Such advice in case of the ulcer (if there is a positive link between acid level and ulcer extent) may cause even more extensive damage.

#9

@ Arvindmanda
I understand the situation relative to therapeutic yoga in Sweden. I’ll inquire of some others to see if there is someone there I can reference through degrees of connectivity.

@ Pawel
Your points are well stated and I appreciate your approach. It comes with a certain ease and comfort that to me indicates you are secure with yourself - something I wish for all practitioners on this path, myself included.

The point of the articles cited was not so much to refute or speak directly to the issue. That is for someone else. The point for me was to allude to a potentially different perspective other than the model that GI issues mandate reductions in acid.

It would be unlikely for me to adopt a position of “it’s too late” as to me that is not a layer of truth upon which I roost and it also places the seed of thought in the students mind and it can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Often it is a case of “whether you believe you are right or wrong, you are right”.

While it is ill-advised for those who’ve elected to pursue prescription drugs as remedy to stop their use, I do believe most things can be remedied without them through changes in the way we live (read: diet, lifestyle, pranayama, asana, meditation). But again, this is my belief system and I don’t expect others to adopt it.

#10

i would suggest you to take ayurvedic medicine. it would be more usefull in long run than allopathic medicine.