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Margery had been a heavy smoker for ten years. She gave up two years ago. She had tried for a year to give up and the longest she lasted was three weeks (the famous three week crisis). She had no trouble with craving (some people don’t), but feeling depressed and ‘ill all over’ drove her back each time.
Before one Christmas she was made redundant and decided she could not feel much worse; it was a good time to try again. She ate lots of Christmas fare, chocolates, nuts and fruit and had more than her one sherry before dinner. Her glands and joints swelled and ached and she felt very depressed. She also had a few panic attacks; this had not happened before. After she got past the third week she knew she would make it but it was six months before she really felt herself. She has never regretted stopping and still feels it was like coming out of prison.
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How Do I Know If I Am Over- or Underproducing Acid?
If your symptoms do not respond to antacids or changing your lifestyle and eating habits, it could be that you are undersecreting.
What to Do If You Feel You Are Low on Hydrochloric Acid
1 For a few days see if your symptoms improve if you eat small, frequent, low-protein high complex carbohydrate (whole grains, vegetables, fruit).
2 Chew all food thoroughly and don’t eat when tired.
3 Don’t drink water or anything with meals.
4 Waif for at least an hour before you have tea or coffee after a meal.
5 If symptoms persist, speak to a nutritionist (see Useful Addresses) and ask about a natural source of hydrochloric acid (betaine hydrochloride).
6 See if your doctor is willing to send you for a test to determine stomach acid levels. You will probably have to fast before a test. If your doctor cannot help you, ask to be referred to a doctor who specializes in Clinical Nutrition. The British Society of Nutritional Medicine  will be able to give you the name of the doctor nearest to you. You could also ring a
nutritionist for advice. Biolab  do the Heidelberg Gastrogram Test. This entails swallowing a small capsule at the end of a string which contains a microtransmitter. The stomach acid levels are then recorded electronically.
Conditions Often Associated with Low Levels of Hydrochloric Acid
• fatigue
• acne
• IBS
• food intolerances
• disturbances of gut flora
• pernicious anaemia
• asthma
• rheumatoid arthritis
• low immune system
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