u/axh3

For the past 6 months, I’ve been dealing with a persistent bitter taste in my mouth, especially at night and in the morning. Then one day, I suddenly developed pain while swallowing—even swallowing my own saliva was painful.
I went to a gastroenterologist, and he prescribed a PPI for about 20 days. During the treatment, I felt much better, but within a few days of stopping it, my symptoms gradually started coming back. Based on my history, he suspects esophagitis and has recommended an upper GI endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis.
Looking back, I also realize that for about a year I had a habit of eating one very large meal and often lying down or going to sleep shortly afterward, so I’m wondering if that contributed to all of this.
If you don’t mind sharing, I’d really appreciate hearing about your personal experience:
What symptoms did you have?
How were you diagnosed? Was it confirmed with an endoscopy?
Did your symptoms sound similar to mine?
What was the actual cause of your esophagitis?
What treatment worked best for you?
How long did it take before you started feeling better?
Did you make a full recovery, or do you still get flare-ups?
Were there any foods or habits that made your symptoms worse?
Is there anything you wish you had known when you were first diagnosed?
If you could give one piece of advice to someone in my situation, what would it be?
I’d be really grateful for any advice or experience you’re willing to share. Reading about other people’s journeys has been helping me understand what to expect, so thank you very much for your time.

I’ve been trying to understand a topic that seems very controversial.
Many gastroenterologists say that GERD is primarily due to reflux of stomach contents and that PPIs reduce acid exposure, allowing the esophagus to heal.
However, I’ve also come across several well-known doctors and health educators (such as Dr. Berg and others) who argue that GERD is actually caused by low stomach acid, and that insufficient acid prevents the LES from functioning properly. They recommend Betaine HCl, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), thiamine, and other approaches to increase stomach acid instead of suppressing it.
I’m genuinely trying to understand this from people who have actually experienced it.
If you’ve personally tried Betaine HCl or ACV for GERD or gastritis, I’d love to hear about your experience:
What was your diagnosis (GERD, gastritis, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, etc.)?
Were you diagnosed by a gastroenterologist or did you self-diagnose?
Did PPIs help you? If yes, by how much?
Did you stop PPIs before trying Betaine HCl or ACV?
What happened after starting Betaine HCl or ACV?
Did your symptoms improve, stay the same, or get worse?
Did you experience any side effects or complications?
Looking back, do you think it helped or harmed you?
Please share only your own personal experience.
I’m not looking for YouTube opinions or second-hand stories—I want to hear from people who have actually tried these approaches themselves and what the outcome was, whether positive or negative.
Thank you!

I’ve been trying to understand a topic that seems very controversial.
Many gastroenterologists say that GERD is primarily due to reflux of stomach contents and that PPIs reduce acid exposure, allowing the esophagus to heal.
However, I’ve also come across several well-known doctors and health educators (such as Dr. Berg and others) who argue that GERD is actually caused by low stomach acid, and that insufficient acid prevents the LES from functioning properly. They recommend Betaine HCl, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), thiamine, and other approaches to increase stomach acid instead of suppressing it.
I’m genuinely trying to understand this from people who have actually experienced it.
If you’ve personally tried Betaine HCl or ACV for GERD or gastritis, I’d love to hear about your experience:
What was your diagnosis (GERD, gastritis, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, etc.)?
Were you diagnosed by a gastroenterologist or did you self-diagnose?
Did PPIs help you? If yes, by how much?
Did you stop PPIs before trying Betaine HCl or ACV?
What happened after starting Betaine HCl or ACV?
Did your symptoms improve, stay the same, or get worse?
Did you experience any side effects or complications?
Looking back, do you think it helped or harmed you?
Please share only your own personal experience.
I’m not looking for YouTube opinions or second-hand stories—I want to hear from people who have actually tried these approaches themselves and what the outcome was, whether positive or negative.
Thank you!

I’ve been trying to understand a topic that seems very controversial.
Many gastroenterologists say that GERD is primarily due to reflux of stomach contents and that PPIs reduce acid exposure, allowing the esophagus to heal.
However, I’ve also come across several well-known doctors and health educators (such as Dr. Berg and others) who argue that GERD is actually caused by low stomach acid, and that insufficient acid prevents the LES from functioning properly. They recommend Betaine HCl, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), thiamine, and other approaches to increase stomach acid instead of suppressing it.
I’m genuinely trying to understand this from people who have actually experienced it.
If you’ve personally tried Betaine HCl or ACV for GERD or gastritis, I’d love to hear about your experience:
What was your diagnosis (GERD, gastritis, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, etc.)?
Were you diagnosed by a gastroenterologist or did you self-diagnose?
Did PPIs help you? If yes, by how much?
Did you stop PPIs before trying Betaine HCl or ACV?
What happened after starting Betaine HCl or ACV?
Did your symptoms improve, stay the same, or get worse?
Did you experience any side effects or complications?
Looking back, do you think it helped or harmed you?
Please share only your own personal experience.
I’m not looking for YouTube opinions or second-hand stories—I want to hear from people who have actually tried these approaches themselves and what the outcome was, whether positive or negative.
Thank you!

I tested my gag reflex by accidentally touching the back of my throat with my finger, and it caused intense gagging, lots of saliva, a strong urge to vomit, and even a brief headache afterward. It made me wonder what the real endoscopy feels like.
My questions are:
How much does the throat numbing spray actually reduce the gag reflex? Is it a small difference or a major difference?
Is the urge to vomit during the procedure similar to touching the back of your throat with your finger, or is it different?
How do you breathe during the procedure? Do you just breathe normally through your nose the whole time?
There’s a mouth guard in your mouth, so how do you swallow if you need to? Or do you just let saliva come out naturally?
During the actual procedure, how long is the uncomfortable part? Is it just the first 30–60 seconds, or does it stay uncomfortable for the whole 5–10 minutes?
If you’ve had it awake with only throat spray, what would you rate the discomfort out of 10?
I’d especially appreciate replies from people who had a routine diagnostic upper GI endoscopy while awake with only throat spray.

Hi everyone,
I’m scheduled to have my first upper GI endoscopy (gastroscopy) soon, and I’m feeling pretty nervous because I don’t know what to expect.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve actually had one.
A few questions I have:
Did you have it \*\*with sedation\*\* or \*\*without sedation\*\*?
If you were awake, what did it actually feel like from the moment they inserted the scope until they removed it?
Was it painful, or mainly uncomfortable?
How bad was the gagging? Was it constant or just at the beginning?
Could you breathe normally during the procedure?
Did you ever feel like you were choking, or was that just anxiety beforehand?
If you had sedation, do you remember much of the procedure? How sleepy were you?
How long did the procedure feel compared to the actual time?
What was the worst part, and what was easier than you expected?
If you were really anxious before it, did the experience end up being better or worse than you imagined?
For context, I’m not looking for medical advice—just honest experiences so I know what to expect mentally and physically.
I’d especially appreciate detailed replies, including what you were thinking and feeling during each stage of the procedure.
Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,
I’m scheduled to have my first upper GI endoscopy (gastroscopy) soon, and I’m feeling pretty nervous because I don’t know what to expect.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve actually had one.
A few questions I have:
Did you have it **with sedation** or **without sedation**?
If you were awake, what did it actually feel like from the moment they inserted the scope until they removed it?
Was it painful, or mainly uncomfortable?
How bad was the gagging? Was it constant or just at the beginning?
Could you breathe normally during the procedure?
Did you ever feel like you were choking, or was that just anxiety beforehand?
If you had sedation, do you remember much of the procedure? How sleepy were you?
How long did the procedure feel compared to the actual time?
What was the worst part, and what was easier than you expected?
If you were really anxious before it, did the experience end up being better or worse than you imagined?
For context, I’m not looking for medical advice—just honest experiences so I know what to expect mentally and physically.
I’d especially appreciate detailed replies, including what you were thinking and feeling during each stage of the procedure.
Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,
I’m scheduled to have my first upper GI endoscopy (gastroscopy) soon, and I’m feeling pretty nervous because I don’t know what to expect.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve actually had one.
A few questions I have:
Did you have it with sedation or without sedation?
If you were awake, what did it actually feel like from the moment they inserted the scope until they removed it?
Was it painful, or mainly uncomfortable?
How bad was the gagging? Was it constant or just at the beginning?
Could you breathe normally during the procedure?
Did you ever feel like you were choking, or was that just anxiety beforehand?
If you had sedation, do you remember much of the procedure? How sleepy were you?
How long did the procedure feel compared to the actual time?
What was the worst part, and what was easier than you expected?
If you were really anxious before it, did the experience end up being better or worse than you imagined?
For context, I’m not looking for medical advice—just honest experiences so I know what to expect mentally and physically.
I’d especially appreciate detailed replies, including what you were thinking and feeling during each stage of the procedure.
Thanks so much!

I’ve been trying to find a TV show that aired on Cartoon Network India years ago between 2008-2012 but I’ve searched Google, YouTube, IMDb, TV listings, and fan wikis with no luck. It’s as if the show never existed.
Here’s everything I remember:
It aired on Cartoon Network India (Hindi dub).
It was about a team of heroes fighting evil around the world.
The Hindi opening theme had a line that went something like:
“Khatron pe hoga signal… Six ka raaj…”
I’m not 100% certain of the exact lyrics, but it was very close to that.
The strange part is that I can’t find any trace of it online—no articles, no videos, no screenshots, nothing. It genuinely feels like lost media, does anyone have a memory of watching it?

I may’ve to go through endoscopy in 2 weeks and I’m scared to death and usually I’ve anxiety of doctors and hospitals and i fear a panic attack and in India they do not sedate a young person for this it’s all while you’re wide awake and they make you sign papers and all so I’m scared to death what it’ll feel like ? Will i get panic ? Will i be able to manage it ? How long is it ? What’s the procedure and what if i died or anything bad happened during the endoscopy.

• Please help, share experiences, tips, what to expect and how can i manage this ?

I may’ve to go through endoscopy in 2 weeks and I’m scared to death and usually I’ve anxiety of doctors and hospitals and i fear a panic attack and in India they do not sedate a young person for this it’s all while you’re wide awake and they make you sign papers and all so I’m scared to death what it’ll feel like ? Will i get panic ? Will i be able to manage it ? How long is it ? What’s the procedure and what if i died or anything bad happened during the endoscopy.

• Please help, share experiences, tips, what to expect and how can i manage this ?