Doctor's Best Betaine HCI Pepsin and Gentian Bitters Capsules, 360 Count

Amazing product. I am suffering from Acid Reflux due to lack of stomach acid production. These pills have been a boon for me. I do have to take more pills like 4-5 tablets before each meal. That's expensive as the product with 120 capsules doesn't last a month for me. Overall a very potent product.

very effective preparation but is extremely costly for we indians.we suggest you to make it more cost effective

Effective

Quality is good. I am finding improvement in my digestion. The 360 pack is more economical than the 120 pack.

Everything is good

OK

Good product Value for money, only thing is that courier services is very poor. If they expedite the courier service then will be good

It is good. I basically use it twice a day with breakfast and lunch, but if I eat a big meal for dinner, I take additional capsule. It helps with digestion. I recommend it.

To say that this product has changed my life would be the understatement of the century! After several years of health issues, I was diagnosed with a 4.5 cm ovarian cyst. Since then, my already poor digestion has gotten exponentially worse by the day and so has the pain and other symptoms I was experiencing- acid reflux/heartburn, bloating, deep pelvic and lower back aching, fatigue, exhaustion, low energy, anxiety, depression, insomnia, having to pee 8-10 times a night, constipation, crazy menstrual cycles that would sometimes last a month, I couldn’t stand up for two minutes without having to sit because my body hurt so bad… I was associating all of these things with my ovarian cyst and so were my doctors… I honestly didn’t think I would make it through until my surgery that was scheduled to take place in a month… Well, one day while awaiting my surgery, I randomly happened upon this product through my mom who had, against her doctor’s advice, just started taking it for her acid reflux/GERD. Out of desperation I swallowed one capsule when my heartburn was flaring up. Low and behold, my heartburn completely subsided in under 2 minutes… And thus begun my journey of research and self healing. Among many other things that I learned was the fact that vegetarians almost always have low stomach acid- I’ve been a vegetarian for 28 years. Turns out that if you have low stomach acid, which I clearly did, the sphincter in your esophagus stays open and you will experience acid reflux… however, more importantly, you should know that you cannot break down or digest your food either and therefore you cannot absorb the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients in ANYTHING you are ingesting- not only food but vitamins, minerals, and any herbal supplements as well. The longer this goes on for the more malnourished you will get. Then, the white coats tell you to take antacids to relieve your acid reflux, which is the complete OPPOSITE of what you need and hardly even a bandaid on the situation. Antacids, while they temporarily relieve your symptoms, will only further reduce your stomach acid and thus exasperate your digestion, your health will go into a downward spiral. Not only can low stomach acid lead to physical illness but mental illness as well, i.e. depression and anxiety, both of which I believe are your body trying to signal you that something is wrong and you aren’t getting the nutrients you need! A week ago I ordered some for my little sister who has suffered from debilitating fibromyalgia for over a decade, gone to numerous doctors, specialists, had every test under the sun, and never gotten a single answer or even any temporary relief. Her symptoms have continued to worsen and her health, both physical and mental, have declined as well. She has been taking HCL now for a week and already getting significant relief. I will update this review when more time has passed but judging by how much she has already improved I expect her to make a fully recovery. If you are suffering from any of the symptoms or health issues mentioned, I advise you to do your own independent research because, as was exemplified the past two years (and longer), the white coats can’t be trusted!

I think the product itself might be ok, but I question whether adding more acid is really the answer for heartburn sufferers. At first I thought it seemed to be working, but in following days, I felt worse acid than ever. I wonder if I wasn't eating enough meat protein while taking it to really benefit from it. I took it when I ate a cumulatively large amount of protein, but from non-meat sources. So I think it was far too much acid for me. But can anyone actually answer whether or not this should be taken with only meat protein sources? What about other protein sources? Frustratingly, I have been unable to find the answer. On another note, I suffer from acid reflux no matter what I eat or don't eat (even on an empty stomach--sometimes especially on an empty stomach). So to just take this for protein perhaps doesn't solve my problems. At least not on its own. Zantac mostly helped me, as did PPIs, but I don't want to use PPIs long-term, and Zantac didn't always work as well as I needed it to. I also agree with most recent research that acid reducers and PPIs are over-prescribed and definitely not an answer to get at the source of the heartburn problem (unless, as sounds very rare, you do actually have an excess of stomach acid), but I don't think Betaine HCl is "it" yet, either. I never get the warming sensation as described in the self-experimenting stomach acid test, but I also don't believe it would be safe to take a ton of these. Furthermore, it sounds like to take these, you should be eating a steak like every day to do the "plus one more pill a day until your symptoms change" self-test. I just don't eat that much meat that frequently to know if I'm doing the dosage test properly. I like the addition of digestive bitters in this product, however, and I've also done a lot of research that suggests bitters work throughout the whole digestive system, but they also work by being tasted. In a pill form, I don't taste the bitters. For now, I have quit taking the Betaine HCl. Instead, I am trying Urban Moonshine's citrus digestive bitters (liquid form so I can taste it) and d-Limonene (in conjunction with Peptic Care--just in case I have any issues that need healing). I have not taken the d-Limonene long enough to know if it will mostly cure my heartburn or not, but the few small studies done on it suggest that it works over a two-week treatment period.

Take as instructed with meal, helps to digest protein and for me especially eggs.

I have been having very serious stomach issues for the past year after taking antibiotics..horrible pressure and constipation that hit me like a ton of bricks so hard I ended up the hospital...I am a 31 year old male and have always been healthy and active......the past year I have been through hell with multiple drs telling me I have anxiety and that nothing is wrong after many many tests. They tried putting me on acid blockers and other meds..but I wasn't having any of the symptoms of acid re-flux... just felt like my food wasn't digesting properly, pressure that builds up like a balloon in my stomach any time I ate anything..my stomach would not make a noise even after fasting for a whole 24 hours which is not normal for me... I am trying to stay away from prescribed meds from the dr which i believe led to my stomach issues in the first place over the last year...all in all after trying 100's of supplements out of desperation for some sort of relief over the past year....Betaine hcl w pepsin and the probiotic align have brought me the most relief....I am not back to normal, But I would say I am digesting food 70% better then was before i found this supplement...drs never once brought up stomach acid to be tested in the whole year i have been going ....I learned this from my own research....and found that I have low stomach acid....you can tell by taking one of these on an empty stomach or with a meal...1 at a time , then two, then three at a time until your stomach starts getting that acid burning sensation then you know your proper dosage.....I sometimes have to take up to 7-8 of these with one meal to digest my food properly, sometimes only two, but this gives me the sensation of my stomach being alive and digesting my food once again when it has felt completely dead for a good 10-12 months ......I don't trust drs any more for stomach issues...they still haven't diagnosed me properly at all or made me feel like my health was in their best interest.....lets hope the medical field gets more information on the stomach as I wanted to die due to so much consistent pain in my stomach the past year....but this brings great relief..for any fellow stomach problem sufferers I wish the best in your journey to find a solution when the drs are absolutely no help at all