I've just started taking this supplement after being on omeprazole for a few years (think it might be called prilosec over the pond).

I started on ranitidine, then when the heartburn worsened, mainly at night, I moved onto omeprazole. I also had the pain below the breastbone when I leaned forward.

The omeprazole helped with the pain and the severe nightime heartburn issues. But lately I've been having issues with food still being in my stomach even 7-8 hours after I'd eaten. I would eat at 8pm and then have food coming up my eosophogus at 4 am. I also started having nausea in the evenings and an increasing feeling of fullness and lethargy in the evenings - though my portions were getting smaller - almost child sized! A few veg and a chicken breast and 4 hours later I'd feel like I'd eaten christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

I did research on Betaine HCl and the theory that its actually low stomach acid that causes heartburn in the majority of cases and not high stomach acid.

I've been taking them for about 5 days now and have stopped the omeprazole. The immediate result was empty stomach feeling within an hour or two of eating, and I bent forward to clean the bath yesterday and didn't have to stop due to the breastbone pain, also I have had a little more energy after dinner, not feeling so bloated.

I'm curious about anyone else who's used these. Should they be taken with every meal? Also I'm still a little nervous of acid coming up at night, so I do cheat and take a little bicarb in water 20 mins before I go to bed just in case - do I need to be doing this?

Lee