Jarrow Formulas D-Limonene, Promotes Esophogeal Health*, 500 Milligrams, 120 Softgels

I would love to say this is the miracle it seems to be for so many others, but I had an initial love-hate relationship with these softgels: As some preliminary info, I've had acid reflux issues all my life (almost 30 now), with just about any kind of food--or completely without food. Didn't matter. I also have a lot of bloating and pressure (and I'm overweight). My heartburn gets progressively worse throughout the day, being the most symptomatic with painful refluxed acid in the evening. However, I do not believe it actually wakes me up at night, though it can be hard to get to sleep if I'm having a bad episode. Once I'm asleep, it's usually fine--or at least I just don't notice it anymore. I've been on PPIs with success, but didn't want to take them long term. Zantac has been a mostly great suppressor of my symptoms, but it doesn't always work, and it frustrates me that I have to stay on it in order to keep my heartburn under control--it certainly never cured me of anything. So I feel it isn't actually getting to the root of whatever problem I have that results in acid reflux. It was time to experiment with other options. I tried d-Limonene and also take Peptic Care with it for now in case I have any issues that need healing.I started the d-Limonene by taking one capsule during the last bites of my supper, hoping it would logically help the most at that time of day by taking it at this time. It actually did seem to help a bit. I did burp the orange flavor, but it's certainly nothing to complain about if the alternate is breathing fire. It doesn't taste bad either, but I have nothing against oranges. This may have been the case for a night or two. After that things got awful.As others have mentioned, refluxing the actual d-Limonene is like having your esophagus burned out by the fires of a thousand suns. I don't recommend refluxing this stuff! So if that's your problem to begin with, this stuff won't (at least not initially) stop you from refluxing it, too. Here's what happened: I had a supper of homemade pizza, so I was pretty full this night, but I was totally confident with my d-Limonene in hand. I took a capsule when I finished. These pills are rather large, and while I hadn't had a problem the first night or so, this night it seemed to get stuck on its way down. I swallowed a bunch of water and thought I got it all the way down. I'm not sure if I did or didn't--at the time, though, I was convinced it dissolved to let out the oil while it was still in my esophagus. And it BURNED. It was so bad that I panicked, looking for the nearest source of water to wash it down but couldn't get it fast enough. Breathing only made it all worse and my instinctual reaction was to do whatever it took to get it out. It sent me vomiting everything up until I had nothing more to get rid of. After finally getting some water down, I was able to clear it out, but it left a ragged throat and stomach and some out-of-place ribs in its wake. It was quite the violent affair.However, I wasn't turned away by that one experience. Other nights had been fine, and it seemed a one-time occurrence since I had felt that it lodged in my esophagus and dissolved there. So, I tried it again the next night. I got it down without a problem and saved the last few bites to chase it down just to be sure I wouldn't have a repeat episode. Unfortunately, I started a lot of post-supper burping (as is common for me), and the d-Limonene, once again freshly dissolved, threatened to come up in full force. I was quick enough to chase down a bunch of water and did successfully prevent a repeat vomiting encore--but it was really close.I must be as stubborn as my husband says, because on the third night, I tried the d-Limonene yet again. I was a little more cautious about making sure to take it between bites of food to be fully sure it could mix well in my stomach. Well, I hate to believe it myself, but freshly released d-Limonene is wicked stuff in the esophagus. It once again fully refluxed into my throat and gave me no choice. I was sent to the sink to vomit again. Once I cleared everything out and flushed with as much water as I could, everything felt burned and raw. I had a sore throat for the whole next day after all of that.Three fails was my limit. I took a break for a day afterward and tried doing more research. No one seems to want to admit that this is a normal reaction, but I have to say that it very well might be. Acid reflux issues cause stomach acid/contents to go up into the esophagus. If d-Limonene happens to be in the stomach, especially freshly released and potent, that's going to come up, too. I just had thought it was supposed to be more restorative for the esophagus. And it might be when staying where it's supposed to, but it's just not very easy on the esophagus when first released from the soft gel. Yet, it does supposedly have really great effects all around health-wise. I really wanted to be able to use this. So I tried to look for information on how and when to take it. Unfortunately, there is precious little information available on those points. Everything just says to try it for heartburn (yeah.... we all already got that far.... how can we make it work best for us, though????) Without satisfactory information, I braced myself for more self-experimentation. My conclusion: I don't have reflux as bad in the morning/breakfast.Therefore, on the fifth day since the first bad experience, I changed the way I took it. I took it with breakfast--smack dab in the middle of it. My breakfasts are often light since I just can never eat much in the morning, and so I don't have as much burping/pressure, and it's very rare for me to have a full reflux-burp from breakfast. Two days later and this time of day (morning) to take d-Limonene is still working for me. I get more of the benign orange burps over day, but they don't bother me at all. So far, I still experience acid reflux in the evening, but it may be improving. It's hard to tell just yet. Plus, I don't think I've been properly on these for a long enough period (I keep reading that it maybe takes around two weeks for improvement) since I threw up whatever I took of it in the first few days. I plan to update after some more time to be able to comment on d-Limonene's effectiveness to cure or temporarily improve heartburn and acid reflux.Please comment if there are other ways anyone else has found to take this best/without bad results.UPDATE:It is now May 2017 since my original review in December 2016. I have long since stopped taking d-Limonene--even after taking it longer, I never noticed long-term improvement. I gave up on it after a few weeks. I am back to report this because I also have more information on my situation now. I have recently had an upper endoscopy, and I was found to have gastritis, esophagitis, an esophageal hernia, and an esophageal ulcer. While my gastroenterologist deduced that all of this and the tissue samples taken all seem to show as the effects of GERD, I do wonder if the ulcer wasn't from these d-limonene capsules. I'm sure my acid issues didn't help anything--and certainly haven't allowed it to heal if so--but I never experienced such burning as those episodes refluxing the d-limonene. So I just have to wonder...But anyway, my ultimate conclusion is that with an esophageal hernia, I don't think there was perhaps ever much hope for me with this supplement. I'm not sure it would have been possible for me to keep the reflux from happening with the d-limonene long enough for the d-limonene to have any effect. Though I thank you all who have commented with any other information on when to take it. In the morning on an empty stomach may be a possible solution. At this time, I won't be trying anything again until I get things more healed up in the first place. And, unfortunately, I am on a lot of omeprazole again now--definitely what I was hoping to avoid, but I need a way to get things to heal, and with the hernia. I'm not sure what a long-term alternative might be for me, now that the hernia has been confirmed. It makes it seem like beyond neutralizing my stomach acid to nothing (which has thrown my digestion into chaos), there isn't really another way to keep my esophagus safe from the acid. But I am going in for a follow up appointment coming up, so I'll see if my doctor knows of any other non-surgical options.Be careful with d-limonene if you know you have an esophageal hernia!

These capsules work just as well as everyone says! I have been taking them for about two weeks once daily after dinner, and only had acid reflux a couple times the first two to three days. I had been taking prilosec two tablets twice daily on an empty stomach (a prescription dose) just to survive the previous month or so and by now have almost already weaned completely off. I also drastically cut out NSAIDS and started taking licorice root (Nature's Way) and concentrated aloe vera gel (NOW) to help heal my esophagus and my GI tract, but the D-limonene is what worked first that allowed me to make all these other changes. Except for the first day or two there were no weird "orange burps" even though I still have regular burps they are not orange flavored and not reflux. These things are truly magic and saved my sanity and ability to sleep through the night without tasting or inhaling food and acid. Right now I still have to be a little careful what I eat, but it is improving already. Amazing! Don't be scared by a couple of bad reviews where people didn't swallow the capsule all the wlay - it is a large soft gel but a full glass of water should be sufficient. Pretty much everyone is either helped or cured with the D-limonene is my impression. Highly recommended at least to try - you won't be dissappointed!! I can't emphasize this enough how much this has changed my health and even if you have to keep taking them, they are inexpensive and there are no harmful side effects like there are with antacids!Edit: sometimes I still have an episode of reflux occasionally even on this regimen, and all I do is take one of these an extra time and it solves it - no antacids needed! I plan to take these once daily in the evenings for the foreseeable future - I don't think they are always a cure but break the cycle of the reflux irritating the esophagus and causing more reflux, and I'm still off prilosec! I believe that I have some serious underlying disease process to deal with, which I suspect is intestinal hyperpermeability, also known as "leaky gut", and so my situation may be a little more complex than many.Edit: my experience a couple months in is consistent with what I have written. There are many other interventions I have taken and many other supplements I take directly for my GI issues. I have written longer reviews on Nature's Way Licorice Root (non-DGL), NOW Aloe Vera concentrated gel caps, NOW Slippery Elm, and Jarrow L-glutamine, all of which I am using to help treat my intestinal hyperpermeability, i.e."leaky gut". Licorice, Aloe, Slippery Elm, and Marshmallow root all help treat acid reflux directly, also, as well as helping heal the esophagus and the digestive tract, in case anyone needs more help. I also take Hyperbiotics probiotics, which significantly reduced the reflux all on their own before I knew about the D-limonene. Finally, I take digestive enzymes right after I eat, including broad spectrum enzymes by Dr. Best, and NOW Betaine Hcl which helps resolve GERD by acting to increase stomach acid (same idea as swallowing lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) and especially helps digest high protein meals (reverses all the damage of suppressing it with all those antacids that don't work and just cause more damage and maldigestion and malabsorption - you need stomach acid to properly digest your food! - sounds counterintuitive but Google GERD and low stomach acid and you will get lots of info). Again, my situation is complex and it normally takes many months to heal "leaky gut" so I simply wanted to first of all share the other supplements that have and are helping me, and second tell you not to get discouraged if D-limonene is not a cure-all if you have a more complex situation. MANY folks get complete cure and remission from the D-limonene, and many folks find that it secondarily resolves issues in the rest of the GI tract as well, such as IBS, by breaking the cycle of irritation and inflammation. Highly RECOMMEND TRY IT!! If "ALL"l it does is replaces your antacids that is a HUGE SUCCESS STORY!!

D-Limonene helped cure my heartburn/reflux!!After almost 20 years of using acid reducers with my heartburn getting worse and developing into GERD, nothing was working for me. After a lot of research on my part, I learned that most heartburn is not caused by too much acid, but by not enough acid. Also as we age our body may not produce enough digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes help in the digestion process by helping break down the food and move it through the stomach. Without enough acid and enzymes, your food may just sit in your stomach and basically rot, potentially causing many health problems which may include heartburn, gerd, malabsorbtion of vitamins and minerals, leaky gut and many other terrible things.When I say I had heartburn and gerd I mean I had a very serious problem. Heartburn everyday, all day long. At night I would reflux so bad that I could never sleep because of the burning. The reflux sometimes caused me to breathe acid into my lungs which would lead to coughing and gasping for air. I also had gastritis and leaky gut. I ended up in the ER with an ulcer. Doctors kept giving me more useless pills which were causing more and more problems. Because of the acid reducers I was not absorbing nutrients. I had body inflamation and fatigue non-stop. I was told I had CFS. I was in a horrible downward spiral. Your digestion system is the biggest part of your immune system, please take care of it and learn the truth about acid reducers.These are the things I do and I no longer have heartburn, no longer have gerd, no longer have gastritis, and am working on the leaky gut and other things as they take time to heal. I can eat and drink anything I want (except cola) whenever I want as long as I do these things, and as my stomach has improved I do not need to do some of these things as often.1. Everyday I either drink  Apple Cidar Vinegar, Organic Raw Unflavored 32oz  or fresh squeezed lemon juice. 1 tbls vinegar in 8 oz warm water or half to a whole lemon in 12 oz warm water. 1 -3x's daily.2. With every meal I take  Betaine Hydrochloride With Pepsin 600mg 250 Tablets  1-2 tablets per meal depending on the amount of protein in the meal. I also use  American Health: Chewable Super Papaya Enzyme Plus, 360 tabs  with every meal.3. I stopped drinking cola pop which contains phosphoric acid and switched to a lemon lime pop and drink more water. Research about phosphoric acid and how it competes with your stomach acid and what it does to your stomach.4.Everyday after my biggest meal of the day I took one  Jarrow Formulas D-Limonene, 1000mg, 60-Soft Gels  and no more problems at night or while I sleep. Now I take one only every few days. Make sure to take this with a full glass of water so that it gets down fully into your stomach.When I first began I also took Now Food L-glutamine powder mixed with water 1x day, and also drank  Now Foods Slippery Elm Powder, 4-Ounce  made into a tea with water and honey a few times a day. Both of these things are also soothing and will help.I had an extreme case and you may not need all of these things. Please research for yourself and be your own health advocate. Apple Cidar Vinegar, Organic Raw Unflavored 32ozBetaine Hydrochloride With Pepsin 600mg 250 TabletsAmerican Health: Chewable Super Papaya Enzyme Plus, 360 tabsJarrow Formulas D-Limonene, 1000mg, 60-Soft GelsNow Foods Slippery Elm Powder, 4-Ounce

I have silent reflux (LPR) for over 10 years. I have not taken any medication except for an occasional Tums. I have eliminated certain foods such as orange juice and hot chocolate which cause the reflux to get worse but there are still lots of foods that bring it on and I can't eliminate everything..Besides being very annoying, the reflux can cause permanent damage to your throat and can increase the risk of cancer. I was so happy when I read the great reviews of this product but I was worried because most reviewers have regular reflux and I was worried it might not work for silent reflux. Silent reflux is when the acid coming out of your stomach irritates the throat but does not bother the esophagus. People with this type of reflux do not get heartburn--you feel like your throat is closing and like you constantly have to clear your throat. It is very annoying.Anyway, I am so thrilled because after I took the first pill at night before I went to sleep, the next day I could tell my reflux was better. I did not get it like I usually do after my morning shake or after lunch. I am taking one pill every other night before bedtime and with just 2 pills I already notice a real difference. I also started taking reuteri probiotic but I think it is the D-limonene that is making the difference because I noticed the improvement after the first day when I had not yet started the probiotic.It is amazing to me that doctors will not recommend this product to you--although I had only been to one many years ago-- for reflux. I had no trouble swallowing the pill and also did not experience any burping or anything. This D-limonene is a life saver and I am so happy I found it. I will try to remember to update this review when I have taken it for a longer period of time but the improvement is definite, super fast, and noticeable from day one for me.

Update 6 Jan 2015: Here is the short story. 26 Sep 2014 I got a piece of steak stuck in my throat. 4 hours later visited the ER, 4 hours later, I am on the operating table having an EGD with a Dr. pushing the first and only bite of a Filet Mignon into my belly. After waking from surgery, DR tells me my Lower Esophageal Sphincter looks like it lost a boxing match and I have GERD. (Didn't realize I had more than one sphincter) He puts me on Omeprazole(Prilosec) for 90 days and says he wants me to come back for another EGD to make sure things have gotten better. Before this I was taking 1-3 antacids a day. After taking Omeprazole for 5 days I threw it in the garbage because it really screws up my digestive track. Lots of reading lead me to DGL & D-Limonene.Same timeframe, my father was in the hospital for multiple issues. One issue they discovered was that he had Hypercalcemia. Come to find out he was taking 10 or more antacids a day for the last 5-6 years, maybe longer. These side effects combined with the side effects of Hydrocodone (almost 4 years) and the other medication he was on lead to the doctors not really understanding what was wrong until it was to late, Peritoneal Carcinomatosis. After my dad died I found out my brother carries a pocket full of antacids with him all the time. He doesn't any more because he is now taking DGL and D-LimonenePoint of this being that I never went back for my follow-up EGD because I have not felt the need to. Before the EGD I could feel something was wrong in that extra sphincter that I didn't know was a sphincter. I no longer take antacids. I still have issues here and there but not like it used to be.I do have to say the D-Limonene orange burps suck but that is a very small price to pay.