Hi  – did you get any symptom relief with the Matula tea? So yes, your understanding about the betaine dosage challenge is correct. Do not exceed 4900mg per meal. Regarding your question about duration. Are you referring to the amount of time it takes to do the dosing challenge or once you’ve found your dose? Although the baking soda challenge isn’t diagnostic, burping after 5 minutes is likely indicative of low stomach acid, but you knew that already given the H Pylori overgrowth.

Betaine is a bandaid until your own stomach acid production optimizes. It’s like the “plank of wood under the tire” analogy I discuss in the Gut Health Masterclass. Sometimes we need support to help get the car going…

Hi 

In addition, I would like to add that if your stomach didn’t produce acid for a while, the lining of the stomach might need some healing first. Part of the reason why H. Pylori causes low stomach acid is because the infection weakens the lining of the stomach.

This is also a great moment to think about what might have caused the H. Pylori infection in the first place. Remember that H. Pylori is an endemic bacteria. Everyone has some H. Pylori. An overgrowth is often a ‘symptom’ from something more upstream. For example:

Stressful events in life can cause low stomach acid all in itself, giving room for H. Pylori to grow.

A low thyroid state can also cause a low stomach situation, leading to an H. Pylori overgrowth. A low stomach on its turn can cause a low thyroid state as well, so the 2 dynamics feed each other. I’m mentioning this, because hair loss was a symptom you mentioned in other posts right?

Hair loss can be caused by a low thyroid. Other low thyroid symptoms are feeling cold, feeling low on energy, having a hard time concentrating and losing weight.  Are those symptoms you recognise?

Zinc insufficiency is common. We need strong stomach acid to absorb zinc, but zinc is also necessary to create stomach acid. A zinc insufficiency can also lead to hair loss.

In the Gut Health Masterclass, we talk about other reasons why stomach acid can be low as well.

Is there something above here that resonates with you?

 Great! In other posts you also mentioned you have low ferritin (the storage form of iron). Since iron is a key nutriënt for thyroid hormone metabolism, I have some additional tips. Possibly you are already aware, consider them then as gentle reminders 🙂

Increasing iron absorption
• Iron needs stomach acid to be absorbed, so the betain HCl can help. If you are using iron as a supplement, combine this when you use betain HCl.
• In addition: vitamin C increases iron absorption as well.
• Iron coming from meat is also better absorbed than iron from plant-based foods.

Another thing to be aware of
If you are low on iron, this could lead to iron deficiency anaemia. Treating it doesn’t change anything, but… in this case, ferritin goes up until your red blood cells have enough Hemoglobin. In the case of iron deficient anaemia, this can take from 3 to 6 months.

Tips for additional thyroid tests:
If you are considering additional thyroid testing because you want to know why your thyroid hormones are low I would recommend you test besides your T4 & T3 hormones also for thyroid antibodies. Just to rule out that your low thyroid is caused by an autoimmune dynamic. If you express your concerns to your doctor, they could test them.

Reverse T3
If you want to be really comprehensive in your testing, test also for reverse T3. Reverse T3 looks just like T3, except it’s the mirror image of T3. So if reverse T3 occupies the thyroid receptor, it doesn’t lead to an activated metabolism. The body usually elevates reverse T3 when you are stressed or with prolonged sickness

I don’t know the protocol for doctors in your country, but reverse T3 isn’t tested often by doctors. Reverse T3 can however provide insight into why your thyroid is low.

Back to your initial question: How long does it take for stomach acid to return?
Depending on the dynamics that are at play. It might depend on how fast your Thyroid hormones are getting back in balance. If aneamia is at play it could take longer because the red blood cell quality might get priority first.