I feel compelled to write about "hyperacidity"from the standpoint of a patient, not as a medical professional. I began my journey as a formerly anorexic, teenager, by suddenly developing a gastric ulcer. Back in the day, before ulcers became linked to a bacterium, h. pylori, ulcers meant extreme lifestyle changes, trips to a psychiatrist, surgery, or all of the above. My stomach condition changed my life immediately and irrevocably. A university student, I was assigned stress management classes by the campus health clinic, instructed to see a psychiatrist once a week. Liquor, caffeinated beverages and smokes became out of the question. The bland diet I'd been given was ghastly. Nonetheless fear drove me to do what I was told, and the combination worked.
Fade to adulthood and 30 or 40 years of a very stressful career. My life and career resulted in GERD. What is worse than GERD, other than complications, such as Barrett's Esophagus or esophageal cancer? In my estimation, it is treatment. I'd urge anyone considering a proton pump inhibitor (PPI,) to have a very long think. Lifestyle changes take longer than semi loads of antacids or months of purple pills. Eventually facing symptoms is not facing the disorder. (Treatment for h. pylori infection is another matter, one I won't attempt to address here, except to say, it does require treatment.)
Whether or not you are obese and suffer an inflammatory condition, just know this. Everyone will have nutritional advice, from the sane to, literally, eating as the Neanderthals ate. A very low carbohydrate diet can help to keep down the overgrowth of bacteria and viruses in the digestive tract, but there are risks. By all means people should consult their physicians, before embarking on dietary or exercise regimens. Even Yoga, which I consider a boon for stress addicts (you know who you are) become competitive and stressful with the wrong approach.
Following the Romanian tradition, garlic is used in excess to keep the vampires away. Following the Jewish tradition, a dispenser of schmaltz (liquid chicken fat) is kept on the table to give the vampires heartburn if they get through the garlic defense. -Calvin Trillin
Truckloads of antacid cannot be a good thing, but I promise a PPI can have profound effects on the body. My first reaction to Prilosec was something to the effect of, "I'm bullet proof. I can have a glass of wine with dinner or some morning coffee! Whopeee!" Over time the GERD had ceased to be life-altering, but joint pain and stiffness were no longer restricted to my arthritic knees. I was unable to take in sufficient Magnesium for calcium absorption. Tests at an arthritis clinic revealed osteopenia and a Vitamin D deficiency. The doctor prescribed pain killers. Nobody, at any juncture, said a word about the proton pump inhibitor. Here is a link to a Harvard Medical School (Harvard Health) publication concerning the treatment of GERD with proton pump inhibitors: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2011/April/proton-pump-inhibitors. I found the following New York Times article equally interesting, and a bit less conservative in its assessment of the dangers in using these drugs: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/combating-acid-reflux-may-bring-host-of-ills/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
Driven to understand the causes of my compound misery, here is what I have found regarding the causes of GERD: http://chriskresser.com/the-hidden-causes-of-heartburn-and-gerd. Here's the thing. Any way I look at them PPIs, like pain killers, are short term "fixes" for chronic conditions. There is more at stake, however, than side effects. It is risky business failing to address the causes of heartburn; by doing so, we also fail to address the causes of inflammatory conditions. It is a double whammy. I've tried many so-called symptomatic approaches, from apple cider vinegar to meditation. They have all worked to one extent or another, but, none was a cure.
Having abandoned PPIs, I am embracing lifestyle changes. One other thing I can say without equivocation: We live in a climate of stress, and the price we pay for our national addiction to telecommunications is enormous. Humans need to take frequent rests from all the noise. I take regular news breaks, some for weeks or months at a time. Try leaving it all (including the SmartPhone) behind. The freedom may prove addictive!
Following the Romanian tradition, garlic is used in excess to keep the vampires away. Following the Jewish tradition, a dispenser of schmaltz (liquid chicken fat) is kept on the table to give the vampires heartburn if they get through the garlic defense. -Calvin Trillin
Truckloads of antacid cannot be a good thing, but I promise a PPI can have profound effects on the body. My first reaction to Prilosec was something to the effect of, "I'm bullet proof. I can have a glass of wine with dinner or some morning coffee! Whopeee!" Over time the GERD had ceased to be life-altering, but joint pain and stiffness were no longer restricted to my arthritic knees. I was unable to take in sufficient Magnesium for calcium absorption. Tests at an arthritis clinic revealed osteopenia and a Vitamin D deficiency. The doctor prescribed pain killers. Nobody, at any juncture, said a word about the proton pump inhibitor. Here is a link to a Harvard Medical School (Harvard Health) publication concerning the treatment of GERD with proton pump inhibitors: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2011/April/proton-pump-inhibitors. I found the following New York Times article equally interesting, and a bit less conservative in its assessment of the dangers in using these drugs: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/combating-acid-reflux-may-bring-host-of-ills/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
Driven to understand the causes of my compound misery, here is what I have found regarding the causes of GERD: http://chriskresser.com/the-hidden-causes-of-heartburn-and-gerd. Here's the thing. Any way I look at them PPIs, like pain killers, are short term "fixes" for chronic conditions. There is more at stake, however, than side effects. It is risky business failing to address the causes of heartburn; by doing so, we also fail to address the causes of inflammatory conditions. It is a double whammy. I've tried many so-called symptomatic approaches, from apple cider vinegar to meditation. They have all worked to one extent or another, but, none was a cure.
Having abandoned PPIs, I am embracing lifestyle changes. One other thing I can say without equivocation: We live in a climate of stress, and the price we pay for our national addiction to telecommunications is enormous. Humans need to take frequent rests from all the noise. I take regular news breaks, some for weeks or months at a time. Try leaving it all (including the SmartPhone) behind. The freedom may prove addictive!
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