GERD Treatment « Heartburn and Acid Reflux News Blog

GERD Treatment Guidelines, Medications & Natural Remedies

Anyone suffering from GERD knows that a bout of acid reflux can occur any time of day or night, and most often when you least expect it. Whether you have eaten a meal, are just about to fall asleep or are in the middle of an important business meeting makes no difference. GERD does not discriminate when and where it wants to rear its ugly face and worst of all, there are times when you have nothing on hand to ease the discomfort. So what then are some GERD treatment options that might help alleviate the discomfort in times like these and are there any GERD treatment guidelines we should be following?

GERD Treatment Guidelines

The first thing anyone who has been diagnosed with GERD should be aware of is the fact that this is a condition that is not going to go away with a single antacid or a change in diet. Although these do help in the here and now, GERD treatment guidelines first and foremost, call for lifestyle changes and secondly medical intervention which could mean pharmaceuticals, surgery or both. For example, lifestyle changes would include eating lighter meals more frequently so as not to place undue pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter and to eat foods not known to be acidic or spicy. Take all medications prescribed by your doctor and only as directed.

GERD Treatment Medications

There are several types of GERD treatment medications on the market, some by prescription only and some are OTC and readily available. However, it is always recommended that you consult with your own doctor prior to taking any GERD treatment drugs whatsoever to make sure you are taking the right medication for what ails you. So many times we self diagnose only to find out we have been treating the wrong condition. Once GERD has been diagnosed, the types of medications usually fall into a few broad categories:

Antacids – for immediate, albeit short lived relief
Proton Pump Inhibitors – medications which hinder production of excess stomach acid
Histamine Antagonists – prevents acid production by blocking histamine receptors
Pro-motility Pharmaceuticals – stimulates peristalsis, moves food out of stomach faster

In any case, some pharmaceuticals must be prescribed by a physician, in which case he or she can discuss with you the best GERD treatment options for your particular needs.

GERD Treatment Natural Remedies

There are almost as many GERD treatment natural remedies as there are people suffering from GERD. Well, that may be a ‘slight’ exaggeration, but the point is that you should carefully consider the advice you are given prior to experimenting with any natural remedies. One of the most controversial GERD treatment natural remedies is the use of vinegar, often apple cider vinegar. Proponents of the vinegar remedy claim that the reason reflux occurs is because there is insufficient stomach acid being produced to digest the foods we eat. Medical science has proven this to be inaccurate in the case of GERD and adding more acid (i.e. vinegar) will just exacerbate the condition. Other natural remedies such as baking soda, milk and honey are much safer but the jury is out on the verdict as to their efficiency.

Whether you choose to use natural remedies or GERD treatment medications (OTC or prescription) is an individual decision. Even so, before you go about trying one solution after the next, it is always in your best interest to consult with your doctor prior to taking any medications. GERD symptoms, primarily heartburn, can be indicative of other more serious illnesses such as a heart attack and are often fatally confused. Once you have an accurate diagnosis there are GERD treatment options at your disposal, but don’t put the cart before the horse. Get that diagnosis first!

DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) and Heartburn

Here is some information on DGL studies from Astrid Pujari, M.D.”In terms of relevant studies, the two that I know of were published in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were small, and didn’t meet the ideal criteria we now use for research studies. These scientists didn’t study heartburn specifically, but found that DGL helped to accelerate healing in people with ulcers.

While the data on DGL for heartburn is fairly skimpy, licorice has been safely eaten as a food, in reasonable amounts, for hundreds of years. Without the glycyrrhizin, the risk is even lower. Given that, it may be worth a try ”as long as your doctor agrees.”

This is very close to my experience. DGL is claimed to be a proven heartburn remedy by many web sites but there is very little ground for that.

For more information read entire article in Seattle Times.

Prilosec and Nexium do not increase risk of heart problems

According to recent review released by the Food and Drug Administration patients who suffer from heartburn are not at increased risk for heart problems as a result of taking Prilosec or Nexium. The FDA and its Canadian counterpart began reviewing the drugs, used by tens of millions of people, in May.

The drug’s manufacturer, AstraZeneca PLC, provided them with an early analysis of two small studies that suggested the possibility of a risk.

The agency said its review of that study as well as 14 others indicated no increased risk for patients.

“FDA recommends that health care providers continue to prescribe, and patients continue to use these products as prescribed,” the agency said.
Well it is a great news for us – heartburn sufferers. We can take our Protonixes, Prilosecs and Nexiums without worrying about consequences too much .

I hope they will do more research regarding all other concerns related to long term PPI treatment like malnutrition, potential lung diseases, etc. For example:

Vitamin B12 Levels During Prolonged Treatment With Proton Pump Inhibitors.

Clinical Reviews

Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 30(1):29-33, January 2000.
Howden, Colin W.

Abstract:
Reduced serum vitamin B12 (cobalamin) levels have been documented occasionally during long-term treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in selected groups of patients. This has largely been confined to patients being treated for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome who have sustained drug-induced achlorhydria, which does not ordinarily occur during treatment with a PPI. An appreciation of normal cobalamin metabolism and the pharmacological action of the PPIs adequately explain the mechanism for this reduction. PPIs do not promote the development of pernicious anemia.

How I cured my Heartburn

To celebrate 1 year anniversary of Manage Your Heartburn I created an overview of “How I cured my Heartburn” in a form of a short article so every visitor of this site could read it in 5 minutes and get a good overview on how I did it. Check it out here

Quick tip to reduce night time heartburn

Sorry for the delay in writing – I was on short vacation. I hope you find my blog interesting and useful. Even though it is not very personalized I try to put as much useful information here as possible.
There were a couple of occasions recently when I was drinking beer or wine. Usually when I drink it over some certain amount I’m guaranteed to have night time heartburn. Usually my limit is 1 glass. Anything more than that = pain (usually minor but still pain).

So I tried to come up with some idea on how to reduce this pain even when you overindulge. I though that when you drink much you usually have alcohol staying in your system for some time. I read that alcohol usually stays from 1 hour to 10-12 hours. So the goal is to get rid of this alcohol as soon as possible. Doing this has two benefits. First it will reduce the night time heartburn (or hopefully it won’t show up at all). And second it will reduce the hangover.

So here are couple advices.

Eat food while you drink. Food, especially high protein food such as meat, cheese and peanuts, will help slow the absorption of alcohol into your body.
Drink water 1 hour before going to sleep (after being done with drinking). Alcohol pushes out water from the body. At the same time water pushes alcohol from the body too. This will also reduce morning dehydration and hangover (if you were drinking way too much)
Incliner Sleep Wedge is an innovative sleep solution. It was scientifically designed just to help acid reflux sufferers. It relieves acid reflux by elevating your head, shoulders and upper body as doctors recommend. It helps you to sleep in a natural position for controlling heartburn, respiratory problems and digestion ailments. An alternative to sleep wedge pillow is Mattress Genie

Over the course of living with heartburn and acid reflux I found only one herbal treatment which is very effective. It is Slippery Elm. I mostly use it in the form of the powder and make a tea out of it. Tea isn’t very tasty but it covers stomach and esophagus with gel like liquid which protects them from acid. Usually one cup of tea is good enough to have zero heartburn through the night and in the morning.

When it comes at night (hopefully it won’t) don’t suffer in the bed. Stand by and sip some water. This will dilute acid in your stomach and also help your stomach to clear up. Also wait for some time 10-20 minutes before going to sleep again. Water and acid will leave stomach sooner when you’re standing or sitting.

I hope these advises will help you to win a fight over the heartburn!

Get your heartburn non-prescription medications on eBay

I always thought that the only way to get non-prescription heartburn drugs like prilosec, zantac or tums is to go to the nearest grocery or drug store. How big was my surprise when I found out that you can easily get them on eBay and for considerably cheaper prices!

Even though shipping might eat some money you still can be in a win situation and save some money.

Constant heartburn

Constant heartburn usually requires more attention than occasional heartburn. Constant and frequent heartburn could be a symptom of more severe condition called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Symptoms of constant heartburn:

- Pain or discomfort that starts in the middle of the chest and can then move up through the throat

- Chronic cough

- Burning in the throat – or hot, sour, acidic or salty-tasting fluid at the back of the throat.

- Difficulty swallowing.

- Feeling of food “sticking” in the middle of the chest or throat.

- Sore throat

- Chronic hoarseness

Here is a list of quick advices to deal with constant heartburn:

- go to your doctor and get some medications (usually PPI – proton pump inhibitor)

- cut back on acidic foods

- avoid caffeine and alcohol

- don’t lie down right after eating (1-2 hours should be enough if you lie down for short period of time). It is better to lie down on a wedge pillow.

- don’t eat just before going to bed (allow at least 3-4 hours)

- avoid clothing that’s too tight around the waist

Learn more about chronic heartburn and chronic heartburn causes.

Prilosec and Nexium don’t cause any heart problems

According to Food and Drug Administration study started in May Prilosec and Nexium don’t cause any heart problems.

Manufacturer AstroZeneca rised this concern when two small studies compared patients who underwent surgery with patients on a drug regimen. These studies found that patients on a drug regimen suffered from heart related issues more frequently than those with surgeries. It turned out that these studies were biased. Patients who underwent surgeries were significantly yonger when compared to ones who were treated with drugs. So higher rate of heart related issues could be easily described by older age of the patients.

Also FDA looked at 14 additional studies about Prilosec and Nexium and found that those people who took heartburn pill versus dummy pill had lower chance of heart related problems.

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