Are the Side Effects enough to give you Heartburn?
You had a great time and wonderful evening with friends. Then lying in bed you are woken up by the burning sensation in your chest and throat. Advertisements would tell you this is not a problem since there are drugs for heartburn but are they safe?
The most commonly prescribed drugs are PPI’s (protein pump inhibitors), also known as anti-acid drugs. This category of drugs is one that treats the symptom, not the cause.
What is the cause? Most of the time heartburn is related to overeating or consuming rich food and alcohol. Find Out More about what causes heartburn here. Your body can only handle a certain amount of food at one time. And, it can only handle a set amount of carbohydrate at a sitting.
So what happens when you eat too many carbs or just eat too much?
The food sits there and creates pressure in the stomach which over time can create a leaky valve that allow acid to splash up from the stomach and there you have it – acid reflux also known as GERD.
That’s where the PPI?s come in. So what’s the big deal? Why not take these drugs?
The risks of PPI’s are not in your favor.
1.Bone Fractures – A study in JAMA showed those taking PPI’s for more than a year had a 30-60% increased risk of hip fracture than those not taking acid blockers.
2.Bacterial Infections – those taking PPI’s who were hospitalized were more likely to contract Clostridium difficile than those not taking acid blockers.
Pharmaceutical firms actively promote PPI’s and they are now marketing them to young adults. Michael Katz, M.D., director of public health for the city of San Francisco states “I think PPI’s have become more of a lifestyle drug. People don’t really understand the risks.”
So what do you do if you have heartburn or GERD? Taking these drugs on a short-term basis are not associated with the risks listed above. Beyond that however, you need to be treating the cause of your GERD.
1.Eliminate processed carbs from your diet. Eat your carbs from fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds, avocado and limited amounts (1/2 cup) of starches like quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat.
2.Don’t eat between meals – snacking too frequently does not allow your body can process the food you are taking in, so giving yourself a 4 hour “cleaning cycle” gives you body the time to digest your meal and reset for your next one.
3.Increase activity– if you are overweight start becoming more active and consider changing your diet and lifestyle to lose weight. Losing belly fat will lower heartburn and acid reflux.
4.Limit rich foods and alcohol – keep your food celebrations to a minimum. When you eat out, consider eating similarly to how you eat at home. Have a food plan and take it with you whether you are out or at a party.
A client of mine recently told me he just thought taking anti-acid drugs was just part of his daily routine. After changing his diet and losing 30 pounds, he hasn?t taken a PPI in over 6 months.
To avoid browsing the antacid aisle try a simpler approach by eating types and amounts of foods your body can actually handle. Naturally avoiding heartburn and the drugs that treat it are healthy side effects you can live with.
February 12, 2011 @ 9:31 pm
I agree that taking PPI's over the long term is not good for anyone. It is much better to tackle the causes of your acid reflux rather than treating the symptoms after they appear. There are many effective herbal remedies that people can try and they will save money in doing so. Read this article, acid reflux natural cures that work for more information about herbal cures.
February 17, 2011 @ 5:45 am
Treating GERD with herbal remedies is not significantly better than taking PPI's. These remedies may ameliorate the symptoms, but don't address the cause. GERD is not so much a disease, as it is a condition. Excessive carbohydrate in the diet is a common cause. Many of my clients find the symptoms disappear when they adequately minimize refined sugars and starches in their diet. In addition, they usually enjoy many other benefits including decreased weight, edema, blood pressure, improved triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol levels and a host of other symptoms.