May 7, 2024 general

A whole lot of people begin to experience heartburn (acid reflux) during the holidays. I worry that having been browbeaten by advertising, they may start taking a heartburn drug. US consumers spend a fortune each year on heartburn medications ($1.9 Billion in 2022 just on Nexium brand). The problems with the powerful drugs are:

• They only treat the symptom but do not fix the cause.
• They have been shown to be habit-forming. (Get on, can’t get off.)
• There are dangerous side effects if the drugs are taken for more than the 2 weeks shown to be safe. Side effects such as these (in alpha order):
  • C-difficile infection (hard to control life-threatening diarrhea)
  • Dementia
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Heart disease and stroke
  • Hip fracture
  • Insomnia
  • Kidney disease
  • Pneumonia
  • Premature death
  • Stomach cancer
  • Tremor
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency (which can lead to permanent nerve damage)

For details about why the drugs cause so much trouble, what causes heartburn and what to do about it, read my book, Natural Alternatives to Nexium & Other Acid Blockers: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments and / or read these articles for highlights:

• Overview
• Stomach Acid’s Crucial Roles
• Acid Reflux Q & A
• Getting Off of Acid-Blocking drugs

As noted above, the heartburn drugs don’t fix the cause, so here is just a sample of causes:

• Many drugs cause heartburn. Statin cholesterol-lowering drugs are among the culprits. (Remember that there is a natural solution to most health issues like high cholesterol.) Also, antibiotics can trigger reflux by causing an imbalance of gut microorganisms.
• Here is a tidbit from the above linked pages that seems relevant to the season: Limiting sugar and starch consumption often stops heart burn. Although the mechanisms are just now being revealed in research, a person has nothing to lose by reducing these fattening non-nourishing foods. STUDY: “A very low-carbohydrate diet improves gastroesophageal reflux and its symptoms.” To learn about how to eat like that, read “Avoid Diabetes with Low Glycemic Meals.”
• Hiatal hernia (HH) is another cause. I picked it to mention because so many people have been diagnosed with that and given up. HH is a structural problem where the stomach protrudes up through the diaphragm. It can often be remedied by a chiropractor or even a massage therapist. Check out Bob’s article about how to resolve that problem naturally.

My book and even the articles discuss a variety of natural products for heartburn pain. For example, some folks find relief with a teaspoon or two of Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in a little water before a meal. If the vinegar helps, it is a sign that your system may need more stomach acid for digestion, not less. However, even if the vinegar is needed, at first it may burn going down because the esophagus tissues have become terribly inflamed. Follow the vinegar with a few sips of water.