Heartburn Medication Can Make Acid Reflux Worse

Medication for Heartburn is INEFFECTIVE Over Time. Find Out the Truth on Heartburn Drugs from an Ex -Heartburn Patient Who's Tried All of Them.

High in popularity at the moment, one of these heartburn medications, Nexium, even got to the position of third-biggest selling drug in the world, racking up over $5.7 billion in 2005. Such classical treatments are often used for relief by millions of people afflicted by the painful symptoms of gastro esophageal disease, the most prevalent of which is no doubt heartburn.

1. The upward trend in the number of GERD (Acid Reflux) patients in the western world is set to continue. There are approximately 25 million acid reflux victims with recurrent heartburn in 2006 alone in America.

2. Drugs for GERD are backed by huge marketing resources, publicity campaigns and by doctors prescribing them to patients.

3. Consumers now obtain such drugs with ease, buying them over the counter where a prescription was required before. About ten years previously, the Food and Drug Administration gave its sign-off for over the counter commerce of Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, Zantac 75 and a number of other medicaments also came of the prescription-only list.

With the popularity of such heartburn medicine still increasing, the question is whether such drugs have the desired results when it comes to resolving the basic cause of this medical problem and if the alleviation justifies the secondary effects. Before any final judgment on the matter, we'll rapidly review the nature of acid reflux disease and heartburn, its most frequent manifestation.

In physiological terms, GERD is the consequence of an excessively high exposure of the esophagus to stomach juices. This problem comes about because of a weakened LES or lower esophageal sphincter. The LES is a circular valve made of muscle closing off the esophagus from the stomach. In cases of acid reflux disease, the LES fails to shut as it should, and stomach content finds its way back into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn. Another factor that degrades conditions for GERD is poor esophageal evacuation of gastric juices.

These hidden elements must be treated. If not, there is no permanent answer for this medical problem. It turns out that as well as local reasons for acid reflux, other reasons include genetic characteristics (independent of our control) and other hidden factors and co-factors that creating the context that triggers acid reflux.

Any GERD medication will be one of four kinds:

1. Antacids, such as Alka-Seltzer. They bring relief of a few hours by neutralizing acidity in the esophagus. Upon taking the antacid, the neutralization of the stomach acid begins immediately, to prevent corrosion of the esophagus.

2. Alginates act by creating an ark that envelopes the stomach contents to reduce reflux.

3. H2-receptor antagonists such as HB, Zantac 75 and Pepcid AC. By preventing the stomach cells from secreting acid, these drugs stop the gastric system and the stomach from producing acid. H2-receptor antagonists have to be taken prior to any heartburn if relief is to be produced.

4. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) such as Nexium, which prevent the "proton pump" in the stomach cells from working to prevent the release of stomach acid.

Serious side effects may occur in treatments for heartburn that use such medicaments. In the first place, they may cause headaches, diarrhea and in some cases osteoporosis. Following that, their long-term impact is limited and the chance of physical long-term dependency correspondingly greater. Finally, turning to medication as the only way to treat heartburn is a poor approach, which works on the symptoms but ignores the root cause of GERD. Ignoring the causes like this can over time worsen your condition and even cause serious complications medically.

Using a holistic agenda, with particular herbal and vitamin elements, and by sticking to a complete set of dietary principles, getting rid of toxins and using Candida control protocols, a natural and lasting cure is available for your medical problem. Now you know that your discomforting and painful heartburn symptoms of GERD can be eradicated in a lasting and holistic way without recourse to medication for heartburn.