Informed Consent 1: Heartburn, GERD, and Acid Reflux Drugs
V Borrowman
Informed Consent focuses on giving you the information to make the best choices for your health while using over the counter and prescribed drugs..
Heartburn. GERD. Acid reflux. Already feeling the fire?
In this Informed Consent, we’ll cover 🔴 the top vitamin and mineral deficiencies associated with taking over the counter (OTC) and prescription heartburn drugs 🔴 why these deficiencies REALLY matter to your health 🔴 how to lower your risks while taking these drugs
The National Institute of Kidney and Digestive Diseases reports that 60 million Americans have heartburn at least once a month and 25 million have symptoms DAILY. It's so common today that people often feel heartburn is just a part of modern life, especially as we age. The National Institute of Kidney and Digestive Diseases reports that 60 million Americans have heartburn at least once a month and 25 million have symptoms DAILY. Millions are using over the counter (OTC) and prescription antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for heartburn.
Does that include you or you or someone you care about?
I bet it does!
The three most popular kinds of acid reducing drugs and their related nutrient deficiencies:
Too much of a quick fixer? You may experience ▪️ constipation ▪️ diarrhea ▪️ muscle twitches (due to the effects of levels of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus)
Common complaints to be sure! A person might then reach for another drug to ease these NEW symptoms. Antacids used for a long period can create acid rebound where even more acid than before splashes into the esophagus after consuming foods or drinks. Yikes, right?
Read on to learn the three biggest risks of these deficiencies (and near deficiencies).
1. Depression/mood disorders/anxiety/cognitive decline: It’s well documented that being low in the B vitamins (especially B 12, B 2, B 6, and B 12), magnesium, and disruptions in gut bacteria can lead to these changes: ▪️ depression ▪️ anxiety ▪️ low energy ▪️ feeling more affected by stress ▪️ tingling sensations ▪️ heart palpitations ▪️ anemia ▪️ irritability ▪️ confused thinking
Yikes, again.
2. Disrupted sleep and inner/circadian clock: A night of poor sleep is bad enough, but when it becomes every night nothing feels right anymore! Notice melatonin in the lists above? Melatonin helps regulate our inner clocks, telling us when it’s time to sleep and wake up. We ALSO have a lot of melatonin in our guts along with neurotransmitters like the famous serotonin! Without enough melatonin at the right times a person may notice these symptoms: ▪️ other hormones are unbalanced ▪️ sleep is a mess ▪️ body is holding on to fat more easily ▪️ fatigue ▪️ insomnia ▪️ acceleration in aging ▪️ depressive disorders ▪️ anxiety ▪️ worsening of IBS and other digestive disorders
Going to doctors with very real concerns like these often means getting a prescription for depression, anxiety, or a sleeping pill. Or told it’s all in their heads.
3. Gas, bloating, bacterial infections, and malabsorption: Stomach acid breaks down out food to give us nutrients and it protects us from foreign bacteria in food and drink. Acid reducing drugs lower stomach acid. This means we absorb fewer necessary nutrients from our food (malabsorption). We’re also less protected from bacteria like H. pylori, leading to digestive system infections and disrupted gut bacteria. Every day, we learn more about how important gut bacteria balance is!
Here are a few risks for lowering stomach acid (though there are far too many to list here): ▪️ gas and bloating ▪️ food sensitivities ▪️ leaky gut ▪️ infections of the digestive tract ▪️ absorption and production of key nutrients ▪️ inflammation ▪️ auto-immune disorders ▪️ foggy thinking ▪️ low energy ▪️ poor mood, anxiety, and depression ▪️ increased allergies
Informed consent means that you get to know all the facts, the good AND the bad, to make the best possible decision for yourself!
So what can we do if using these kinds of meds or recovering after their use?
1) Knowledge is powerful! Eat foods high in these nutrients. In some cases you might choose to supplement.
2) Follow the instructions on the labels! OTCs like Tums and Alka-seltzer are meant for occasional acid symptoms. Even over the counter PPIs like Prilosec and Prevacid are only to be used for fourteen days or less.
Why 14 days?
Drug companies know that after fourteen days these drugs are REALLY difficult to stop because if used longer, they can trigger even more painful acid rebound symptoms and other symptoms.
The long term suppression of stomach acid due to heartburn/GERD/gastritis can do a lot of damage to the body because their symptoms are telling you something is wrong. PPIs were not designed to be used long term, but now they are. With informed consent, you can take better control of your health!
Sources: Fortify Your Life, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, M.D.
DeVault, K. R., & Castell, D. O. (2005, January). Updated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 100(1), s190-200 s3.gi.org/physicians/guidelines/GERDTreatment.pdf