Acid Reflux
Show 1395: Gut Check–How Digestive Health Infl…
This week, we talk with integrative gastroenterologist Robynne Chutkan about why our digestive health is so important. Of course, our digestion provides us with the nutrients that power our bodies, in…
How You Can Use Melatonin to Ease Reflux
What do you think of when you hear the mention of melatonin? Most people think insomnia. That's because this hormone is perceived as a natural sleep aid. Melatonin is made by the brain's pineal gland …
Persimmon Punch Can Help with PPI Withdrawal
An estimated 25 million Americans suffer from heartburn every day (JAMA Internal Medicine, July 26, 1999). In fact, because that statistic is 25 years old, probably the number is higher. Consequently,…
Will PPIs Protect You from Esophageal Cancer?
There are guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association (Gastroenterology, March, 2017). They inform physicians that best practices require prescribing proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to …
Getting Off Prilosec Is a Challenge but Reduces …
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole (Prilosec) or esomeprazole (Nexium) were originally designed to help heal ulcers, but before long doctors started prescribing them for gastroesophageal re…
Should You Be Taking Vitamin Supplements?
Vitamins were among the most exciting discoveries of the early 20th century. Since then, however, doctors have been expressing a lot of skepticism about the value of taking vitamin supplements. Last y…
Do Doctors Know How to Help Patients Stop Medica…
Imagine for a moment that you are the CEO of a major drug company. What is the ideal product? Sadly, it’s all about money. In other words, what would be a highly profitable medication that doctors w…
PPIs are Safe! No, PPIs are Dangerous! What to B…
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are very popular for relieving symptoms of heartburn. That’s because drugs such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec) are extremel…
Show 1360: The Pros & Perils of OTC Drugs
In this broadcast, we answer listeners’ questions about over-the-counter drugs. If you have bought a medicine without a prescription, how do you use it wisely? Dr. Stefanie Ferreri, Distinguished Pr…
Will Apple Cider Vinegar Cure Your Heartburn?
Do you get uncomfortable after a big meal? A burning sensation under the breastbone after eating is common. If you have ever suffered from this type of indigestion, you may want to know how to cure yo…
Doctors Deny That PPIs Can Cause Kidney Damage
It can take years or even decades to discover serious drug side effects. Think of it as a long-running drug experiment. Proton pump inhibitors like esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and o…
PPIs and Kidney Damage | Nephrologist Spanks GI …
Many specialists live in silos. By that we mean they hang out with other experts just like themselves. They reinforce each other’s understanding of the world. These specialists may not spend a lot o…
How Can You Ease Heartburn Symptoms?
If you suffer from heartburn, you might describe it as a burning sensation under the breastbone. People with recurrent reflux can usually also talk about the types of foods that trigger their discomfo…
Do You Swallow a Spoonful of Mustard for Heartbu…
Do you suffer from heartburn? Many people do, judging from the popularity of acid-suppressing drugs such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) or omeprazole (Prilosec). Antacids like Maalo…
Multiple Strategies Are Needed for Stopping Hear…
When your doctor hands you a prescription, do you ask about the exit strategy? Most people don't, but perhaps you should. Some drugs are very difficult to quit once you have been taking them for a whi…
How to Manage Your Heartburn Without Drugs
The American diet seems designed to create digestive problems. We love fast food, which is low in fiber and high in processed carbs and fat. We also eat on the run. As a result, many people suffer fro…
Why Popular Heartburn Drugs PPIs Are Linked to P…
Millions of people take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to suppress the secretion of stomach acid. The last time we checked, doctors wrote over 100 million prescriptions for drugs like dexlansoprazole (…
Getting Off Omeprazole Can Be Challenging!
Most people assume that over-the-counter heartburn medicines are completely safe. Why else would the FDA allow them to be sold without a prescription? The trouble is that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)…
Show 1292: Natural Ways to Treat Heartburn (Arch…
Whether we call it indigestion, reflux, sour stomach or heartburn, this condition is painful. When acid from the stomach splashes up into the lower esophagus, it burns. Even though heartburn doesn’t…
Can You Get Off a PPI Without Suffering Heartbur…
Have you ever tried to get off a PPI like esomeprazole (Nexium) or lansoprazole (Prevacid)? If so, you might have experienced rebound heartburn. People who encounter this problem–and many do–may f…
Can Taking a Probiotic Product Help You Sleep Be…
If you have heard about taking a probiotic product, a pill or beverage containing millions or billions of beneficial bacteria, chances are you were thinking about digestive health. Some people take su…
Show 1316: Protecting Your Digestive Tract
This week on our nationally syndicated public radio show, we invite gastroenterologist Nicholas Shaheen into our studio to answer your questions about protecting your digestive tract. He is a national…
How Hot Peppers Can Improve Your Health and Exte…
OK, I admit that is one of those headlines that seems far too good to be true. Full disclosure, I must confess that I (Joe G.) am a pepperhead, ie, someone who loves (actually craves) hot chili pepper…
How to Help Acid Reflux Without a PPI
People with serious acid reflux face a terrible dilemma. To control their uncomfortable symptoms, their doctors prescribe a powerful acid-suppressing drug such as dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), pantopraz…
Can Treated Licorice (DGL) Ease IBS Symptoms?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has long been a mystery to doctors. Sufferers experience cramps, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea and other digestive distress. Until recently gastroenterologists…
Are the Health Benefits of Buttermilk Like Those…
Do you consume dairy products, or do you try to avoid them? Many people find that the lactose in milk makes them uncomfortable. Scientists report, however, that probiotic products can reduce those sig…
Show 1224: What Is the Best Way to Manage Your H…
Bellyaches and heartburn are among the most common problems driving people to the pharmacy to seek relief. Heartburn, a burning sensation behind the sternum, happens when acid escapes from the stomach…
Dr. Marvin Singh Tells You How to Establish Heal…
Integrative gastroenterology combines the perspective of conventional allopathic medicine with a holistic approach to patients and their lives–mind, body and soul. Sometimes adjusting diet or lifest…
Show 1179: What Should You Do About Digestive Di…
Have you ever had horrible heartburn or a really bad bellyache? Most of us have experienced digestive distress at one time or another. When do you need to seek medical attention for your problem? What…
Is Zantac – Ranitidine and Cancer the Tip of t…
There was a time when Zantac (ranitidine) was the world’s most successful drug. This heartburn and anti-ulcer medicine hit the market in 1983. It was a cash cow for Glaxo, earning billions. We heard…
How Can You Take Control of Your Digestive Healt…
The conventional view of the digestive system was that it took care of digestion and wasn’t involved very much with the rest of the body’s systems. Now, though, science has shown that the gut and …
Can You Use D-Limonene to Overcome Heartburn?
Have you suffered from heartburn? Many people report that they feel a characteristic burning sensation under the sternum sometimes. Others experience this problem more frequently. You can manage occas…
How Does Baking Soda in Water Fight Swelling?
A half teaspoon of baking soda in water is a time-honored simple home remedy for indigestion. Many people with occasional heartburn find that this inexpensive approach works well. We have also heard f…
What Are Downsides to New Secret Weapon for Hear…
If you frequently suffer from indigestion or "acid stomach," you might wish for a new secret weapon for heartburn. One reader was excited to discover a "new" drug, not realizing that it is far from ne…
Could Famotidine Have a Surprising New Use?
Scientists and physicians have been scrambling to find drugs that could help alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19. To date, there is no medicine that has been approved to treat this pandemic disease, an…
Can You Relieve Heartburn With Vinegar?
Some household products turn up time after time in remedies. People have been extremely inventive in finding multiple uses for Vicks VapoRub, Noxzema and Milk of Magnesia. But perhaps no item has been…
How a Little Girl Overcame Her Constipation
Digestive woes such as heartburn and constipation are tricky enough to manage when an adult suffers from them. When the person suffering is a child, the situation becomes even more serious. A mother d…
Apple Cider Vinegar Is a Weird Remedy for Heartb…
Do you have a favorite remedy for heartburn? Some people rely on drugstore antacids such as Tums or Maalox. Others take medication such as cimetidine (Tagamet) or omeprazole (Prilosec). But plenty of …
Will Intermittent Fasting Give You Heartburn?
If you have trouble with acid reflux, you probably try to avoid foods, beverages and situations that can trigger heartburn symptoms. Stretching out on the sofa after enjoying Thanksgiving dinner might…
Show 1187: Are Supplements Really a Waste of Tim…
Last summer, a major review of research on supplements to improve heart health concluded that most do nothing to prevent heart attacks, strokes or premature death from cardiovascular causes (Annals of…