Indigestion
Show 1375: The Science Supporting Home Remedies
This week, Joe and Terry Graedon entertain your questions and stories about home remedies. What do you do for leg cramps or heartburn? Call in your favorites at 888-472-3366 between 7 and 8 am EST, or…
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…
Old-Fashioned Italian Antacids Ease Reflux
Before there were acid-suppressing drugs there were antacids. For decades, people relied on products such as Alka-Seltzer, Bromo-Seltzer, Amphojel, Di-Gel, Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids and Tums, to name j…
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 (…
Show 1336: How the Antiviral Gut Tackles Pathoge…
This week our guest is gastroenterologist Robynne Chutkan. She explains how keeping our digestive microbiota in good health can help our immune systems fight off pathogens from the inside out. This sh…
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 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…
Does Your Medicine Pose a Cancer Risk?
Most people take prescription medications to relieve symptoms or prevent serious health problems. Some of the best sellers include blood pressure medicines, acid-suppressors, diabetes drugs and medica…
Are Heartburn Drugs (PPIs) Linked to Stomach Can…
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as esomeprazole, lansoprazole and omeprazole are extremely popular heartburn medicines. More than 110 million prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors are filled eac…
Babies Fed Formula Have Less Healthy Gut Bacteri…
Mothers considering the merits of formula vs. breast milk have mostly weighed nutritional qualities, which are similar though not identical. Babies fed formula miss out on the immunological protection…
The Zantac – Ranitidine Weirdness Just Got Str…
If you have been reading this newsletter, you know that one of the most popular acid-reducing drugs in the world became embroiled in a carcinogen controversy over two years ago. That's when a pharmacy…
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…
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…
Ranitidine – Zantac is Going, Going Gone At La…
There was a time when Zantac (ranitidine) was the most prescribed medicine in the world. Now Zantac is going onto the scrap heap of discarded drugs. This heartburn medicine was considered a highly eff…
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…
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 …
Can Prelief Prevent Indigestion from Coffee?
Like our reader below we are coffee lovers. There is nothing like a hot cup of Joe on a cold morning. Fortunately, we do not suffer indigestion from coffee, but this person does. Is there anything tha…
Show 1189: What the Heck Should We Be Eating?
If you like to cook, you are no doubt aware that favorite recipes change with the times, just like fashions in clothing. But a lot of Americans don’t like to cook. They may not have tried acquiring …
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…
Another BP Nitrosamine Drug Recall and Zantac (R…
Are you getting drug contamination fatigue? We would not blame you. There is a new blood pressure nitrosamine drug recall. This time it is from Torrent Pharmaceutical Limited of Ahmedabad, India. The …
European Drug Regulators Recalling Zantac (Ranit…
We issued a Special Health Alert on September 14, 2019, about the heartburn medicine ranitidine (Zantac). We were among the first to alert people that a nitrosamine called NDMA was found in both OTC a…
Must You Take Acid Blockers For the Rest of Your…
Many people discover that it can be challenging to stop proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). That’s because powerful acid-suppressing drugs can trigger rebound hyperacidity when they are stopped suddenly.…
Viagra (Sildenafil) Triggers Both Erections and …
Viagra is a household word. It is now available generically as sildenafil. This drug has revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It works by relaxing smooth muscle in the penis. The resu…
Do PPI-Type Acid-Suppressing Drugs Cause Allergi…
Most animals make strong stomach acid (hydrochloric acid or HCl). Sharks make stomach acid. So do snakes, camels, cows and hamsters. Of course, humans also make stomach acid. Was it all a big mistake?…
Thyroid Trouble Was Behind Stomach Problems
Doctors often attribute stomach problems like indigestion or discomfort after eating to excess stomach acid. Usually, they prescribe a PPI such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) or ome…
Falling Asleep with Zolpidem | Waking up with He…
What do you do when you are caught on the horns of a dilemma? We describe such situations a couple of ways: “Between the devil and the deep blue sea” is one. A similar saying goes: “between a ro…
Aspirin and Ulcers: A Potentially Deadly Reactio…
We like aspirin. It’s inexpensive and as effective as any other OTC pain reliever on the market. Millions take it or another NSAID (ibuprofen or naproxen) every day. They swallow such pills to ease …
Will Getting to Sleep Wreck Your Digestion?
When you are looking for a way to overcome insomnia, you might well reach for a pill called zolpidem. Sold for years under the brand name Ambien, it is probably the most popular prescription sleeping …
Yet Another PPI Complication | Acid-Suppressing …
We know you are getting weary of reading about serious side effects linked to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They are among the most popular drugs in the pharmacy. They include dexlansoprazole, esomep…
Can You Fight Bacteria with Viruses?
Antibiotic resistance has become a global concern. But Mother Nature has come up with a fascinating option for overcoming bacterial infection: viruses that fight bacteria. Using Viruses to Fight Bacte…
Why Papaya for Heartburn Is Surprisingly Helpful
Papaya was once considered an exotic fruit. You had to visit a tropical country to find it. Now, fresh papaya can be found in most food markets. You can purchase papaya enzymes in tablet form in healt…
Skimping on Magnesium May Mean Trouble Sleeping
How often does a treatment for one problem lead to another problem? We suspect it may be more common than anyone could imagine. Who would guess that low magnesium levels resulting from a heartburn med…
Can Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) Blow A Hole…
People have been using a natural antacid (sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda) for a very long time. It is cheap and surprisingly effective for easing symptoms of indigestion. But too much of a good t…
Licorice Side Effects Can Be Scary If Not Life T…
Most people think of licorice (liquorice in Europe) as yummy candy. We happen to be licorice lovers ourselves. Natural black licorice from the Netherlands is one of our favorite sweet treats. But we a…
What Are the Most Dangerous Drugs for Older Adul…
Imagine you are a space alien from the Planet Xelziga. You land somewhere in North America and turn on your television monitoring system. As you attempt to learn the basics about human behavior, you m…
How To Choose Safe and Effective Over-The-Counte…
Americans love to play doctor. And the FDA has made it easy. That’s because the agency has allowed Pharma companies to switch many Rx drugs to OTC in a big way. We spend $33 billion on over-the-coun…