>From: Natasha Vita-More <natashavita@earthlink.net>
>>CurtAdams@aol.com wrote:
>>>I wrote:
>>>I'm wondering if there are problems that have not been
>>>recognized yet, in fact I have a candidate, GERD.
>>The "outbreak" of GERD is due to having expensive new drugs to
>>treat it. You've heard of it before when it was called
>>"heartburn".
>True. The newer terms sounds sexier
Like most normal people I've had heartburn a time or two, in fact
like most electricians I've known, I used to get it so often that
we walked around with a pack of Tums in our pockets at all times.
GERD is completely different, the first and second times I had a
severe attack I went to the emergency room positive I was having a
heart attack, the second time because I couldn't believe it was
"heartburn". I ended up in a cardiac ward overnight, and had to
take a stress test (all normal). I was very sick for months after
both episodes.
Nope, GERD is something completely different and it can be very
severe, it's not uncommon for sufferers to aspirate acid into their
lungs, which will cause you grief like you wouldn't believe. Long
term sufferers can develop asthma and esophageal cancer from it.
The strange thing is that they don't really know what causes it,
The leading theory was that for some reason the lower esophageal
sphincter doesn't maintain proper pressure, but many of the most
severe cases (like mine formally) have a completely normal LES.
Endoscopic exams (many) have revealed nothing unusual, except what
appears to be mild gastritis. I've participated in a couple of
studies, and the researchers admit they don't understand it.
Nor is it H Pylori.
The thing that got me curious was that a researcher said it looked
to him like I was having a reaction to an unknown substance.
And yes, you can use Prilosec to treat heartburn, and very
effectively.
Brian
Member:
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