Reasons To Use The Best Instant Heartburn Relief Medicine | Gerd …

I recently had an experience that I will never forget as long as I live. I honestly thought I was going to die, that’s how bad the pain was.

I began experiencing a fiery, high pressure sensation just under my heart. The burning and squeezing went on for hours and it seemed that nothing I could do would make it go away.

At first, honestly, I thought that I was having a heart attack ‘ that’s how intense the pressure was on my chest, and that’s how horrible the pain was. As it got progressively worse, I decided that I needed to go to urgent care in order to see what they could do for me. At this point, I had resigned myself to the fact that I was in all likelihood having a heart attack and there was a better than decent chance that I would not survive it. The panic began to build at the thought that I was experiencing a medical issue that could conceivably and my life that night.

When I got to urgent care, they immediately examined me because of the fact that my heart was involved. They gave me a thorough examination and peppered me with questions about what my activities had been like that day and what sensations I was experiencing.

As it turned out, the pain that I was experiencing was heartburn! I was so incredibly embarrassed to find that out, but the medical personnel and urgent care said that it is a very common mistake. It seems that heartburn actually does feel quite a bit like what a heart attack is described as feeling like. In fact, they said that other than panic attacks, heartburn is the condition suffered by the highest percentage of people who come into the emergency room or enter urgent care suffering the misperception that they are having a heart attack.

Once I found out that the horrible pain that I was experiencing was due to heartburn, been my main concern became how to avoid ever going through that again. I wanted to figure out what foods I had to cut out, what activities I had to modify, and basically any change I had to make in order to never have another heartburn attack again.

The doctors and urgent care gave me a very comprehensive list of things that contribute to heartburn, and things that can trigger an attack. Some of the things I would’ve thought of on my own, but many of them were surprises, which is why it is a good thing that they gave me that comprehensive list!

They also gave me another list that I was very happy to have. The doctor that was talking to me told me that, as motivated as I might be to make a change in my life based on never wanting to go through what I had just experienced again, lifestyle changes can be quite difficult, and chances are I would end up slipping up either intentionally or unintentionally at some point during the upcoming months. For that eventuality, he gave me a list of the best instant heartburn relief medicine brands so that, if I began to experience heartbreak attack again, I could immediately put a stop to it.

On the way home from urgent care, I stopped at the drugstore and bought every single medication from the best instant heartburn relief medicine this that the doctor had given me. I never wanted to be without them again. In fact, I bought two sets of every single medication on the best instant heartburn relief medicine list so that I could have one complete set in the house and one complete set in the car. I probably should’ve brought three, so then I could have one “to go” set already completely packed up in a bag to take with me anytime I was going to be out, away from the house or the car. I will probably go and pick those up tomorrow.

Now that I know what I suffered was heartburn and I have tools in the arsenal to fight against it, I am determined to never experienced that kind of pain again.

GERD and Nexium | www.ksexcellence.org

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a digestive condition that is caused by a loosening of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). GERD can affect pregnant women and people over 50, but it is also common in people of all ages. In fact, millions of Americans of all ages suffer from GERD and heartburn on a daily basis.

GERD can be painful and uncomfortable, but it can be treated by changes to diet and lifestyle. Although some patients might require surgery or the use of medication, it is a treatable disorder that needn’t be suffered so commonly.

What is GERD?

GERD is technically the movement of the stomach contents backwards into the esophagus. Normally, the LES opens and closes to allow food to enter the stomach and to stop food or stomach acid from flowing back out again. If a patient’s LES is loose or doesn’t tighten properly, stomach contents can seep out of the stomach, damaging the esophagus and creating painful heartburn symptoms. Symptoms of GERD are most pronounced when lying down or immediately after eating a large meal.

What Causes GERD?

It is believed GERD can be caused by a hiatal hernia, where stomach contents move from the stomach into the esophagus through a small tear in the diaphragm. GERD is also caused by diet and lifestyle, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, and eating certain food and drink like chocolate, fried foods, coffee, and alcohol. Anything that puts pressure on the stomach or encourages the stomach to produce excess acid will possibly cause heartburn or GERD.

What Treatment is Available for GERD?

There are several ways to treat GERD and alleviate the symptoms of the condition:

Dietary changes and lifestyle changes can alleviate symptoms of GERD
Avoiding food and drink that weakens the LES is recommended
Reducing overeating and meal sizes can assist the stomach’s digestion processes and avoid the LES opening and closing persistently
Stopping smoking can help prevent loosening of the LES and treat GERD
Antacids and heartburn relief can provide temporary relief from the symptoms of GERD
Sleeping elevated can help stop gravity pulling acid into the esophagus
Powerful medication like Nexium can reduce the amount of stomach acid produced and can help heal damage done to the esophagus through acid reflux.

What Can Nexium do to Help?

Nexium is a proton pump inhibitor that blocks the enzyme that produces stomach acid, thus reducing the amount of acid your stomach releases. Using the medication over time will allow your stomach acid production to be lowered and will allow your esophagus and LES to heal and become stronger. No more discomfort and pain due to acid reflux. Nexium offers long-term and permanent relief from GERD and heartburn.

Ensure you talk to a medical professional before starting Nexium as a treatment for GERD and always research the possible side effects that come with taking this medication.

Nexium can be combined with changes in diet and lifestyle to optimise GERD treatments for many sufferers.

Fighting Acid Reflex | HealthStatus – How is your health?

If you are one of the 20 million Americans who suffer daily from acid reflux, you have probably tried everything, from special diets to sleeping in a sitting position. While people with mild cases manage their acid reflux with antacids, for a large number of people this does not work. The new implant named The Linx might be just what they need: a permanent solution and the freedom to enjoy their food without pain, discomfort and potentially serious consequences.

The Linx

The new device, called The Linx, is designed as a ring of titanium beads with implanted magnets inside. The device is placed around the damaged or weak muscle between the esophagus and the stomach. The half-hour operation is simple, and is done using a scope and a small “keyhole” incision in the stomach. The implanted ring strengthens the weak muscle in order to keep it closed but sufficiently flexible, so that it can expand to allow food to pass when swallowed. The ring is generally about a half-inch in diameter, but it comes in different sizes and can expand to about 1.5 inches. Once it is implanted, people do not feel it all. The Linx has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) about a year ago. It is also sold in Europe.

The Linx device is made by Torax Medical Inc., of St. Paul, Minn. It costs $5,000. Depending on the hospital, the operation to implant the device costs from $12,000 to $20,000. Many medical insurance companies cover it, if the patient can show that he or she had no success in alleviating GERD with standard antacid medicines.

Many doctors who have experience with the Linx claim that the results so far have been impressive.  The time will tell how long will it last and whether any side effects will show up.

What is GERD?

lactose_4GERD is one of many health issues that we can thank our lifestyle for. Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the damage to the valve at the entrance to the stomach, a ring of muscle named the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). In healthy people, this valve closes after the food passes through it, on the way from the esophagus to the stomach. If it doesn’t close completely or if it opens often, stomach acid moves back into the esophagus, causing the familiar burning we know as heartburn. If this happen more than two times a week, it is more than just heartburn. It is GERD or acid reflux disease.

Acid reflux disease is caused by a number of things, but mostly by too much food, obesity, eating too close to going to bed, spicy or fatty foods, acid-producing foods such as onions, tomatoes or citrus, smoking etc.

Acid reflux is initially treated by antacids, such as Tums, Alka-Seltzer or Maalox. Unfortunately, many of them cause side effects such as diarrhea or constipation. The best antacids are those that contain both magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide.

Other medicines used to combat too much acid are foaming agents such as Gaviscon, which coat the stomach to prevent acid reflux, H2 blockers such as Pepcid, Tagamet or Zantac, which decrease the production of acid, or Proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec, Prevacid or Nexium, which act to reduce the production of acid in the stomach.

The problem with all current medicines used for the treatment of GERD is that they treat symptoms and not the underlying cause – weak, damaged esophageal valve.

While there is a surgical procedure which can permanently strengthen the esophageal valve, it is used only as a last resort. The Linx device is the first permanent solution to the GERD that does not require serious surgical treatment and promises long term solution.

The New England Journal of Medicine published recently a study of 100 patients who had the Linx implanted, after suffering from the GERD for more than ten years. After the procedure, the amount of acid in their throats was greatly reduced. More than 92 percents claimed that their quality of life greatly improved and in less than one year, 86 percent of them did not need any acid-lowering medications.

The most common side effect was problem swallowing right after the surgery. In most patients that problem disappeared after a year. Only six patients had to have the Linx removed, mostly because swallowing problems continued.

Causes and treatment of GERD

Acid reflux disease commonly known as GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease or GERD), is a medical condition that is characterized by high intensity of acid reflux that causes damage to the esophagus. This condition can affect anyone from infants to senior people, but is more common in pregnant women, people who smoke a lot and those who tend to eat quite close to bedtime.

Acid reflux disease is certainly known due to its symptoms that can’t be confused with anything else: strong heartburn, inflammation in the esophagus, troubled swallowing, hoarseness and cough. Symptoms such as these are usually experienced after the person eats a fatty meal or drinks alcohol, bends or smokes cigarettes.

This health condition is usually influenced by abnormal functioning of the esophageal sphincter. However, sometimes it is also known to be caused by abnormal production of stomach acids. For example in case if there’s too little acid produced in the stomach the sphincter leading to the intestine can block food within the stomach and cause acid reflux into esophagus that causes damage and associated symptoms.

There are several factors that can contribute to the development of GERD including hiatus hernia, Zollinger-Elison syndrome, hypercalcemia, scleroderma and systemic sclerosis.

Many people tend to believe that GERD can be influenced by increased intake of alcohol, tea or coffee. And while drinking these substances in large amounts can aggravate the symptoms of the condition when it’s already there, recent studies have shown that these drinks can’t cause GERD on their own. Especially when compared to smoking. However, it’s still not recommended to drink too much tea, coffee and especially alcohol if you have already developed the first signs of acid reflux disease and want to keep the symptoms under control.

Among all bad habits, smoking is regarded as the major factor contributing to the development of GERD. It was observed that people who were regular smokings for about 20 years have a 70% higher risk of developing GERD that their non-smoking peers. Not to mention that the symptoms of this condition are usually aggravated if the person is smoking.

Large amounts of salt have also been studied as a contributing factor during clinical trials. And while there’s no direct link between table salts and acid reflux disease at the moment, researchers have found that people who are eating particularly salty meals have a risk of developing GERD comparable to that of people who smoke tobacco. So paying attention to what you actually eat is very important.

Of course, the best way to treat any health problem is to prevent it. But if you already happen to have acid reflux problems, there are very effective drugs for coping with the situation. One such drug is Aciphex. Aciphex is a popular choice among doctors who prescribe it for eliminating GERD symptoms. People who have used Aciphex report improvements in short periods of time and elimination of symptoms after a full course of the drug. So if your reflux problems start to trouble you speak to your doctor about using Aciphex and see if it can help you

How To Treat Infant Acid Reflux

Find More Infant Gerd Treatment Articles

Is it heartburn or something more serious? | health enews

A glass of red wine plus a hearty dish of pasta with marinara sauce and a side of garlic bread can be the perfect dinner for some; for others, it can cause the instinctive reach for the antacids. Many people experience heartburn, particularly after eating certain kinds of food, but if it’s a regular occurrence, experts say you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

GERD occurs when acid and bile from the stomach and small intestine refluxes into the esophagus, causing pain and injury to the esophagus. The American College of Gastroenterology reports that more than 60 million people in the U.S. have a case of GERD at least once a month.

Dr. Rockford G. Yapp, a gastroenterologist who treats patients at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, says symptoms can range from mild a few times a year to incapacitating, severe, daily symptoms. Although symptoms are often mild, GERD can lead to many medical problems, such as chest pain, ulcers, difficulty swallowing, coughing, asthma symptoms, pre-cancerous changes and even cancer, he says.

“Reflux disease can cause significant damage,” Yapp says, who is involved with national studies investigating the diagnosis and treatment of GERD. “The most worrisome complication is when the pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus develops.”

Barrett’s Esophagus is associated with esophageal cancer, the fastest growing form of cancer in the U.S., according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).

Treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus has improved significantly over the last few years, Yapp says, particularly with the development of an outpatient procedure called radio frequency ablation that can effectively cure the disease.

Yapp, the principle investigator and one of several physicians at Good Samaritan Hospital involved with a radio frequency ablation study, found that Barrett’s Esophagus and even early esophageal cancer can be cured with new endoscopic techniques.

“Esophageal ablation allows us to remove pre-cancerous tissue safely and effectively with a more than 90 percent success rate,” Yapp says. “It’s a huge advance in the prevention and treatment of this often fatal cancer.”

Yapp recommends you talk to your doctor if you have heartburn, especially if it has persisted for more than a few weeks. There is effective treatment, he says, that can improve your symptoms, quality of life and prevent some of the most dangerous complications of GERD.

Study: Popular Acid Reflux Drug May Lead to Heart Disease | new …

07/21/2013 // New York, NY, USA // jcreiterlaw // Jonathan C. Reiter // (press release)

A class of drugs for acid reflux, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (‘GERD’) may lead to heart disease and heart attacks, according to new research published on July 12, 2013, reports Jonathan C. Reiter, a New York City medical malpractice attorney who is also experienced in product liability cases. The drugs include a class known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and include brand names, Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid. Millions of people in this country, and around the world, have been prescribed these drugs for treatment of GERD.

The recommended treatment time is 8-12 weeks on this medication, but many people stay on these drugs for life. Dr. John Cooke, of University of Houston Methodist Hospital, where he is a professor and chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, reported the research. He performed the research on both mouse and human tissue.

The results of the research showed that the use of PPI’s caused a constriction in blood vessels, and blood flow, by suppressing the production of a chemical messenger, which relaxes the blood vessels and protects the artery walls. Dr. Cooke recommended that the general population, who is prescribed this drug, should discuss the risks with their physicians, and consider switching to taking non-PPI medications. He called for large-scale studies, stating that the risks that were clearly shown in his study were based on a joint Canadian-British study in 2011 that found the same risk of heart disease and heart attacks in connection with taking PPI drugs.

Jonathan C. Reiter, a New York injury attorney, whose office is located in the Empire State Building, specializes in the field of medical malpractice and products liability, has handled many cases involving drugs that were marketed and sold to the general population that had unintended, severe side effects. Mr. Reiter stated, as follows: “A dangerous or defective drug poses significant health risks to the population taking the drug. This is one of the most complex areas of law because of the science involved in proving a case. The standard for determining if there is a case is whether the drug caused severe and adverse side effects, the seriousness of which outweighs the intended benefits of the drug.

In the case of PPI drugs, having a heart attack, or damage to your cardiovascular system resulting in hypertension is serious and severe, and most likely outweighs the benefit of curing GERD, which is a severe form of heartburn, especially when there are alternative therapies available, including non-PPI drugs such as Zantac or Pepcid.”

Mr. Reiter went on to discuss the legal theories involved in a products liability case for a defective drug as follows: “There are three possible legal theories upon which to base a lawsuit against a drug manufacturer:

1. A Design Defect in the Drug Itself

Presently, a warning regarding increased risk of heart disease is not contained in the packaging of these drugs. It is possible that the manufacture did not know of the risks, or it is also possible that they knew, and somehow ignored and suppressed the evidence of risks, in order to get a popular drug on the market, a situation that has happened time and again in our history. One must only consider the drugs ‘fen-phen,’ which caused heart damage and death, or thalidomide, which caused severe birth defects when taken by pregnant women.

2. A Manufacturing Defect

There is also the possibility of a manufacturing defect, but is probably irrelevant in this instance, where the drug itself is having unintended, severe side effects, and manufacturing issues have not arisen in the research yet.

3. A Failure to Warn of the Adverse Effects.

And the third theory is that of failure to warn, which simply means that a person taking the drug should receive warning printed on the packaging of the drug, of the known risks of this drug, especially when they can be severe and life-threatening.”

Mr. Reiter went on to discuss the role of the government in the marketing of drugs that are new to the market, as follows: “The Federal Drug Administration is the agency of the US government which is responsible for testing and approving new drugs that are submitted by the drug manufacturers. A sub-agency within the FDA is the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (‘CDER’), which is responsible for weighing the evidence submitted in an application by the manufacturer of the drug. Many times, drugs have been approved by the FDA, only to be withdrawn from the market in what is known as an FDA recall.”

The results of Dr. Cooke’s research, along with prior research out of Britain and Canada, have led to calls for a larger research project, to determine whether PPI’s should be recalled. At the present time, Dr. Cooke recommends that a patient should discuss the risks with their doctor before taking this medication, and consider taking a non-PPI drug for treatment of the GERD symptoms until a final conclusion is drawn, which could be years away.

Media Information:

Address: 350 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10118
Phone: (212) 736-0979
Url: New York Injury Accident Lawyer

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Study: Popular Acid Reflux Drug May Lead to Heart Disease

July 21, 2013 (NewYorkInjuryNews.com – Injury News)

07/21/2013 // New York, NY, USA // jcreiterlaw // Jonathan C. Reiter // (press release)

A class of drugs for acid reflux, and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (‘GERD’) may lead to heart disease and heart attacks, according to new research published on July 12, 2013, reports Jonathan C. Reiter, a New York City medical malpractice attorney who is also experienced in product liability cases. The drugs include a class known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and include brand names, Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid. Millions of people in this country, and around the world, have been prescribed these drugs for treatment of GERD.

The recommended treatment time is 8-12 weeks on this medication, but many people stay on these drugs for life. Dr. John Cooke, of University of Houston Methodist Hospital, where he is a professor and chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, reported the research. He performed the research on both mouse and human tissue.

The results of the research showed that the use of PPI’s caused a constriction in blood vessels, and blood flow, by suppressing the production of a chemical messenger, which relaxes the blood vessels and protects the artery walls. Dr. Cooke recommended that the general population, who is prescribed this drug, should discuss the risks with their physicians, and consider switching to taking non-PPI medications. He called for large-scale studies, stating that the risks that were clearly shown in his study were based on a joint Canadian-British study in 2011 that found the same risk of heart disease and heart attacks in connection with taking PPI drugs.

Jonathan C. Reiter, a New York injury attorney, whose office is located in the Empire State Building, specializes in the field of medical malpractice and products liability, has handled many cases involving drugs that were marketed and sold to the general population that had unintended, severe side effects. Mr. Reiter stated, as follows: “A dangerous or defective drug poses significant health risks to the population taking the drug. This is one of the most complex areas of law because of the science involved in proving a case. The standard for determining if there is a case is whether the drug caused severe and adverse side effects, the seriousness of which outweighs the intended benefits of the drug.

In the case of PPI drugs, having a heart attack, or damage to your cardiovascular system resulting in hypertension is serious and severe, and most likely outweighs the benefit of curing GERD, which is a severe form of heartburn, especially when there are alternative therapies available, including non-PPI drugs such as Zantac or Pepcid.”

Mr. Reiter went on to discuss the legal theories involved in a products liability case for a defective drug as follows: “There are three possible legal theories upon which to base a lawsuit against a drug manufacturer:

1. A Design Defect in the Drug Itself

Presently, a warning regarding increased risk of heart disease is not contained in the packaging of these drugs. It is possible that the manufacture did not know of the risks, or it is also possible that they knew, and somehow ignored and suppressed the evidence of risks, in order to get a popular drug on the market, a situation that has happened time and again in our history. One must only consider the drugs ‘fen-phen,’ which caused heart damage and death, or thalidomide, which caused severe birth defects when taken by pregnant women.

2. A Manufacturing Defect

There is also the possibility of a manufacturing defect, but is probably irrelevant in this instance, where the drug itself is having unintended, severe side effects, and manufacturing issues have not arisen in the research yet.

3. A Failure to Warn of the Adverse Effects.

And the third theory is that of failure to warn, which simply means that a person taking the drug should receive warning printed on the packaging of the drug, of the known risks of this drug, especially when they can be severe and life-threatening.”

Mr. Reiter went on to discuss the role of the government in the marketing of drugs that are new to the market, as follows: “The Federal Drug Administration is the agency of the US government which is responsible for testing and approving new drugs that are submitted by the drug manufacturers. A sub-agency within the FDA is the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (‘CDER’), which is responsible for weighing the evidence submitted in an application by the manufacturer of the drug. Many times, drugs have been approved by the FDA, only to be withdrawn from the market in what is known as an FDA recall.”

The results of Dr. Cooke’s research, along with prior research out of Britain and Canada, have led to calls for a larger research project, to determine whether PPI’s should be recalled. At the present time, Dr. Cooke recommends that a patient should discuss the risks with their doctor before taking this medication, and consider taking a non-PPI drug for treatment of the GERD symptoms until a final conclusion is drawn, which could be years away.

Media Information:

Address: 350 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10118
Phone: (212) 736-0979
Url: New York Injury Accident Lawyer

Tags: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, drugs for acid reflux, jcreiterlaw, may lead to heart disease, New York City medical malpractice attorney, University of Houston Methodist Hospital

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Fundoplication Surgery for GERD Treatment – Heartburn – About.com

Fundoplication is the standard surgical treatment for GERD. The purpose of the surgery is to reduce heartburn caused by acid reflux. For more information, check out the following resources:


Have you had fundoplication surgery? You can share your experiences by clicking on the links below: