Acid reflux that results from medication, whether it is over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription drugs, is often called acid drug reflux. The frequent and prolonged use of certain drugs such as aspirin can aggravate your stomach and lead to heartburn. In addition, it's a fact that when used for a long period of time, these acid reflux inducing drugs cause damage and increase the risk of developing GERD.
The most common types of painkillers that cause acid reflux include, but are not limited to:
NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatroy drugs) - NSAIDs are commonly used for pain relief and include common drugs that many people have in their household such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). NSAIDs are used to relieve headaches, body aches and pains, reduce fevers, and for people who have conditions involving inflammation such as arthritis.
Unfortunately, medical studies have revealed that NSAIDs are frequently the cause of peptic ulcers. It has also been found that they may cause GERD, as well as increase the severity of symptoms people with GERD experience. In fact, a three year study found that those who use NSAIDs were two times as likely to experience GERD symptoms compared to those who didn't use NSAIDs at all.
That being said, understand that those who take NSAIDs on occasion to treat pain (IE a headache), are less likely to develop a case of acid reflux than those who take these drugs on a regular basis. Thus, due to the fact that NSAIDs is the most common treatment for those with rheumatoid arthritis, those who suffer from this condition are far more likely to be at risk for acid reflux and GERD.
Other Medications - There are other drugs that can lead to GERD and make the disease worse. The following is a list of some of these drugs:
Doctors and Pharmaceutical giants know that their drugs and antacids do not cure heartburn or acid reflux. They have known for a long time that their drugs simply suppress the condition and continue the cycle of heartburn, acid reflux, and drugs. If you have fallen prey to this medical cycle, for sure you are headed toward serious malnutrition. The inability to feed your body the nutrients it needs will result in the diseases that you now see in most elderly people.
Because your mouth and stomach are the first step in getting nutrients into your body, you don't want to get this step wrong. If you are taking Prefaced, Propose, Cipher, Proton, Medium, or even antacid, its time you re-evaluated the use of these drugs.
Fact1: Your stomach is designed to have a pH of 3.0 or less, more acidic
Fact 2: When you stomach pH is consistently higher than 3.0, more alkaline, you create disease
Fact 3: Taking heartburn or reflux drugs or antacids raises and keeps your stomach pH above 3.0 and higher.
When your stomach has the proper pH, it digests your food so that,
The meat you eat is broken down into amino acids that you absorb later
Vitamins are created from the food you eat
Vitamins are separated out from the food you eat
Minerals are kept in solution for later absorption
Stomach digested food moves into the duodenum at the proper pH level and triggers digestive juices from the pancreas and gallbladder.
Bacteria overgrowth is prevented and eliminates their interference with the absorption of vitamin B-12
When your stomach pH gets higher than 3.0, It secretes more acid to keep its pH below 3.0. When heartburn or acid reflux medication interferes with stomach acid by raising it pH above 3.0, the stomach is no longer functioning like a stomach. It is now creating chemical combinations that are not usable by your body. What it now produces is affecting the function of subsequent processes in the duodenum and colon. It causes these body organs to malfunction and they fail to digest and absorb the nutrients from the food you ate.
The cascade effect of a stomach with a high pH over a long period of time results in numerous ill conditions that is not traceable to an inefficient stomach.
So it's your job is to keep your stomach's pH at the proper level and look to solve your heartburn and acid reflux issues using natural remedies. If your condition, has evolved into GERD then you may have to consult a doctor or an alternative practitioner to recover from this disease.
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