Magda was a new patient who was referred by one of my ENT colleagues for “refractory reflux”. She’d been on the proton pump inhibitor Nexium at a dose of twice daily for over a year, and was still complaining of symptoms. She’d cut out caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and late-night eating when the symptoms first began, […]
In this episode of The People’s Pharmacy podcast (show 1224), you’ll learn the best way to manage your heartburn without relying heavily on PPI drugs like Nexium or Prilosec. Does diet help? Listen and learn from Dr. Chutkan’s 20+ years of clinical experience.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs – acid blocking medications prescribed for reflux and GERD) are linked to increased rates of acute gastroenteritis in the winter months when enteric viruses are at their peak. In a cohort matched study containing 233,596 patients receiving proton pump therapy and 626,887 not receiving the therapy, researchers found that the PPI […]
Did you know that small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is often mistaken for acid reflux? In my practice, at least half the patients who come in with a reflux diagnosis are actually suffering from SIBO. Why is the mistaken diagnosis so common? The symptoms of the two conditions are very similar and even identical in […]
Susan: In mid-2008, I had a severe food poisoning incident with lots of diarrhea and vomiting. Later that year, I broke a toe and took Advil every day for a month. In October 2009, I started having problems being regular with my digestion. I saw a physician who gave me a course of antibiotics and proton […]
Recently diagnosed with esophagitis and reflux, my doctor recommends I take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for the rest of my life, but I’d prefer to use alternatives, such as a healthy diet, exercise and stress reduction. Is this possible? -Dan Dr. Chutkan: Dan, you’re on the right track in being cautious of lifelong PPI use. Stomach acid […]