Re: acid stomach

May 25, 2005

Kem:

See if you can get your Dr. to prescribe Aciphex or Prevacid. They make a

BIG difference. Just one in the morning does it. I've been on them for 7

years.

Barb

-- Acid stomach

I took Pepcid last night..what a difference!! It works a lot better

than Zantac, woke up with no issue this morning. I can't wait to have

take a look at my band under fluro..hopefully it's fine.

One thing that's been going on in my life is I had a prodigal son that

was sowing his oats and that was causing many sleepless nights. I

don't think I realized how much stress I had been under until he came

home last night for good. I slept like a baby, woke up refreshed and

ready to tackle the day.

Kem in Eugene

286/235/170

Dr. Neal 8.6.04

<º)))><

May 25, 2005

Glad ot worked! Pepcid complete works much better than the other OTC

meds for me, too, as it contains several ingredients for both immediate

and longer-term relief.

Of the RX meds, the newer Protonix seems to be great for Bandters,

especially - plus it is a tiny tablet.

We should all be a bit careful though, because longterm (more than a

few months) use of antacids can cause all kinds of trouble. It causes a

B6 deficiency, which alters nerve pathways, and recent studies also

show that supressing stomach acid for very long leads to pneumonias and

other infection problems.

Stomach acid is made for several reasons, and is important to the body

for both digestion and killing off the germs that enter our bodies

through the GI tract before they make us ill. Something to discuss with

our docs if we need them longterm. Always a trade-off!

Sandy R

> I took Pepcid last night..what a difference!! It works a lot better

> than Zantac, woke up with no issue this morning. I can't wait to

have

> take a look at my band under fluro..hopefully it's fine.

>

> One thing that's been going on in my life is I had a prodigal son

that

> was sowing his oats and that was causing many sleepless nights. I

> don't think I realized how much stress I had been under until he came

> home last night for good. I slept like a baby, woke up refreshed and

> ready to tackle the day.

>

> Kem in Eugene

> 286/235/170

> Dr. Neal 8.6.04

> <º)))><

>

May 25, 2005

Barb, Vitamin B-6 is different than vitamin B-12, although both are

involved with the central nervous system and anemias. A deficiency

of either can lead to nerve problems. But, in addition, B-6 is

important to the immune system and preventing illneses and

infections, as it helps to syntesize antibodies. It is Vit B-6 (not B-

12) that has beeen shown to be deficient in those using longterm

antacids.

Checking your B-12 levels is different than checking B-6 levels.

B-12 is easily stored in the body from food sources, and a

nutritional deficiency in the US is very rare. However, some people

with pernicious anemia are unable to absorb the dietary B-12 and

require supplements (like many bypass people.)

Here is one article (below) that I found about antacids/B-6

deficiency/ preventing infections and re nerve damage. I don't have

that medical article I mentionned originally on this computer, but

I'll try to find it and post it too.

I don't know how many people on longterm antacids have this type of B-

6 deficiency and trouble, but just wanted us all to be aware of the

potential. Sandy R

// What the Makers of Antacids and H2 Acid Blockers don't want you to

Know //

Part Two

By Dr. Ray Bayley, DC, DACBN (Board Certified in Nutrition)

Q: Why is it so important to have acid in our stomachs?

A: Stomach acid has many functions such as killing bad microbes that

might be in our food. (For example, that is partly why only some

people get symptoms of food poisoning among a group eating the

tainted food.) Stomach acid itself digests some of our food and it

activates enzymes that digest more. Stomach acid, in combination with

other secretions in our gastrointestinal tract, gives us the proper

balance of acid and alkaline that allows our digestive enzymes to

work their best. This balance of acid and alkaline also encourages

the growth of friendly microbes (the kind that make vitamins and

antibiotics for us right there in our GI tract) and discourages the

growth of unfriendly microbes (ones that can steal nutrients, produce

gas, irritation, poisons, diseases).

Unfortunately, for the average American, our ability to produce acid

and digestive enzymes tends to decrease as we age, often becoming a

severe problem when we age. In fact, the statistics are that THE

MAJORITY OF PEOPLE TAKING ANTACIDS AND H2 BLOCKERS WERE NOT PRODUCING

ENOUGH STOMACH ACID TO BEGIN WITH. Startling isn't it? The antacids

and H2 blockers were taken based on symptoms of indigestion, not an

actual analysis of stomach acid output. The symptoms that led to the

antacids and H2 blockers are more often due clinically to inadequate

and too slow digestion and the growth of unfriendly microbes. The

truth of this can be seen in the individual by improving the

digestion and getting rid of the unfriendly microbes.

Q: What Happens When We Use Antacids?

A: If the antacids actually do remove acid, then we are decreasing

the positive benefits of acid noted above--digestion, setting the

stage for digestion, microbe control.

Calcium antacids can be a cheap source of calcium if you can absorb

and utilize that particular kind of calcium and if it doesn't

encourage magnesium deficiency (common in Americans). Calcium is

difficult to digest and absorb, acid plays an important role in that,

and thus antacids can decrease the availability of the calcium you

eat.

Calcium antacids are so efficient at neutralizing acid that the

stomach thinks a LOT of food must have arrived and puts out more acid

(called rebound hyperacidity), if it can. This often leads to antacid

addiction--you are taking more and more antacids over time to get the

same results. Now you might actually HAVE too much acid, UNLESS you

take your antacids routinely. This may also occur with H2 blockers

It's a vicious cycle that should be stopped.

Magnesium antacids are mostly nonabsorbable and usually will not help

with magnesium deficiencies. They can instead bind up other nutrients

and water, leading to a watery stool or diarrhea. The research

showing that aluminum is toxic is growing yearly. Therefore, aluminum

antacids are suspicious and should be avoided if possible.

Q: Are H2 blockers safe to use?

A: H2 blockers (e.g. Axid®, Pepcid®, Tagamet®, Zantac®) are

designed to decrease the ability of your stomach to produce acid--a

doubtful benefit...and an unnecessary one if improving digestion or

getting rid of unfriendly microbes gets rid of the problem.

We know that at least some H2 blockers can seriously impair the

ability of the liver to get rid of poisons. Like all drugs, H2

blockers are poisons that the body must eventually get rid of. Thus

you are taking a poison that can make other poisons more poisonous.

The list of H2 blocker side effects reported in the literature is

long and wide-ranging. Some of it can be explained by their

interference with liver function, some is as yet unexplained.

AND, just like the rebound hyperacidity and addiction mentioned above

with antacids, one can get addicted to H2 blockers. The body is

exquisitely designed to adapt to adversity AND the stomach is

designed to put out acid in response to food. Often the stomach gets

used to the antacids and H2 blockers, taking them in account, and

comes to rely on them for normal functioning.

IF one needs to take a drug, a poison, it should be taken for only a

short time until healthy processes can be restored. Improved

digestion is healthy for the body. " First do no harm " is the time-

honored guide in therapy, therefore improve digestion as a first

choice, as a healthier option to taking antacids and H2 blockers,

whenever possible.

By Dr. Ray Bayley, DC, DACBN (Board Certified in Nutrition)

> Sandy - Aciphex is a tiny prescription pill taken 1X a day and has

never

> altered my B12. I get it checked all the time. I've been using it

since

> surgery last week and it goes down great. I've been on it for 7

years,

> switching between that and Prevacid.

>

> Barb

May 25, 2005

I was told it was B12 that was the vulnerable vitamin. I'm tested for it and

have shots occassionally. i'll have to check B6. Is that Thiamine?

-- Re: Acid stomach