<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I have gotten a few replies to my posting, "The Risks of Acid Supressors".
Several replies are along the lines of the following reply I've quoted
here.  Rather than summerize them all, I will just post my response to this
reply alone.

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"Your informative posts are always much appreciated. In regards to the
treatment of GERD though, I have a sincere question: for those who really
do have excess acid (never mind the Stomach Acid is Good for You book -
some people really do have too much and it does eat up the esophagus and
duodenum; in fact I thought this was highly correlated with CD even), what
alternative is there to the likes of Prilosec, etc. (proton pump inhibitors
and acid reducers)?
In my son's case, the gf diet took care of the GERD, but for my husband it
is not enough, and attempts to step down from Prilosec to acid reducers
only results in a great deal of pain. What else can he try?
Thanks.
Hilary"

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MY RESPONSE:

Hilary,

Yes, some people "really do have excess acid", but this is a very UNCOMMON
disorder.  As we age or our health is compromised, our stomachs begin to
LOSE the ability to produce acid, just as other body functions and systems
slow down and deteriorate with age.  If acid is backing up into the
esophagus, then whether you have high, low, or normal stomach acid, the
problem is that the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) valve is not properly
closing allowing the stomach contents (which contains acid whether it's a
high or low level) to enter the esophagus.  In other words, you need to fix
the LES disfunction, NOT eliminate stomach acid which is absolutely
necessary for proper digestion, to protect us from harmful microorganisms,
to stimulate pancreatic enzyme and bicarbonate production, to absorb
essential minerals and trace elements, and for our health in general.

Dr. Jonathon V. Wright, MD, (author of "Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You")
actually measured the stomach acidity in his heartburn patients as well as
pioneering methods to perform these measurements.  He found that the vast
majority of his heartburn patients had LOW stomach acid, NOT high stomach
acid.  Low acid means that foods, especially proteins, will just sit in the
stomach for long time periods allowing bacterial fermentation to occur,
causing bloating and gas, and putting reverse pressure on the LES allowing
the contents to backup into the esophagus.  The pancreas is stimulated by
stomach acid when it reaches the right level in the stomach which causes
the pancreas to produce and secrete enzymes and bicarbonate ions into the
duodenum for digestion and to reduce acidity in the duodenum.

A quick and simple test for low stomach acid is the following.  (You must
NOT be taking antacids or acid suppressors to perform this test.):

http://www.drdebe.com/BAKESODA.htm

And if you are still not convinced with the results, than find a good
gastroenterologist or a naturopathic doctor who will take the time to
actually MEASURE your stomach acidity and prescribe the appropriate
treatment for your condition.  A small radio capsule which measures pH can
be swallowed and used to make this measurement.  See:

http://www.healthy.net/library/books/textbook/section2/heidel.pdf

Low stomach acid or hypochlorhydria can be treated by taking betaine HCl
and digestive enzymes with every meal.  And you need to take a sufficent
number of betaine HCl capsules which may be well more than just one or
two.  (I take three 10 grain capsules at breakfast and lunch, and six at
dinner.)  The number of betaine HCl capsules is adjusted by finding the the
amount which begins to cause a warming sensation in the stomach, and then
backing off by one capsule.

Dr. Wright theorizes that when the stomach acid is at a proper and high
enough level during meals, the pH of the stomach may stimulate a normal
functioning LES to keep tightly closed preventing backup while digestion is
taking place.  However, there is the possibilty that an actual
physiological problem could be present impairing LES function.  There are
some surgical options, repairs, and devices which might help if other less
intrusive therapies have failed.

Alternative natural supplements other than acid suppressors can help
alleviate acid discomfort until the problem is corrected.

Of course, if you do actually have a HIGH stomach acid problem, then acid
suppressors used under monitoring by health practioners are a valid
treatment.  You would want to keep the stomach acidity at a near normal
level.  But I would want to find out why I had high stomach acid in the
first place and fix that condition, not just take acid suppressors.

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