Stomach Acid

I am off Omeprazole all together. Found out that by eating properly, my stomach is doing much better. I found that the Greek Mastixa (resin from the mastic tree) is amazing for stomach problems, and yes I take a teaspoon in a glass of water every morning 20 minutes before I eat. I still stay away from onions, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee. BUT I feel so much better

Hi Mike,

If you are producng too much acid for whatever reason you need to reduce it. There are "natural remedies" which can help soothe or tackle acid once it has been produced but they do not tackle the root cause.

Excess acid comes from the stomach producing too many parietal cells in response to Histamine H2 signals. H2 receptor antagonists (like Zantac (ranitidine)) attempt to intercept some of thos signals. However, Proton Pump Inhibitors (such as omeprazole) stop the production of too many of these cells and are by far the best way of dealing with acid hypersecretion. There are many different PPIs available but research has shown they are all as effective as ecah other when taken in equivalent dose. The cheapest generic omeprazole is as good as the most expensive Dexilant (though some patients tolerate one more than another. On the www BarrettsWessex org uk website, you'll find a table of the different PPIs with equivalent doses and costs. (US costs at the very bottom of the page may be a few years out of date but give a comparison). Find the drugs page from the drop down menu under the Treatments tab.

Don't be worried about the scare stories. I have read all the research about the "side effects" of PPIs. They are all blown out of proportion by the sensationalist media who don't understand the difference between correlation and causality. For instance the latest paper linking PPIs and kidney disease says, "patients taking PPIs were more likely to experience declining kidney function". It could have just as easily said, "patients experiencing declining kidney function are more likely to take PPIs". The paper does not provide evidence that PPIs actually cause kidney disease.

Read about this and the other scare stories on the Barrett's Wessex website by finding the page "PPI dangers" either using the search function or you can find it linked to on the page previously mentioned or find it on the left hand navigation panel under "Drugs" under "Treatment".

("Prilosec" is the brand name for the drug originally introduced in the 1980's by Astra Zeneca. Its generic name is omeprazole. When it was going out of patent, AZ refined it to produce esomeprazole (Nexium) which they have claimed is better (though research (apart from that sponsored by AZ) disagrees. ) Now Nexium is out of guarantee, generic esomeprazole is becoming available. )

PPIs have been in for a bad press and I have seen some lawyers in US are hoping to make money from unwitting patients attempting to sue the drugs companies. They will probably be unsuccessful - research has shown that most "problems" that can be attributed to PPIs are from misuse and more prevalent amongst self-medicators.

The media haven't picked up on the other research which shows PPIs probably reduce the risks of developing oesophageal cancer.

After starting at my doctor's request, taking 75 mg of Rantinidine, or generic zantac, and finding it helps, but not enough, I also tried taking 75 mg in the morning, and 150 at night, but still, if I ate anything at all with garlic, tomatoes, peanut butter, pretty much anything, I was still miserable.  I resorted to opening my omeprazole 20 mg, and taking out half the granules and taking 10, and it works, it works wonders, so I called the doctors office and told them that, but guess what?  She called in another script for 150 of the zantac.  She does not want me taking the omeprazole at all.  So, back to square one.