Reflux Guard

My journey of agonizing pain from acid reflux to relief

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Why are Proton Pump Inhibitors used for Acid Reflux If There are Other Drugless Options?

Common sense tells us: “Why put a drug into our system if we can relive the unwanted medical symptoms without it?” But, the reality is that medication is a quick, convenient fix. It is easier and quicker to pop a pill than to do most other things.

As we all understand, lifestyle changes such as eating right and losing weight are the best long-term methods to deal with acid reflux. (However, if the problem is serious, everything should be done with the guidance of a physician.)

Why isn’t everyone treating acid reflux with a lifestyle change? The answers are that it is difficult to make eating changes, losing weight is difficult, unpleasant, takes time, and most people fail. A pill is quick and effective but most likely to not be the best long-term solution.

If PPI’s (Proton Pump Inhibitors) are not the long-term solution and lifestyle changes are hard, what is left? I will share my story: Many years ago, I was in that unhappy position and serious bad news motivated me to lose significant weight while taking a PPI. I continued to suffer terribly. One of the things that I didn’t try was “raising” my bed. I couldn’t figure out a simple solution, so just like other lifestyle changes, it wasn’t done. The agony was very intense (I was up half the night 3-4 nights a week coughing and choking, and my throat and mouth burning.) I finally decided that I couldn’t live that way any longer and had to figure out a solution that I could implement.

I remembered all the things the doctor rattled off on what I needed to do. The easiest and quickest thing I recalled was raise the head of the bed. (I wish my doctor had emphasized and underscored this solution when he first mentioned it.) He may have told me how important it was to raise my bed, but my mind somehow overlooked his advice. I finally figured out how to implement the solution, and to my amazement, after the first few nights I knew this really works! The change was immediate and the solution felt like a miracle.

I eventually developed an easy-to-install, relatively inexpensive, long-lasting device. I call it Reflux Guard©. It will almost certainly help you as it has helped me.