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The Ask A Doctor message board provided a medium for sufferers of Heartburn and Gerd to ask questions about medical and surgical options for heartburn and receive answers directly from experienced Gastroesophageal surgeons.
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From: David Cloyd, MD
Date: 12/16/00
Time: 00:41:20
Sounds like a good opportunity to mention the usual NON-OPERATIVE means of treating GERD, which should be everybody's first objective anyway. First of all, if overweight, serious weight loss can dramatically improve this problem. Not easily accomplished, but it shouldn't be overlooked. Other dietary goals - avoid caffeine and alcohol, both of which increase gastric acid. Watch out for coca cola in particular, which is very high in acid. Orange juice, unfortunately, is very high in acid too, and should also be avoided. Don't eat large meals, especially late at night or before reclining. Elevation of the head of the bed can help reduce nocturnal reflux for some patients. Certain drugs can injure the esophagus, including Fosamax, Indocin, and essentially all the anti-inflammatorys (like Motrin). If the above ideas don't help, you might consider Prilosec or Prevacid as an alternative to Aciphex. Both are highly effective at turning off acid production in the stomach.