Antacids - Short Term Relief and Long Term Problems
Antacids are one of the top selling drugs in the U.S., available in many over-the-counter and prescription forms. While most people consider these drugs to be harmless and have little side effects, this couldn’t be farther from the truth! While these drugs were originally designed for prescribed only for short-term use, they are often used and prescribed now for months or years at a time, or sometimes indefinitely. These drugs work by interfering with the “proton pump” and stopping the production of hydrochloric acid by parietal cells in the stomach. The problem is, over 90% of people with “acid indigestion” and “acid reflux disease” actually suffer from these symptoms because they are producing too little stomach acid, not too much! The common story that people are led to believe is that when we are under stress our stomachs create too much acid which in turn causes heartburn and ulcers. However, what actually happens when we are under stress and our sympathetic nervous syst