My Omeprazole / Prilosec entry is personal because I’ve been suffering lately from symptoms that appear to be caused by GERD, also known as “Acid Reflux”. GERD stands for Gastroesophageal reflux disease and may also be called by the terms Peptic esophagitis, Reflux esophagitis, GERD, Heartburn – chronic, Dyspepsia – GERD.
From the National Institutes of Health we learn the following:
When you eat, food passes from the throat to the stomach through the esophagus (also called the food pipe or swallowing tube). Once food is in the stomach, a ring of muscle fibers prevents food from moving backward into the esophagus. These muscle fibers are called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES.
If this sphincter muscle doesn’t close well, food, liquid, and stomach acid can leak back into the esophagus. This is called reflux or gastroesophageal reflux. Reflux may cause symptoms, or it can even damage the esophagus.
The risk factors for reflux include:
- Alcohol (possibly)
- Hiatal hernia (a condition in which part of the stomach moves above the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities)
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Scleroderma
- Smoking
Note that you can now buy Prilosec or the cheaper-but-almost-identical Walmart version called “Omeprazole” (usually located next to the Prilosec OTC in the pharmaceutical section of the Walmart. As a non-prescription medication I think the dosage is lower. You can also have your doctor prescribe higher dosages, but it may be important that you consult with your doctor even if you use the OTC versions since Omeprazole can cause damage to you or your system if used incorrectly (or, I think even if used correctly though it would seem the benefits of prilosec are probably greater than the risks for GERD sufferers).
I’m just starting on generic Omeprazole I bought at Walmart yesterday. In addition to elevating my head when sleeping I’ve been taking generic Pepto bizmol and generic Zantac “ranitadine” for my symptoms and it does not seem to be helping enough – I still get acid and my throat feels very irritated at night. This mostly disappears in the day which is the reason I’m convinced that GERD is my problem.