Posted on 06/28/2021 11:43:29 AM PDT by Red Badger
I've been taking acid-reflux medications for over 30 years. Nexium, and now Lansoprazole twice a day for several years. Was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2000, and been on oral medications since then. A1c has been fine. And my Endocrinologist has never mentioned that the Lansoprazole helps lower my blood sugar. The one medication that has helped my A1c the most is Jardiance. I also lost 16 pounds over the past two years. Didn't really diet, just reduced my intake.
I’ve got Barrett’s esophagus too, and will be on Lansoprazole, for life. I’ll be 74 next month. Nobody else in my family ever had GERD. They were all smokers. I wasn’t. Three died of lung cancer. One of a stroke. And one from heart attack. They were all between the ages of 74 and 51 when they died.
My Barrett’s was bad and progressing to cancer (dysplasia kept getting worse) so my doc got me into a study on cryo-ablation and that worked. I have no barrettes now for five years, give or take (based on annual endoscopies). But to my anatomy is still just bad, I will be on the PPI for life. I’m in my 50s and I’ve already been on it for 14 years or so. I am very concerned about the long term effects. I couldn’t imagine taking that stuff just to control blood sugar.
I’d had real bad heartburn during my 2nd and last pregnancy in 1970-71. It never went away. I went over 20 years with heartburn that I treated with Rolaids. My family doctor at the time wasn’t interested in prescribing me anything. As time went on, I was constantly eating the Rolaids to get rid of the heart burn. I finally changed doctors, and the new one prescribed Nexium for me. I couldn’t believe that a medication could help me so much. Had a gastroscopy last Thursday, and my Barrett’s hasn’t progressed at all, so I don’t have to have another one for three years...which is fine with me.
Glad to hear it. They say with most people it doesn’t progress beyond just Barrets. For a few it goes to low grade dysplasia. For a tiny fraction it goes to high grade dyspasia. And then it’s cancer. I had low grade dysplasia but it was a 9cm long segment of my esophagus which is gigantic so my doc was like ‘yeah, you are going to get cancer from this.’ Then she took care of it. :-)
Glad to hear that. A lot of people don't realize that untreated heartburn can cause cancer of the esophagus.
“It’s the strong stomach acid that causes Barrett’s esophagus that is pre-cancerous, and can kill you.”
It’s the overeating like a pig that causes Barrett’s esophagus that is pre-cancerous, and can kill you.
Funny, my Gastroenterologist said my acid reflux was caused because the lower esophageal sphincter that keeps the acid from coming back up was damaged during pregnancy and childbirth. I'm a 74 year old female who has never, and still doesn't "eat like a pig" as you call it.
Factors related to Barrett's: Family history, smoking, more common among white men, age, being obese, chronic heart burn and acid reflux.
A small piece of raw ginger is good for stomach issues and nose drainage.
No side affects for me.
Stay away from PPIs as though your life depends on it.
Free advice.
PPIs
PPIs?
I couldn’t survive without them unless I had a feeding tube.
Sorry, I see it is defined in the article. Oops!
Since proton pump inhibitors can reduce gastric acid to an unhealthy level, it doesn’t sound like it’s worth taking for a less than 0.33 decrease on a1C’s.
https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/news/20160608/proton-pump-inhibitor-health-risks#1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6463334/
Pepcid is safe and effective, without all the adverse effects.
Or a low carb high fat diet. Good fat of animal origin.
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