Comments on: Is acid reflux disease a permanent problem?

By: ead824

ead824 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:03:22 +0000

The earlier it is detected the better chance to prevent permanent damage.
I caught mine early and had an endoscopy done. That is when a tube is enserted through the mouth down to the stomach to check for uclers and or damage caused by the acid reflux. I found that my AR was a result of stress that I was going through at the time. Since then I have had no reoccurrances I was on medication for a short period of time, and now with diet & personal management I no longer have it.
So I beleive if you take care of yourself, eat right, and not stress (too much anyway) that you ca beat the symptoms & the disease.

By: oscar

oscar — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:03:51 +0000

I take Protenox every day from my doctor. Last weekend I forgot because I was away & didnt take it. My heartburn came back really bad. You cant forget to take the pills or it seems to come back worse.

By: mikebran618

mikebran618 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:36:34 +0000

No. ask a docter for meds

By: kokomo_area_princess

kokomo_area_princess — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:25:17 +0000

no its not permanent just your doctor about the medicines you can take for the problem

By: Chris G

Chris G — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:10:17 +0000

IT can be a deadly problem if not treated. The acids will eat away at the esophagus and cause verecies that will bleed. Yes you will need treatment for the rest of your life. By the way Nexium is supposed to treat and cure any esophageal scarring.

By: jayrama81

jayrama81 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:29:13 +0000

yes

By: poshbaby24

poshbaby24 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:07:41 +0000

I’ve had acid reflux for a long time. My advice is watch what you eat . Avoid spicy foods and no, you don’t have to take meds for the rest of your life. :O) If it gets worse then by all means see a doctor.

By: Preacher

Preacher — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:44:11 +0000

Yes, afraid so. Nexuim claims to heal it, but I can’t take it due to side effects. Surgery can correct the problem but if it’s permanent, I don’t know. I don’t anyone who’s ever had surgery for it. My doctor has me take Prilosec at certain times of the year when it bothers me the most. Taking stomach medicine all the time messes up your stomach’s natural ability to digest, etc and you get dependent on the medicine–not like “drugs” but because you need it to keep the acid down all the time. That’s what my doctor told me.

By: Abhijit

Abhijit — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:39:04 +0000

I had the same problem 10 years back. I had to hospitalize. I had fully recovered after the treatment. I had taken cisapride+MPS combination 15 min before meal and 1 antacid after each meal for about a month.

By: littleebudfan8

littleebudfan8 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:50:05 +0000

i have GERD. and if you dont want to have surgery like i did. keep taking it. the acid caused the lining in my esophagus to scar and built up excess scar tissue. it closed up my esophagus and i ended up having a piece of food get stuck. i was rushed to the ER and had the food pushed through. then they removed all the scar tissie that built up, and used like these forcips to widen my esophagus. So, yes its a permant problem. keep taking the previcid or whatever the doc gave you

By: Sam X9

Sam X9 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:41:50 +0000

Try this link, you will get more information regarding acid reflux.
http://www.home.hawaii.rr.com.

By: FlGirl518

FlGirl518 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:27:40 +0000

I take Nexium. Mine comes and goes. Have had it for about 3 years. When it isn’t bad, I take Zantac. Maalox helps, too.

By: hollywood71@verizon.net

hollywood71@verizon.net — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:17:10 +0000

i’ve had it for many years. i have to take medications for life for it. many meds claim to heal the problem, but its only a temp situation. once the damage is done, you are stuck with it. its when your stomach proton pump puts out to much stomach acid and can eat away on your stomach lining, phinxter and throat.

By: Mindijdy

Mindijdy — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:02:02 +0000

I had a friend/co-worker that had that. Instead of taking costly prescriptions, she decided to try the cider vinegar cure first. It Worked for her. She takes a teaspoon every morning and she’s okay now.

By: Julie D

Julie D — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:45:51 +0000

It can be treated.

By: bonbon

bonbon — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:09:30 +0000

i have it pretty bad, but i just go thru periods of taking prevacid which heals the damage. then i stop for awhile, and if it starts up again, i keep tums at my desk. mine seems to be aggravated by tomato-based foods (which i love). i also find drinking more water helps (and less coffee!) I have a book on GERD and it also says to try to lower your stress level. once you have it, you just have to monitor it & take care of it when you get the symptoms. i would not have surgery for this unless it was an emergency situation. they may improve the procedure so i will wait.

By: SoccerFrienly

SoccerFrienly — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:05:13 +0000

no, it isnt. go see your doctor and he might prescribe nexium.

By: jpgregory2001

jpgregory2001 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:59:31 +0000

All I can tell you is that my grandson had it from birth, milk coming out of every hole in his head. He was given some meds and now it is gone (he’s 3)

By: wil_t52

wil_t52 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:58:05 +0000

not according to TV commercials

By: drmikewsu

drmikewsu — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 13:38:58 +0000

Acid reflux otherwise known as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), is an easily treatable condition that is present in a majority of the population. It is caused when the sphincter muscle that controls flow between the esophagus and stomach weakens and lets acid back up into the esophagus.

You can treat the symptoms of GERD by taking medicines that mainly decrease the acidity of the stomach. People who take these medications can be on them for life – and often are, fortunately there are a couple other options.

1. Avoid the things that worsen the reflux: this means avoid alcohol, smoking, coffee, chocolate, anything with caffeine, tomatos, and some spicy foods. ALSO, don’t eat late at night before going to bed, and prop your head up a little when you sleep. By doing this you may be able to avoid having to take medications.

2. If you have very SEVERE reflux that is only responsive to medications then you are either stuck taking medications the rest of your life or if the medications are not working you can have a surgery to correct it. The surgery is called a nissen fundoplication and involves the following:

The “fundus” (hence the term fundoplication) of the stomach (top portion of the stomach) is wrapped around the back of the esophagus until it is once again in front. The portion of the fundus that is now on the right side of the esophagus is sutured to the portion on the left side to keep the wrap in place. When completed, the fundoplication resembles a buttoned shirt collar. The collar is the fundus wrap and the neck represents the esophagus inside the wrap. This has the effect of creating a one-way valve in the esophagus to allow food to pass into the stomach, but prevent stomach acid from flowing into the esophagus and thus prevent GERD. The procedure is performed with the patient under general anesthesia in one of 2 ways ether ‘open’ or ‘laparoscopically’. The laparoscopic is the more popular way of doing it because it is less invasive.

“PLEASE REMEMBER: any surgery comes with complications and risks; the surgery may work for one person and not for another. Also, it’s not like a surgeon will do this procedure just because you “ask” him to. Because these procedures involve risks they are reserved for people who have failed multiple trials of medications.

It is important to know that if your GERD is UNCONTROLLED this can lead to esophageal cancer or lung problems. – so PLEASE speak with your physician about this!

Good Luck,