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Questions in the Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Forum have been answered by Dr. Kevin Pho who is board certified in Internal Medicine and by doctors from Henry Ford Health System.
Question Title: GERDSForum: The Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Forum
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I was diagnoised with GERDS back in 1984. A surgical procedure was performed in 1985 where the surgeon inserted a prothesis called an "Angelchick" or "Doughnut" to correct the problem. The surgery was total failure and now I am on a medication called "Prevacid" for the rest of my life (provided of course I do not wish to suffer the burning from the acid reflux). I have heard conflicting opinions from different doctors with regards to continued use of "Prevacid" and "Prilosec" (which was prescribed for me prior to Prevacid). Since it is makes the most sense to treat a medical problem with medicine vice surgery if possible (or so I've been told by the military surgeons), I can readily go along with this train of thought opposed to be operated on, but how safe am I on the medication that I'm taking? As I said earlier I've heard conflicting reports/opinions from doctors that extended usage of Prilosec or Prevacid can lead to other problems (i.e. Cancer for one). I was have been through the Gambit with medications that were ineffective (i.e. Tagamet, Zantag, etc.)and really never experienced any relief until Prilosec and Prevacid. What kind of light can you shed on this with regards to the safety of continuous usage of either Prilosec or Prevacid? Also I am a student a Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA and my biology professor has assigned the students to write a paper on a diease or other biological disorder. I have decided to write mine on GERDS (what it is, it's causes, and it's treatments), but I'm having difficulty in finding reference materials relating to the subject. I have queried the university's library computer which only refers me to Gastroenterology. Can you suggest any books, journals, websites, homepages or other related reference materials that could guide me to the information I seek to write my paper? It seems as though medical information is in a world of it's own and other road maps beside the card catalog at the library are needed for direction. Thank you in advance. Dear Joseph, Proton pump inhibitors (such as omeperazole [Prilosec] and lansoprazole [Prevacid]) are very potent inhibitors of acid secretion and have changed the lives of many patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Experience from Europe has shown that the long-term use (approximately up to 5 years) of omeperazole is generally well tolerated and has not associated with severe side effects. When the drug was tested on laboratory animals, some of the animals who received very large doses of the drug developed a rare stomach tumor called carcinoid tumors. This has not been reported in humans on omeperazole in therapeutic doses. When the drug was originally approved in the United States, it was only approved for short-term use. It is currently used for longer time periods. This data can probably be applied to the drug lansoprazole as well. In my clinical practice I regularly prescribe proton pump inhibitors, but I try to use the lowest dose necessary to control symptoms and I try to wean patients off the drug whenever possible. In terms of your search for information on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), your best information will be obtained if you have access to the medical literature and medical textbooks such as those found in medical school or hospital libraries. Medline is a search engine that is often used by physicians. Internal Medicine textbooks such as Harrison's Textbook of Internal Medicine or Cecil's Textbook of Internal Medicine have good chapters on GERD. Gastroenterology textbooks such as Sleisinger and Fordtran's Textbook of Gastroenterology has a very detailed chapter on this topic. You might want to search the web using the term heartburn instead of gastroesophageal reflux. Good luck with your report. I hope you find this information helpful. This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health. If you would like to be seen at our institution please call 1-800-653-6568, our Referring Physicians’ Office and make an appointment to see Dr. Muszkat, one of our experts in Gastroenterology. HFHSM.D.-ym
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