GIRD

Posted By  HFHSM.D.-ym on March 19, 1998 at 13:54:36:

In Reply to: GIRD posted by L M L on March 17, 1998 at 17:01:04:
  I am already familiar with GIRD. I am having that problem now. Heartburn
  is everyday and reflux too. At the moment, I am not taking anything because
  them medicine is so expensive. When I do take meds, it is Prilosec. It is
  the only thing that has helped me in a long time. I have tried others but
  they dont seem to touch the problem at all. I go to the doctor about it
  but he just keeps me going on this med or tries me on that med. Im (pardon
  the pun) sick of meds and I want a change.  
  Heres my questions: Are there any other dangers with this? And is it a
  curable thing? The reason I ask this is because I have had this problem
  for some years now and the prilosec only keeps it from being a problem
  as long as I take it. It does not cure the problem and nothing else
  touches it. I cant really afford to keep taking the prilosec so I end
  up having the heartburn and the reflux quite a bit. Any ideas? Ive taken
  Axid (alergic (allergic) to it), Tagamet (no reaction), Pepcid (works for about
  2 hours using 6 OTC tabs), and I do use Gaviscon, which helps a little
  bit with the reflux but doesnt seem to help the heartburn much.
_Dear L M L,
Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) can be very troublesome. Unfortunately, they tend to be chronic problems that get better with time and then flare up. It is unclear at this time what triggers these flare-ups but in my experience dietary indiscretion and stress seem to play a role. Most patients with GERD have a benign clinical course, but GERD can lead to a variety of complications especially if left untreated. Bleeding or discomfort from esophagitis (inflammation of the foodpipe),  narrowing of the lower esophagus (foodpipe) and a change in the lining of the lower esophagus (called Barrett

[HFHSM.D.-ym]