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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 19, 2016 12:59:45 GMT -5
Sorry I'm late to the thread. That's what happens when life gets in the way of the rock addiction, lol!
About 15 years ago, I had a consistent, annoying, cough/throat clearing. A doctor at Kaiser diagnosed GERD. Acid was coming up my esophagus, and going into my trachea. He put me on Famotidine. That did not take care of it, so another doctor put me on Ranitidine (when it was only 75mg size). I never actually had heartburn, and being horizontal never caused any problems. Over the course of the next few year, the Ranitidine doubled in size, and the doctor also kept increasing my dosage. She had me taking two in the am, and two in the pm. 600mg!!! My brother voiced his concern to me, said Zantac should only be taken as need, not continuously. I agreed with him.
First, I cut the amount in half, and did not experience any more of the coughing. Mind you, this was after I had decided to get myself in better shape. (Yes, I know round is a shape, but I was tired of being it, lol.) I went from this Quartzsite January 2012
Prospecting club picnic August 2013
to this, photo taken this morning
I have not taken any Ranitidine/Zantac in several years, just one of the benefits to loosing the excess baggage. I am still not quite where I want to be, but it is a work in progress!
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 19, 2016 14:13:53 GMT -5
Well, for a hundred years I weighed 150 pounds at about 6' tall. I quit smoking going on ten years ago. My weight eventually peaked out around 195#. Currenty, I'm down to 175# The problem is that I've had reflux for years but it has gotten worse over the last five or six years. The reflux will wake me at night...the rest of the night will be no rest and miserable....imagine choking on a swallow of fairly hot hot pepper sauce with a few solid pepper pieces thrown in (anybody still with me? ). I stopped taking the Prisolec OTC last Saturday. I did without it Saturday night and did ok. I did without it Sunday night but woke up early with bad heartburn but thankfully no bad reflux, but I could tell I was close. All day Monday I felt the "afterburn" of a bad night so I bought a box of otc 75mg Zantac. Last (Monday) night I slept fine and woke up with no ill symptoms. This was after eating some stir-fry chicken with some spice and tomatoes in it for supper, it wasn't too spicy but the tomatoes are usually a sure bet for misery...I've learned it doesn't take much and figured I'd give the Zantac a run-for-the-money. It looks like the Zantac 75 will work for me so at least for the time being I'm going go with it. rockpickerforever Jean, if you keep at it you're gonna need to start toting rocks around in your pocket to keep that desert wind from taking you away!!!! vegasjames, thanks *a lot* for all the information! Lots to take in. I will bring rhabdomyolosis up to my doctor. To be honest, my view of doctors is in a steep nose-dive so I'm not sure when I'll be seeing one...cardio appointment is in August, but they'll just tell me to see my regular doctor.<sigh> I think I'll look into the magnesium malate...sounds like it does some good things.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2016 16:57:23 GMT -5
Ingesting baking soda occasionally for acid reflux is not going to cause much of a problem. Ingesting baking soda on a regualr basis though, which some people do erroneously thinking it alkalizes the blood is just asking for problems. Doing so increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, immune suppression, allergies, hormone imbalances, neurotransmitter disorders, osteoporosis, osteopenia, osteomalacia, some forms of arthritis, etc. These are due to two reasons. First of all stomach acid is essential for killing ingested pathogens, including cancer pathogens. Virtually all cancers, except for a few such as familial retinoblastoma and radon induced lung cancer, have been linked to microbial infections. Stomach acid is also essential for the proper breakdown of proteins by the activation of the protein digestive enzyme pepsin. A lack of stomach acid prevents the proteins from being properly broken down and these protein solutes can be absorbed through the intestinal wall in some cases triggering off food allergies. Stomach acid is also needed for the absorption of various nutrients such as silica and other minerals, B6, B12 and folate. Decreased stomach acid leads to a decrease in silica absorption essential for the production of bone, cartilage, skin, hair, nails, teeth, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, etc. Silica is also responsible for the actual mineralization of bone and reduced plaque formation on arterial walls. Many of the things associated with aging including osteroarthritis, osteoporosis, arterial plaque, emphysema, diverticulitis, wrinkles, etc. are often due to silica deficiencies and/or vitamin C deficiencies as both are essential to collagen, elastin and cartilage formation. Decreased absorption of B6, B12 and folate decrease methylation in the body increasing the risk of cancer, heart disease, immune suppression, allergies, hormone imbalances, neurotransmitter disorders, some bone disorders, etc. Further compounding the problem is that methylation is also required for the production of more stomach acid and therefore blocking or neutralizing the stomach acid will interfere with stomach acid production in time further increasing the risk of these diseases and disorders. As for the link there is some misinformation in there. First of all there is NO such thing as an alkalizing food. ALL foods get metabolized in to acids. Furthermore, blood pH is maintained almost exclusively through respiration followed by hydrogen ion (proton) elimination or retention by the kidneys. Therefore, what you eat or drink is not going to alter your blood pH one bit unless you dangerously overwhelm your buffer systems such as from ingesting a lot of vinegar or baking soda at once. This is also why acidosis and the more dangerous condition alkalosis are both so EXTREMELY rare. For more on the acid-alkaline myth see: medreview.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/top-5-worst-internet-health-information-sites-curezone-org-part-2-alkalineacid-support-forum-part-2/chriskresser.com/the-ph-myth-part-1chriskresser.com/the-acid-alkaline-myth-part-2As for their claim that as we become acidic we start tapping our bone reserves that is really misleading. Acidosis would have to be very severe and long term for this to happen. We are talking about acidosis so severe that you would definitely be in a hospital fighting for your life and so severe that most doctors will never see a case like this in their entire careers. Most cases of bone loss are due to: -Lack of exercise. Stress on the bones stimulates a piezoelectric effect in the bones due to the silica in the collagen matrix. This electrodeposits the minerals in to the collagen matrix hardening the bone. -Lack of collagen matrix since there is lack of binding sites for the minerals. -Hyperparathyroidism, which is most often from parathyroid nodules often from a lack of vitamin D. The nodules excrete excess parathyroid hormone (PTH) releasing calcium from the bones. -Pseudohyperparathyroidism from the high intake of phosphorus (red meats, dairy, colas), which also leads to the release of PTH to balance out the perceived calcium-phosphorus imbalance. -Medications. Thyroid hormones and steroids being the two best known for causing bone loss. And finally they talk about monitoring your salivary or urinary pH, which actually tells you very little and DOES NOT reflect blood pH. Salivary pH is affected by the amount of bacteria in the mouth so things such as brushing your teeth will make the saliva more alkaline. So will drinking water, thinking of certain foods, etc. Dry mouth increases acidity as alkaline saliva normally washes away acid forming bacteria in the mouth. Urinary pH is affected by hydration levels, certain supplements and medications, exercise, things in diet or by degradation of food products and by bacteria in the urine. Urinary tract infections lead to highly alkaline urine as the bacteria use the enzyme urease to split urea in to highly alkaline ammonia. The alkalinity helps the bacteria, as with most pathogens, to survive.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 19, 2016 17:02:37 GMT -5
Ed, I'm not sure what is causing your acid reflux, but I'd guess spicy foods! Maybe your weight, maybe not. All I know is my doctor told me to lose weight and the reflux would go away. She was right! I never suffered from heartburn, just the nagging little throat tickle/cough. rockpickerforever Jean, if you keep at it you're gonna need to start toting rocks around in your pocket to keep that desert wind from taking you away!!!!
Intheswamp Ed, if I am out wandering around the desert, doncha know my pockets are already full of rocks? LOL.
Actually, after ruining my old flip phone, which I keep in said pocket, by filling it up with dirt and scratching the front of it, I have taken to carrying a rockpicking bag. Instead of carrying around 90 lbs of excess weight, I can carry more rocks!
Another 20 lbs to go, and I'll be back to what I weighed over 30 years ago. It was time!!! The only good thing to come out of it is I am sure that my bones are pretty heavy duty, after years of stress testing...
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2016 17:05:14 GMT -5
Well, for a hundred years I weighed 150 pounds at about 6' tall. I quit smoking going on ten years ago. My weight eventually peaked out around 195#. Currenty, I'm down to 175# The problem is that I've had reflux for years but it has gotten worse over the last five or six years. The reflux will wake me at night...the rest of the night will be no rest and miserable....imagine choking on a swallow of fairly hot hot pepper sauce with a few solid pepper pieces thrown in (anybody still with me? ). I stopped taking the Prisolec OTC last Saturday. I did without it Saturday night and did ok. I did without it Sunday night but woke up early with bad heartburn but thankfully no bad reflux, but I could tell I was close. All day Monday I felt the "afterburn" of a bad night so I bought a box of otc 75mg Zantac. Last (Monday) night I slept fine and woke up with no ill symptoms. This was after eating some stir-fry chicken with some spice and tomatoes in it for supper, it wasn't too spicy but the tomatoes are usually a sure bet for misery...I've learned it doesn't take much and figured I'd give the Zantac a run-for-the-money. It looks like the Zantac 75 will work for me so at least for the time being I'm going go with it. rockpickerforever Jean, if you keep at it you're gonna need to start toting rocks around in your pocket to keep that desert wind from taking you away!!!! vegasjames , thanks *a lot* for all the information! Lots to take in. I will bring rhabdomyolosis up to my doctor. To be honest, my view of doctors is in a steep nose-dive so I'm not sure when I'll be seeing one...cardio appointment is in August, but they'll just tell me to see my regular doctor.<sigh> I think I'll look into the magnesium malate...sounds like it does some good things. Here is some information on dealing with the acid reflux: medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2632Yes, the magnesium malate has a lot of benefits. Magnesium is essential for about 300 processes in the body. Among these are keeping blood pressure down and relaxing muscles both by antagonizing calcium. The muscles relaxed include blood vessels, which also increases blood flow to the heart preventing angina and many arrhythmias. Magnesium also displaces calcium in arterial plaque and increases ATP levels, which helps the cells to function and function properly. The malic acid it is combined with also increases ATP and is great fr dissolving uric acid. Tart cherry juice for example has a long history of being used to treat gout due to its high malic acid content dissolving the uric acid. Green apples are also a great source.
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Post by rockjunquie on Apr 19, 2016 17:50:19 GMT -5
rockpickerforever - You look great! But, I bet you think of that as just a benny compared to how much better you feel.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 19, 2016 18:10:08 GMT -5
Jean, I'm happy for you...much better to tote around rocks than body weight. And the bones being stronger is a bonus. My problem, though, was when I gained weight those bones that had hauled around 150 pounds for 30 years suddenly had another 40 pounds thrown on to them. Ouch! As for a rockpicking bag...I use a small daypack...it hauls all the rocks that *I* can haul!!! I need to get Jimi broseph82 to come down here and tote for...he's young and strong. Since I basically hunts gravel bars on the creeks I pretty much have to walk uphill going back to the jeep loaded with rocks....now why aren't the creeks on top of the hill so I can walk *down* to the jeep?<grin> vegasjames James, you have given me so much food for thought here. That post on medcaplus.com is a good one. Thanks for sharing it with me, I had no idea on lots of that stuff and it's got me thinking about things. Now, I'm wondering about the Zantac75... I ordered some magnesium/malate so I'll see how that does me, too. I do appreciate your time and effort on all of this!!!
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2016 18:31:00 GMT -5
Yes, the magnesium malate has a lot of benefits. Magnesium is essential for about 300 processes in the body. Among these are keeping blood pressure down and relaxing muscles both by antagonizing calcium. The muscles relaxed include blood vessels, which also increases blood flow to the heart preventing angina and many arrhythmias. Magnesium also displaces calcium in arterial plaque and increases ATP levels, which helps the cells to function and function properly. The malic acid it is combined with also increases ATP and is great fr dissolving uric acid. Tart cherry juice for example has a long history of being used to treat gout due to its high malic acid content dissolving the uric acid. Green apples are also a great source. "An apple a day keeps the Doctor away." "Granny Smith" apples are a favorite. What about apple cider vinegar? Thank you vegasjames Raw apple cider vinegar is especially good. High in acetic and malic acids. won't get a lot of magnesium from it though. A lot of people use it to treat indigestion and acid reflux.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 19, 2016 20:40:49 GMT -5
Hmm, I've got a half-gallon left of some Braggs ACV from a health kick I got on a few years ago...should still be good. What about cranberry juice, Lakewood cold-pressed? I know it's healthy for the immune system and several other things but in reading between the lines about it it states it's good for reducing bacteria that causes urinary infections and stomach ulcers so it seems like it would be good for reflux, too...maybe? I've already taken my Zantac for the night but tomorrow I might play guinea pig on myself...some Braggs ACV in the morning and some Lakewood Cranberry juice tomorrow night and forego the Zantac. I need to figure out my carbs, though, as they seem to be a biggie in the reflux equation. I've never really been one to pay attention to my diet until the last few years and still don't watch it very close.
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Post by broseph82 on Apr 19, 2016 21:36:04 GMT -5
"An apple a day keeps the Doctor away." "Granny Smith" apples are a favorite. What about apple cider vinegar? Thank you vegasjames Raw apple cider vinegar is especially good. High in acetic and malic acids. won't get a lot of magnesium from it though. A lot of people use it to treat indigestion and acid reflux. Braggs apple cider vinegar is the way to go. Still has some of the mother and is raw! A shot every morning is supposed to do wonders for ya. Look up Kombucha tea if you wanna read something interesting (something I used to make all the time).
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2016 21:46:18 GMT -5
Hmm, I've got a half-gallon left of some Braggs ACV from a health kick I got on a few years ago...should still be good. What about cranberry juice, Lakewood cold-pressed? I know it's healthy for the immune system and several other things but in reading between the lines about it it states it's good for reducing bacteria that causes urinary infections and stomach ulcers so it seems like it would be good for reflux, too...maybe? I've already taken my Zantac for the night but tomorrow I might play guinea pig on myself...some Braggs ACV in the morning and some Lakewood Cranberry juice tomorrow night and forego the Zantac. I need to figure out my carbs, though, as they seem to be a biggie in the reflux equation. I've never really been one to pay attention to my diet until the last few years and still don't watch it very close. The apple cider vinegar will still be good. Acid make great preservatives. That is why so many parts of the world make cultured foods like kimchee and kefirs. Cranberry juice cortains D-mannose, which prevents the adhesion of bacteria to the urinary tract wall instead of killing the bacteria. Blueberries do the same thing. Never heard of it being used for Helicobacter pylori. For urinary tract infections I prefer uva ursi tea, which kills the bacteria without causing secondary infections like antibiotics. For H. pylori I prefer mastic gum and licorice root. The role carbs play are in the fermentable sugars. The gas produced from the fermentation increases pressure on the LES. When the LES tires the gas rushes up the esophagus taking traces of acid with it.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2016 21:48:04 GMT -5
Raw apple cider vinegar is especially good. High in acetic and malic acids. won't get a lot of magnesium from it though. A lot of people use it to treat indigestion and acid reflux. Braggs apple cider vinegar is the way to go. Still has some of the mother and is raw! A shot every morning is supposed to do wonders for ya. Look up Kombucha tea if you wanna read something interesting (something I used to make all the time). Kombucha is similar. It is mainly acetic acid and also provides glucuronic acid, hyaluronic acid and usinic acid all of which have different health benefits. I heard the excess scobies produced are great dog chews when dried.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 20, 2016 0:24:37 GMT -5
I have taken prilosec, nexium, zantec, pepcid . Mostly prilosec and zantec and find them to be much more effective than Tums. I read the same articles a couple of months ago and only use zantac and tums. Some years ago I was taking both prilosec and zantac (for a conddition that required surgery). But now I take only on demand which is just a couple of times a year and I doubt it really matters what I take. I have been very cautious about taking anything that requires long term meds. We always find out later about the "unknown" or "suddenly revealed" side effects. When arthritis started to become a problem years ago I rejoiced when Vioxx and celebrex were discoveredand I took every day until the heart issues side effects became widely known. Sidenote, I still take advil for occasional pain, so how safe is that. I took lipitor to lower cholesterol for a while but decided that was too risky to take that long term. And I wonder if just lowering the number is important? Lots of people take medication for high blood pressure. I know people who take more than one daily. I wonder how smart that is. On my wife's Mothers side, all the women live to be about 100 and they all have high blood pressure. Her Grandmother loved the fat on meats like prok chops and ate it all the time. So does lowering high blood pressure matter for everyone or only certain people? ( and do they rig the clinical trials to especially accept people like the females in my wife's family who can live to a ripe old age even with the condition? Ran across this medical journal abstract on statins like lipitor and thought you might find it interesting: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25655639
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 20, 2016 11:10:31 GMT -5
rockpickerforever - You look great! But, I bet you think of that as just a benny compared to how much better you feel.
Thanks, amiga. While I definitely do feel better, looking better is more than just a benny, lol. Never underestimate the power of vanity as a motivating tool for help achieving one's goals. Rage, if you keep it controlled and focused, can also be a strong motivating tool. I am happy with all facets of the changes, including improved looks and better health. Being able to buy clothes not made by Omar is a bonus! My body has a higher energy level, although sometimes it seems my brain has yet to catch up... An observation - if your "largeness" is what attracted your lover/boyfriend/husband/significant other to you in the first place, be advised that once you weigh less than he does, he may no longer give you the time of day, attention, conversation, or anything else, for that matter. Just saying...
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Post by rockjunquie on Apr 20, 2016 11:28:24 GMT -5
rockpickerforever, I like what you said. My motivating factor is health. I still can't walk a block, so it's tough. I have to see an orthopedist. I have been putting it off. Just don't want another flippin' doctor! There is a really good rec center close by that has an arthritis pool. I need to get involved with that. But.... another GD but... I need to pay for DH's teeth work first. It's been a vicious circle for 2 years and just about all I can do is sit on my butt. So, for me, looking better would be benny compared to being able to walk somewhere. I must say, though, since I switched to Enbrel, my feet aren't raw hamburger, anymore. That's a good thing. I should count my blessings where I can. I'm also glad all of this didn't start when I was much younger.
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Post by snowmom on Apr 21, 2016 8:32:20 GMT -5
late to the discussion. The collective knowledge of this group never fails to blow me away. you all teach me so much with each visit. I am taking omeprazole for GERD once daily and have to take other stuff to balance out what it does to my system. fiber capsules and magnesium supplement. generic multi vitamin as an insurance policy as well for years of bad nutrition. About 3 years ago i started experimenting with my diet to see what made my condition worse.. i have cut out mint, alcohol, garlic, onion,carbonated anything, cinnamon, hot spices such as curry and jalapeno, and have gotten much better. May do a trial run without omeprazole before long to see if it has helped enough. now cutting out all starches, rice, noodles, legumes, corn, and mostly doing meat and veggies.eggs. always something. Rosanna Rosanadanna was right. best wishes for good health for all of you!
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Post by rockjunquie on Apr 21, 2016 9:51:08 GMT -5
late to the discussion. The collective knowledge of this group never fails to blow me away. you all teach me so much with each visit. I am taking omeprazole for GERD once daily and have to take other stuff to balance out what it does to my system. fiber capsules and magnesium supplement. generic multi vitamin as an insurance policy as well for years of bad nutrition. About 3 years ago i started experimenting with my diet to see what made my condition worse.. i have cut out mint, alcohol, garlic, onion,carbonated anything, cinnamon, hot spices such as curry and jalapeno, and have gotten much better. May do a trial run without omeprazole before long to see if it has helped enough. now cutting out all starches, rice, noodles, legumes, corn, and mostly doing meat and veggies.eggs. always something. Rosanna Rosanadanna was right. best wishes for good health for all of you! You probably know this already, but after a certain age, women should take iron free vitamins or smaller amounts of iron. I take the senior women's generic.
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Post by rockjunquie on Apr 21, 2016 9:55:17 GMT -5
I'm just going to throw this out there for food for thought: My mother suffered from acid reflex and heartburn most of her life. She died from esophageal cancer. It burst it's sheath and spread to her lungs. I had the scope going up and down. There was evidence of some erosion. I take it very seriously, which is why I got off the nsaids. They are the only things that give me digestive troubles.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 21, 2016 13:12:11 GMT -5
I'm just going to throw this out there for food for thought: My mother suffered from acid reflex and heartburn most of her life. She died from esophageal cancer. It burst it's sheath and spread to her lungs. I had the scope going up and down. There was evidence of some erosion. I take it very seriously, which is why I got off the nsaids. They are the only things that give me digestive troubles. EC is a fear of mine, too. My heart goes out to your mom and all of your family. I've got to look at my diet and resolve to change some things.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 21, 2016 13:16:34 GMT -5
FWIW - Any of those meds can cause severe damage, especially over a large period of time. I know this sounds weird, but my aunt (mom's sister) was born with a tongue a little longer than normal. Consequently, she had problems masticating her food. Most of her life, she took Tums or some other antacid, to help "digest" her food. She died of stomach cancer in her 50s.
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