Interesting article, this may answer some questions..

[alex12]

A new study may explain why individuals treated for acid reflux with proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) still experience reflux symptoms.

Researchers from the Lynn Health Science Institute in Oklahoma City, OK, treated 15 individuals with significant complaints of heartburn, with either a PPI or with a placebo. After one week, all participants underwent monitoring and polysomnography, both of which were done after participants were given an acid-inducing meal to raise the baseline occurrence of reflux.
Researchers found that, while total reflux events and acid reflux events decreased considerably with PPI treatment, nonacidic reflux events, such as stomach bile regurgitation, were significantly greater with PPI treatment. Researchers suggest that this increase in nonacid reflux events may explain persistent symptoms in some patients, despite being treated with PPIs.
This study appears in the February issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians

[~K~]

Hi alex, I would like to consider this explanation - rather than keep thinking I have cancer, because the drugs don't work...thanks for posting it!
~Kim~

[Red60]

I'm not suprised by the results of the study. During the 10 days or so that I used PPI meds I noticed a lot more reflux when bending over after eating. The difference was it didn't seem to cause as much burning but it was still very uncomfortable. According to a number of articles I've read many cases of reflux are due to the fact that the stomach does not empty in a timely manner. I would guess that the reasons for poor digestion are very diverse and difficult to identify but adding PPI meds to mix to eliminate the production of stomach acid just makes the digestive problem worse. But it gives the tissues that have been damaged some time to heal by reducing their exposure to the acid. By reading the label on the medications it appears that PPIs where only ment to be use for a fairly short period of time. Normaly 8 weeks or in some special cases up to one year. Seems to me that doctors are trying to use these meds as the be all end all treatment when they should be only a small part of the plan. It seems that they don't know what the rest of the plan should be when the typical lifestyle changes are not enough to correct the problem.

[Red60]

Originally Posted by ~K~

Hi alex, I would like to consider this explanation - rather than keep thinking I have cancer, because the drugs don't work...thanks for posting it!
~Kim~

Kim, from what I've read people who notice the biggest benifit from the PPI medications are those who have esophageal erosions, ulcers or some type of tissue damage. People who have all the typical symptoms of gerds but do not have damage tissue typically do not have as favorable results using the acid reducing meds. Do you fall into that group?

[~K~]

Red, that is very comforting! I had the scope nearly a year back, and only thing was tiny erosions and tiny polyps- not enough to explain my severe symptoms.
I have been thinking they missed a cancer because I'm suffering so much while on Nexium and Ranitidine. I seem to have tried every PPI, at every dose, and every antacid on the market. Thanks for that info. I have the 24 hour acid test, and manometry (sp?) at the end of this month (dreading it)
Kim