Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers [Paperback]

This book is by a Certified Clinical Nutritionist who is familiar with dietary dilemmas and various supplements. She has crowded a wealth of information into this compact book. I found it helpful although it has not solved by problem with GERD -- more about that below.

I did not realize that I had a real problem with reflux until an endoscopy showed some damage to my esophagus. I had known for a long time that I had food allergies and sensitivities, and had found it necessary to avoid an increasing number of foods and beverages in order to avoid symptoms. But my symptoms were varied and rarely involved heartburn, or so I thought. It turns out that coughing and chest pain are sometimes the primary symptoms of heartburn/GERD, and once I got the diagnosis of GERD and looked it up, those symptoms started making sense. (I got chest pain from drinking coffee, for instance, and had coughing fits when I drank tea.)

I had been to several doctors for other gastrointestinal issues, and had been through a long list of tests, medications, diets, and supplements with very limited success. I had even tried the treatment plan for low stomach acid and it did not help. So when the gastroenterologist prescribed Nexium for GERD, I was relieved to try it. It seemed to work at first, then I started having reflux worse than before. The doctor changed my medication three times and I continued to have reflux, plus I had side-effects from the prescriptions.

I got disillusioned with the gastroenterologist's office when they failed to call me back after I left a message complaining that the latest prescription gave me chest pain. (They finally called a full week later!) I decided to work with another doctor who is more holistically-inclined.

He pointed out that PPI's like I had been taking often had an acid rebound effect when you stop taking them. At that point I was taking an over-the-counter H2-receptor antagonist for relief of the reflux which had continued to worsen on the PPI's. He said to phase the medication out gradually while taking certain supplements such as DGL.

I did this and it was tolerable but the reflux continues. Dr. A says it can take over six weeks after discontinuing the prescription meds for this to go away!

Much of what he says is mentioned in this book and more. I wish I had known that the PPI's might make me worse before I took them. But the gastro doctor seemed to know a lot so I followed his instructions for a couple of months. Now I'm eating a very bland (and not totally nutritious) diet while I wait for the acid rebound to go away. I hope it won't be much longer.

All this story-telling is to make the point that the acid-blocking prescriptions are probably not good for some of us, and so we need to be aware of the alternatives. For that, a guide like this book is essential.

Truly a blessing! Now I finally understand why I have heartburn - it isn't a deficiency of Prilosec that's for sure. Had I known sooner, I could have solved the real problem and spared myself not only a lot of expense but also have avoided the side effects of the drug. Contains lots of helpful health and nutrition advice too. Easy read. Because it lists so many scientific studies, I'm giving this book to my doctor who was as frustrated as I was.

This book offers a plausible theory (too little acid) that explains why a long-term GERD sufferer like me was never helped by the common offerings from the medical establishment (Prilosec, Nexium and the like).

It also offers solutions to various gastric problems that are simple, cheap, EFFECTIVE and supported by extensive scientific explanations.

The 4-star instead of 5-star is due to the preachy tone in the introduction.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 23 reviews  4.7 out of 5 stars