I'm so sick of having continual heartburn that I finally went and saw a specialist today. Lots of questions and tests, but no definitive answers. They're going to stick a video camera down my throat next week...kind of the opposite of having a colonoscopy. I'm sure that I have some form of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). Ranitidine and Zantac used to control the symptoms pretty well, but not anymore. The only way I can get a decent night's sleep anymore is to keep my entire body elevated at about a 10 degree angle. I tried Prilosec and it worked great. After I finished the first 14 day course of pills, I began wondering why in very tiny print on the side of the Prilosec box was an obscure little notice that said you should only take these pills once every four months. They couldn't be harmful, right? Hey, Prilosec isn't even a prescription drug anymore. You can get it over the counter. A quick Google search revealed why the manufacturer recommended taking the pills only once every four months. Take a look at the "
Rate this Medicine" database sometime. Prilosec is a horror story. It appears that just about everyone who ignored the "once every four months" message on the side of the box and kept taking the medicine long-term had some sort of dire side effect.
I hate the whole idea of depending too much on meds. Excessive medication killed
my Mom and certainly subtracted a few years from
my Dad's life as well. I know that some meds are necessary. I take Benicar to control my blood pressure. I take Pravistatin to control my cholesterol. I also eat more sensibly than I used to. As much as I love bacon, it is now a rare treat. Most importantly, even on days when I'd like to sleep in an extra hour or two, I get up and walk two rambunctious Dalmatians five miles a day. I don't work out. I don't go to a gym. I just make sure to walk the dogs every day - rain or shine. You really couldn't ask for a better exercise routine - especially when there are squirrels on the trail.
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