Georgia from Houston sent us this question” “I have severe acid reflux. I took 3 kinds of PPIs, the doctor prescribed to me. I finished all the medicine but still in pain😔 What should I do? I have already lost 4 pounds because I am on a diet to reduce my acid reflux. But I am still in pain 😔. Please help!!”
Dear Georgia,
The first step towards effective acid reflux treatment is finding a competent acid reflux specialist in Houston. You cannot treat severe acid reflux using diet and lifestyle changes alone. By the same token, Proton pump inhibitors, PPIs, are not a cure for acid reflux. PPIs are a band aid for heartburn and chest pain. Once you stop PPIs symptoms come back very fast.
An in person or virtual encounter with a competent acid reflux specialist in Houston puts you on the right tract towards recovery from heartburn and chest pain. A comprehensive workup for acid reflux confirms and stages GERD. In some cases, chest pain may not be secondary to GERD. It may be secondary to heart or lung disease. Acid reflux diet and PPIs will not help you at all in this situation.
If severe GERD is confirmed, several effective solutions are available to alleviate your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Effective solutions for GERD re-create the anti-reflux barrier to stop acid reflux. The most reliable solution for acid reflux disease is a properly performed hiatal hernia repair and Nissen fundoplication.
Fundoplication surgery reliably restores weak anti-reflux barrier. Acid, bile and food no longer reflux back into esophagus. As a result, chest pain, heartburn, and food regurgitation resolve. Your quality of life improves, and you can now enjoy a regular diet. Furthermore, following fundoplication surgery, you no longer need to take any antacid medications including PPIs. PPI use over prolonged periods of time is associated with serious side effects like osteoporosis and kidney disease.