Prilosec as Effective as Expensive Prescriptions, Study Finds

A widely available nonprescription drug -- Prilosec OTC -- is as effective a treatment for heartburn and acid reflux disease as prescription drugs costing almost 10 times more, according to an analysis from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, a public education project of Consumers Union.
"Many people with heartburn and acid reflux could save $1,000 to $2,000 a year by taking an over-the-counter drug that's just as effective as high-priced prescription drugs," said Gail Shearer, director of the project.
"These are dramatic savings, and illustrate why consumers should talk to their doctors about identifying effective, lower-cost medicines," Shearer added.
The over-the-counter drug Prilosec costs $19 to $26 a month on average nationwide, and can be even cheaper at large discount stores.

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Dealing with gastric ulcers

It is widely believed that eating chilli causes gastric ulcers in some people and they are adviced to avoid the spice and eat bland food. But an epidemiological survey conducted in Singapore in 1994 shows that the incidence of gastric ulcers is more common among the Chinese than among Indians who eat far more chillis. In 1984, ulcer patients in a Delhi hospital were given 1gm chilli powder/meal in the three meals consumed per day along with a healing agent, showed no adverse effect of chilli on healing as observed by endoscopic examination. Peptic (gastric and duodenal) ulcers are the most common afflicting humans all over the world and considered to be caused when there is an imbalance between the rate of gastric secretion and level of protection. Smoking causes ulcers because it stimulates nerves involved in gastric secretions.

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How to manage reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the most common digestive disorders. It is a condition where stomach acid refluxes upward into the esophagus.
Usually, the acid in your stomach is retained by a muscular valve at the end of the esophagus, known as the lower esophageal sphincter. The LES is supposed to remain closed, except when swallowing. If it opens at other times, stomach acid can flow upward (reflux) into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Typical symptoms include an uncomfortable feeling of burning, warmth, heat or pain just behind the breastbone, which is commonly referred to as heartburn. Other symptoms can include nausea, increased belching, regurgitation of food and even chronic cough.
Occasional heartburn does not necessarily mean you have reflux disease. In GERD, the symptoms last longer and occur more often.

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