READER FEEDBACK

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/29/2006: Sharon from Roswell, NM writes: "I started having alot of acid reflux, tender stomach and nausea in June, 2006. Long story short I had suffered a back injury while playing in the ocean on vacation in May, 2006 and started taking ibuprofen as other meds would not help the pain. The acid reflux and sick stomach got bad enough that I went to an internist. He did an ultrasound, endoscopy, colonoscopy and several other tests and all was clear. He felt that it was due to the ibuprofen and put me on Nexium. Now it is December, 2006 and I have taken myself off of the Nexium and within 2 days I am just as sick to my stomach as I was before. I am quite excited to read Rosemary's story and my husband is going for yougurt & acidophilus as I am writing this e-mail. Hope this works!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/27/2006: Kerry from Long Beach, CA writes: "acid reflux may indeed be caused by an excessive amount of pain killers...i'm going to prove this out....i have acid reflux, and take a lot of pain killers, and i have for years."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/27/2006: Bernice from Rochester, NY writes: "I have been taking advil and generic ibuprofen for years because it works fast...all of a sudden this year, I stated having this acid reflux where as I had never had any problem like that in my life...I believe this study is correct . I was wondering why everyone I talk to say they have it.. wow. Thanks so much for this info"

It should be understood by everyone around, this way we could heal a lot faster and make sure this acidity does not become chronic as it is for me, that use two Nexium's a day now. I read today that this consumption of antacids is probably responsible for osteoporosis as it minimize the absorption of calcium. Me again. "

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/26/2006: Amy from Pensacola, FL writes: "I developed acid reflux when I was only 15. I had no idea what could've caused it because I considered myself to be a healthy person with a good diet. Well, I had been working at a coffee shop during the summer when I was 15, so I drank a lot of coffee. My doctor says all that caffeine probably contributed to it, as well as the fact that I used ibuprofen every month for menstrual cramps. My doctor put me on prevacid, which I used for a month till it ran out. I'm doing fine without it. My doctor said my esophagus just needed to heal. Eating a lot of yogurt seems to help too."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/12/2006: Denise from Tallahassee FL writes: "oh my GOD i have been in so much pain and suffering for a month or more i have had acid reflux for years was on nexium the drug failed me when i started to get leg pain it turned out i was anemic well i was taking ADVIL two or three at a time over a 7 week period well my legs are fine but my stomach is trashed. i have what they call a sunburn on my stomach and in my biopsy report it indicates ibuprofen use as a culprit. this article made me cry. i was so happy to find it to read it. I am going to do what Rosemary did. i prayed to god today to give me an answer. thank you so much i am sorry for my sake that i just found it but so grateful. thank you Rosemary, thank you"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/12/2006: Dawn from Glendale, AZ writes: "i too started taking the ibuprofen and have really bad acid reflux that starts about 1am in the morning and sometimes continues all day. I take the advil pms to sleep and more ibuprofen during the day for my back and knee. any suggestions?"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/28/2006: Sandy from California writes: "Do not use Ibuprofen/Advil or any of the antiinflamatory drugs if you are suffering from acid reflux. These type of drugs cause tissue to constrict opening up the esophagus passage allowing more acid to pass through aggravating acid reflux. Before I was diagnosed with acid reflux, the doctor assumed it was muscular pain and prescribed a stronger antiinflamatory drug. Within hours I was in agony and nearly landed in hospital. If you must have pain relief medication, use non antiinflamatory drugs!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/20/2006: Carol from Cumberland, MD writes: "I definitely agree with the idea that ibuprofen aggravates reflux. Last christmas I had a bad tooth and the only pain reliever that worked was ibuprofen. I took 4 doses a day (I couldn't get an appointment with the lousy dentist) for a month. My reflux was so bad I gave up tea, coffee, seltzer water and most food and lived on yogurt,herbal tea, and white foods (bread, rice, potatoes) - no tomatoes or spices. I took Protonix for a week before it calmed down my reflux. I have been very careful about my ibuprofen intake since. It works great but I hate the burn. Another big cause of reflux for me is carbonated drinks - coke, seltzer water, mt. dew - all burn my throat at times. Seltzer water has no acid, sugar or chemical sweeteners in it so I figure it is the carbonation in it."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/20/2006: Julie Anne from Lake County, FL writes: "I've had acid reflux disease for at least 6 years. I am only 22 years old. Everything you do takes a toll on your body more than you think. I believe i developed it because i would eat candy on an empty stomach, I wouldn't eat right away as soon as i was hungry( or if i was hungry i ate bunch of candy) When i did eat my meals, i would have pizza, mcdonalds, soda, taco bell, french fries(i'm a skinny girl i was trying to gain weight). If you have acid reflux disease, you cannot eat fried or fatty foods. You have to have lean meat and fat free everything or else you'll end up with pain. I highly believe that ibuprofen and ALEEVE(naproxen sodium) have aggravated my condition. I told my doctor and he forbid me to take ibuprofen and Alleve ever again. tylenol is safe but the doctors will prescribe you to other painkillers (loracet, vicondin) and i'm wondering if those can take a toll after time too. Be careful what you stress about too. every time i get stressed, my throat burns and i can't swallow. allow yourself to relax when the pain starts(i know it's hard) and it could help your current symptoms."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/18/2006: Kathy from Granger, IN writes: "I just figured out this week that acid reflux was the problem so I haven't tried much. But the reason that I am commenting is that I don't do much to contribute to acid reflux. I don't smoke, don't drink alcohol or excess caffeine and am not overweight. I do, however, take Advil all the time due to fibromyalgia. So I am wondering if this is how I got this."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/18/2006: Teresa from Yorktown, VA writes: "My comment is in regard to the correlation between ibuprofen and acid reflux. I was taking 400mg of ibuprofen at night to help with back and neck pain. I would sometimes wake in the middle of the night and take it to help relax my muscles. Never had a problem in the past with any heartburn or digestion issue. For the past two months I have been struggling with LPR. That is the reflux that effects the larynx (breathing) and goes into the ears too. Stopped all pain medication and sought the help of a naturopath. I am currently taking three very powerful probiotics a day. Getting ready to try the ACV. And plan on starting an herbal treatment."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/17/2006: Sue from Toms River, NJ writes: "I started taking ibuprofen for severe muscle spasms and I believe that was the beginning of my acid reflux issue."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/17/2006: Donna from Waterloo, Iowa writes: "I have had lupus for 42 years and was treated with 8 Bufferin and prednisone everyday. I got along okay with my stomach until my doctors added the maximum dose of ibuprofen 3200 mg a day. This caused gastritis and a lot of intestinal problems and later on I also got acid reflux. I have been searching desperately for a remedy as Nexium helps somewhat, but not enough. I have a chronic cough and it is getting worse. I have suffered with GERD for over 20 years and I know it is going to kill me if I don't find a remedy. It is daily misery! My LES valve has weakened like worn out elastic according to my doctors. They say it won't get better. My rheumatologist at the university hospital said that people with Raynaud's disease seem to have more problems with GERD, but they don't know why. I have also had that problem. I would really like to find an answer to GERD. It is awful to live with."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/16/2006: Tana from Baton Rouge, LA writes: "I was enlightened tremendously by this wonderful site. I had been desperately searching for a site for another problem and saw there was a section on acid reflux. When I clicked on it and started reading comments I saw the information about ibuprofen causing acid reflux. This has been a MAJOR problem for myself for many months ending up in a hospital emergency room twice still not sure of the cause. When I read these comments I became positive ibuprofen was the culprit. I was taking the max dose daily for herniated disc pain. When I feared the ibuprofen was possibly a cause I stopped taking it, feeling immediate relief. Thank you so much for letting me know that I'm not crazy."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/13/2006: Sol from NC writes: "I took Ibuprofen 600mg a day about 1 month and 1/2 ago to help with Strep throat and I have had the worst reflux since then. Currently on Nexium without result."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/12/2006: Chris from Denver, CO writes: "no question after years of ibuprofen use and eating the wrong foods, that ibuprofen is clearly the cause for my ills. I am off it, use tylenol only when necessary and use home remedies mostly. I no longer eat fast food, no shakes, no fries, (occasional burrito from taco bell, I just gotta) but that's it. My acid is gone, and I take ACV everyday with tea, honey, it's fantastic."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/12/2006: Peggi from Buena Park, CA writes: "My acid reflux kicked in about a year after I began taking Alleve for headaches related to jaw pain (TMJ). The acid reflux was formally diagnosed by medical tests and my doctor specifically asked if I had been taking ibuprofen or any pain relievers. When I mentioned taking Alleve, she advised that Alleve was probably the trigger for my gastro condition (GERD). Since then, my condition has worsened significantly and I am now taking prescription medicine morning and evening. I am ready to try the home remedy to get better relief."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/11/2006: Louise from Fairhope, AL writes: "I have taken Ibuprofen for about 20 years to deal with significant neck and shoulder pain caused from an auto accident when I was a child. It works wonderfully for the swelling which causes alot of pain. In the past few months, I have noticed a change in my digestion. Particularly surprising is that I have begun to have acid reflux symptoms, primarily nausea after eating, a "knot" in my stomach for hours after eating, and a frequent but mild burning in my belly after eating. I visited my Dr for what turns out to be chronic bronchitis and he asked me a series of questions about my digestion. He says I have acid reflux and that it may be decreasing the health and function of my lungs!! So he prescribed prevacid and I hit the internet looking for alternatives"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/11/2006: Cecil from Tyler, TX writes: "ibuprofen for arthritis and meniscus tear in knee gave me acid reflux."

[NAY]  11/10/2006: Faith from Bothell, WA writes: "I have taken Ibuprofen for YEARS for back and neck pain. I got clued in to the possibility of this causing or aggravating the situation through something I read on the internet. I don't however experience a real dramatic or seemingly direct correlation between the two. I have only had GERD symptoms for less than 1 year. I have also experience extremely painful esophageal spasms. I've been taking protonix (gave me severe stomach cramps), Famotidine (has started to give me the same problem), tums, Pepto Bismol, Maalox, Aloe Vera Juice. The Protonix made the sore throat that I'd had for a few months go away. The Famotidine did the same thing as long as I took it but a week or so after I stopped, everything was back. The Aloe Vera juice soothes my esophagus and with regular usage helps the burning pain."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/10/2006: CJ from Colorado writes: "The pain started after I began taking baby aspirin as ordered by MD"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/09/2006: Becky from Manchester, NH writes: "I have to comment on pain killers causing acid reflux. I never had an problems until I started taking Vicondin for a knee surgery. I took it for 10 weeks. The combination of the pain meds and laying down cause a lot of problems for me so the doctor gave me Nexium. That was 4 years ago and the problem has gotten worse. I mentioned to my doctor that I never had these problems until I took Vicondin and he assured me they were not related. I have to say I disagree. I use to take ACV and the acid reflux was better but I have stopped. I need to start taking ACV again to see if it helps."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/09/2006: Kevin from Aveley Essex England writes: "It was about a year ago that I was taking nurofen for the relief of sciatic pain 3x400mg tablets a day for a week, about 8 months later I have been having acid reflux problems,don't know if there is a link but after reading some of these letters , it certainly makes you think."