Quote:
Originally Posted by Simplex3
On a more serious note, WTF is with us that we think we require a pill for every damned thing in the world? How many friggin' drugs do you people take?
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I know I touched on this in a previous post, but I thought I might expand a little on it.
Believe me when I say that if it weren't for these types of pills - PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) - I would be in pain all of the time. I would also have to seriously and extremely limit my diet. I used to go through Tums like they were candy. Those worked a little bit but nowhere close to stopping the pain of acid reflux. Then they came out in about the mid 90s with medicines like Pepcid AC and Tagament. Those worked better than Tums or Rolaids, but still didn't completely stop the effects of acid reflux.
I finally visited the doctor several years ago about my problem. His initial diagnosis was that I have acid reflux disease. After seeing a gastrointestinal specialist, they had me come in to have the scope down my throat to get a look at my esophagus and get a biopsy. That verified that I do, in fact, have acid reflux disease (or GERD -Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - if you prefer the technical term).
My condition was rated a 5 on a scale of 1-10. Knowing how much pain and suffering I went through, I can't imagine how some folks even lived with this condition if they were higher on that scale. It is wonderful to be able to take a pill once a day and not have to worry about it any longer. Yes, it is expensive (I am lucky that my insurance covers about 70% of the cost), but well worth it. Believe me when I say that I have never been one to think all kinds of medications are necessary. But this particular one is a lifesaver.
Edit: Also, they say there is a small percentage of people that have this disease that can contract Barret's esophagus (cancer of the esophagus) if left untreated.