Heartburn

Q. I was interested in your column about the person who used yellow mustard for indigestion. I want to provide some positive feedback: I tried the mustard remedy for indigestion over the past couple of days and am amazed and delighted that it works. A. We thank the reader who suggested a teaspoon of yellow mustard for heartburn. Apparently the yellow coloring, turmeric, has long been used for digestive disorders. You are not the only one who remarked on this home remedy: "I was fascinated to read that someone else takes yellow mustard for heartburn.

Amid the tangle of slow-moving traffic, barbecue and purple jerseys that was Sunday's Baltimore Ravens tailgate party, Larry the Cable Guy, the working man's comedian, was talking food — and how to ease that ubiquitous heartburn pain. The funny-man and former radio host was in Baltimore to promote Prilosec OTC, an over-the-counter heartburn reliever. Clad in a Ravens jersey and his trademark camouflage trucker hat, Larry (real name: Daniel Lawrence Whitney) professed his love for all things greasy and saucy — and Baltimore.

Nothing seems to help my heartburn. I stopped drinking coffee, have used antacids for a long time, and have even tried the drugs advertised for heartburn that are now available without a prescription.Heartburn is caused by the backflow (reflux) of stomach contents, primarily gastric acid, which irritate the lining of the esophagus. It is important to control reflux, not only to stop the heartburn, but to prevent other complications of the disorder.These can include chronic inflammation, ulceration and even narrowing of the esophagus as a result of the chronic irritation from gastric contents.

Larry the Cable Guy's done some tailgating in his day. Naturally, he's got some advice to offer. "First off," says Larry, who will be at M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday to tailgate with Ravens fans as part of a promotion for Prilosec OTC heartburn medicine, "you always wait about an hour before you lick the grill. That's always a priority. " Wise words, indeed. Anything else? Larry thinks for a moment. "You know it's a good tailgate," he offers, "when you actually miss the game.

Q. Please tell me what you think of using baking soda for heartburn or other stomach problems. It seems to work for me, but does it do any harm? I use half a teaspoon every now and then. A. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has been used in Alka-Seltzer for decades to relieve indigestion. It neutralizes stomach acid. You can get the benefit by putting a level 1/2 teaspoon in 4 ounces of water. Occasional use should not be a problem, but the sodium in baking soda could be dangerous for people on low-salt diets.

Do you have any inexpensive suggestions for treating heartburn? My son suffers from reflux, especially after eating. He has no insurance, so he cannot afford drugs like Nexium or Prevacid. His doctor says that it's not a heart problem or anything serious, but it causes him discomfort. Researchers have known for almost 30 years that stimulating saliva production by chewing gum or sucking on a lozenge can relieve heartburn. Saliva rinses the esophagus and buffers acid that has splashed out of the stomach.

Q: For several months I have been troubled with heartburn almost every day. What causes it and what can I do to get rid of it?A: Your problem is a very common one. About a third of the population in this country suffers from heartburn at least once a month, and more than one in 20 has heartburn every day. Heartburn is a daily occurrence in about 25 percent of women during the early months of pregnancy.Heartburn is caused by irritation of the esophagus resulting from the back flow (reflux)

STEPHEN Kaminski used to wake up at night feeling as if his chest had caught fire. The pain wasn't "like someone had put a knife into you, but it would definitely keep you awake," said the 32-year-old Abingdon resident. "I'd be tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable."Taking an antacid often relieved the sensation, which usually occurred after Mr. Kaminski ate spicy foods or drank beer. But after the condition persisted, he finally consulted a doctor about it four years ago. He's now taking two prescription medications to control his heartburn, but finds that pain still wakes him up every couple of months.

Stephen Kaminski used to wake up at night feeling as if his chest had caught fire. The pain wasn't "like someone had put a knife into you, but it would definitely keep you awake," said the 32-year-old Abingdon resident. "I'd be tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable."Taking an antacid often relieved the sensation, which usually occurred after Mr. Kaminski ate spicy foods or drank beer. But after the condition persisted, he finally consulted a doctor about it four years ago. He's now taking two prescription medications to control his heartburn, but finds that pain still wakes him up every couple of months.

When a recent study found that a popular class of heartburn drugs might weaken bones, Dorothea E. Kilner was alarmed, but not just because her medication could contribute to a hip fracture. For Kilner and the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic heartburn, the greater threat may be losing access to prescription drugs such as Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix and Nexium. They're far more effective than earlier generations of heartburn medication, according to doctors and to patients who rely on them for relief.

Ed Fishel is a year and three months from retirement. Ask him if he noticed that the stock market plunged last week, and the Monkton man will laugh incredulously. "Are you kidding me?" he said Friday, less than 24 hours after stock-market indexes turned in their biggest one-day drop since the financial crisis. "For somebody like me, who's butting up against their retirement, yes — it's pretty much all we talk about. … This is scary as heck. " Local brokers fielded nervous calls from clients last week.

A reader of our Picture of Health blog asked recently how to distinguish the symptoms of heartburn from the symptoms of a heart attack. It turns out to be harder than you might think. Dr. Richard A. Desi, a gastroenterologist at the Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, discussed how to tell the difference. "That's actually not a very easy question," Desi said. "It's a difficult question for patients and for doctors." One key, he said, is to look for what are considered the classic symptoms of each.

We gave our 6-year-old daughter a heartburn medicine, cimetidine, for her warts. It's amazing! After months of visits to the dermatologist, the warts on the back of her hand are gone. She had up to 40 big and tiny warts, and they were starting to spread to her wrist and other hand. Finally, we gave her cimetidine daily for eight weeks, and they just disappeared. The cimetidine (Tagamet) "cure" for warts was first written about in the early 1990s. This was an unusual use; Tagamet was a popular prescription drug for ulcers at that time.

Presenting the debut tabloid edition of sports media notes while wondering when we're going to see the Bart Scott-tossed penalty flag show up on eBay: With the Ravens playing on Sunday Night Football this weekend, NBC's John Madden was kind enough to answer a few questions. On how the Ravens' tough loss Monday will affect the rest of their season: "Had they won, it would have energized them for the rest of the season. ... They'd still be on an emotional high. ... If they lose it, it's going to be tough."

I saw part of a news story on TV that said people who take Nexium (and similar drugs) for a year or more are at greater risk of bone-density loss and have more bone fractures. I have been taking Nexium for heartburn for almost a year and a half. I have had a knee replacement and a total hip replacement. I did not get the details of who did the study and how. I want to ask my gastroenterologist if I can stop taking Nexium, but I would like to be able to give him some details. Can you supply them?

When a recent study found that a popular class of heartburn drugs might weaken bones, Dorothea E. Kilner was alarmed, but not just because her medication could contribute to a hip fracture. For Kilner and the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic heartburn, the greater threat may be losing access to prescription drugs such as Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix and Nexium. They're far more effective than earlier generations of heartburn medication, according to doctors and to patients who rely on them for relief.

Heartburn, that almost quintessential American medical malady, appears to be driving the nation's fastest-increasing type of cancer. And the antacids used to ease the symptoms could, in some cases, do more harm than good. The cancer, a type of esophageal disease called adenocarcinoma, is relatively rare. However, incidence has jumped sixfold in the past 30 years. No one knows exactly why esophageal cancer is on the rise, but experts say heartburn is the natural suspect. About 60 million Americans have occasional symptoms of heartburn -- a burning feeling in the chest, regurgitation and nausea.

For Liz Abate, choosing a new medical treatment without much of a track record was not as scary as the way she was living. Abate suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease, better known as GERD. The Towson resident had to sleep sitting up because of severe heartburn. And not keeping food down was a common problem at all times of the day. She took medicine and followed a strict diet of eating little or no fried, spicy or acidic foods. And she made sure she ate early in the evening, well before she went to bed. But instead of medication and lifestyle changes helping, her problem worsened.

Risk found in heartburn drugs Older people who take heartburn drugs, such as Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid and Protonix, for long periods have an increased risk of hip fractures, possibly because the drugs block calcium absorption, Pennsylvania researchers reported today.

Older people who take heartburn drugs such as Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid and Protonix for long periods have a significantly increased risk of hip fractures, possibly because the drugs block calcium absorption, Pennsylvania researchers reported today. The drugs, which block production of acid in the stomach, are among the most widely used in the United States, with combined annual sales of more than $10 billion. "The perception is that the drugs are completely safe, and doctors dispense them without thinking too much about the risks and the benefits," said Dr. Yu-Xiao Yang of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, who led the study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.