The drugs listed above are the common anti acids prescribed for the above illnesses. They are designed to inhibit gastric acid secretion.

     I fear the answer to the next burning question; how many have experienced the following symptoms, as a result of taking zantac, pepcid, or prilosec?

     After zantac you may have some sleeplessness, confusion, and nausea. After pepcid, you may experience Headaches, dizziness, anxiety, seizure, depression, insomnia, and even orbital edema.  

     Some adverse effects of Prilosec, is rash, convulsions, and respiratory depression. There are much more to the list of adverse reactions, however this should be enough to get your attention.

     This article  is not an anti-anti- acid campaign, nor is it an anti- pepcid campaign , but this offers an opportunity for all of us to take a closer look and answer a more important  question what can we do to move  this high percentage of our population toward feeling better?

     Trudy Winthrop, a Registered Nurse who worked as a Health Care Educator, in a Hospital setting, has agreed to share her professional expertise, as well as personal experiences to assist us in learning more about these prevalent conditions that she describes as a serious acidic health enemy.

     In 2007 Trudy was diagnosed with Gastric Esophageal Reflux disease, also known as GERD.  She went through an unexpected job loss, and had failed to stock her medicine cabinet with a supply of pepcid. The pepcid tablet happened to have been what her Doctor ordered, and it became her drug of choice, for the treatment of her GERD symptoms, as she belched and burped around in her surroundings.

        Digestion is, (as defined by Ms. Winthrop), is a mechanical process beginning with the ingestion of food into the mouth. The chewing of the food starts our digestive process.  Our food then mixes with saliva, and we swallow the food and it passes through the esophagus into the stomach. When it reaches the stomach there are acids and enzymes in the mucous that is there primarily to aid us in the digestive process. GERD interferes with the digestive process. The victim has excess secretory acid  juices, and  the excess acid creates a backflow of the gastric juices from the distal end of the esophagus. (the esophagus is the long tube that connects the throat and the stomach.) This continuous backflow of the gastric juices then causes a burning sensation at the base of the breast bone, which accounts for the uncomfortable feeling of needing to belch. After belching, you may feel some relief momentarily but very soon you feel the need to belch again.  This back flow of gastric fluid over time causes erosion and harm to the lining of the esophagus, and causes it to narrow. Patients are given antacids. The ant acid may or may not relieve their symptom, depending upon the severity of an individual’s case. Ant acids will do nothing regarding treatment, they merely minimize the symptoms.

     The pharmaceutical industry continue to produce, and our Medical Doctors continue to provide those who experience the symptoms of GERD and other gastric illnesses with anti acids Many of the anti-acids can be purchased across the counter, and others are given only by subscription.  The cause of GERD is rarely addressed as the industry feels comfortable with the band-aid effect, which is relieving the symptoms.

      Ms,Winthrop believes that the Alternative Professionals have better insight  as well as a better treatment plan regarding  these conditions. Alternatives  methods of treatment work exceptionally well. She says that the alternative methods do more than work well they often heal.  If this is accurate, then why aren’t we healing people of these annoying conditions?

     Ms. Winthrop goes on to share an experience which occurred as a result of the company for which she worked, down sized, and she was suddenly without a job. One month later she was out of health insurance. One day she entered this crowded drugstore trying to fill a prescription for the purchase of pepcid. She recalls how she waited for the Pharmacist to call her name. She thought about the $30.00 that she had in her wallet. That should cover the cost. After all Pepcid is a very small pill. She tried to anticipate the change that she would receive. She was between jobs and wanted to be able to take her time and find a job that was appealing. She had to stretch her money. She heard her name called followed up by the statement, that will be $120.00. Mrs. Winthrop remembers gasping in disbelief, and thinking that the pharmacist must have made a mistake.  She knew that pepcid was a very small tablet, so how could it be so costly? The Pharmacist must surely have made a mistake. That will be $120.00, she heard the Pharmacist repeat himself. She remembers saying Oh no, as her voice trickled into silence. We may be health care professionals, but we rarely think of the cost of the medicines that we are taking. Everyone in the drugstore now begin to look in her direction. It was still silent. The pharmacist broke the silence and informed her that she did not have to buy all thirty tablets, and he asked her how many of the pills that she wanted and she told him two. The Pharmacist looked in disbelief. She held up two fingers and repeated two. She then spelled the word t-w-o     The Pharmacist looked at her with wondering eyes, and unbelieving ears. Neither the two fingers nor the spelling of the word two proved to be more convincing. He continued to look at her.

     The remaining consumers all joined in and started talking about the cost of their prescriptions. It was shocking. Who decides the value, and the cost of a pill, a capsule? The majority of us are not aware of the cost of the drugs that we are taking, and we are unaware of the procedure that is used by the industry to evaluate a drug’s worth.

     Mrs. Winthrop specifically remembers the well meaning consumer who spoke so seriously regarding the fact that if her Doctor had ordered it for her, then she must need it. The consumer went on to say that   if there is anything that you should not do, you should not deny yourself of anything that the Doctor orders. We must always remember that health is of the utmost importance.

      She thanked the consumer for her concern, and reflected upon the depth of trust that the public have in Doctors.

The alternative medicine was not embraced by the public during this time. The Medical Doctors were the only ones standing upon the health care pedestal. The medical model handles emergency medical conditions well; however prevention and long term care practices are lacking.

    Trudy Winthrop purchased the two pepcid tablets from the pharmacist that day and bolted out of that drugstore. She took those pepcids as her her symptoms persists, however, but she vowed that she may return to this drugstore to shop, but it would not be to purchase pepcid!  Who wants to spend $120.00 per month for one kind of pill, and for how long would this need continue?

      Those two tablets of pepcid would be the last that she would ever need.

 Trudy Winthrop searched her business card file for this alternative Doctor that she had received dozens of positive reports regarding her alternative methods with many s success stories.

                 Ms Winthrop entered Dr Witherspoon, the alternative practitioner’s office not knowing what to expect. Dr Witherspoon began her examination. She began by testing her for allergies.  A stress test was given, merely by the patient talking into a microphone. The patient answered questions by responding at length to specific questions. The computer recorded the responses as the affected the patient emotionally.

     After the response segment, you are then ready for the physical component.

Dr. Witherspoon scans every part of the body based upon the symptoms that person may be exhibiting, emotionally and physically. At the completion, you sit with the Doctor, and she shares an analyses of the results.

         She then informs you of what is required of you to heal yourself. They stress the importance of wanting healing and sticking to the directives to accomplish the healing.  

     Patients must be willing to follow prescribed supplementation. The supplements included vitamins, minerals and digestive enzymes. The digestive enzymes dosage would vary, based

upon the fat content of the foods that one consumed. Ms. Winthrop followed Dr. Witherspoon’s   instructions which required her to eliminate all sugars, and eat only organic foods. The importance of including several portions of leafy green vegetables in her daily diet was encouraged.  

     She felt better almost immediately. The burning sensation and feeling of belching disappeared. She could not believe the difference in the way she felt those uncomfortable symptoms were all gone.  After following the diet change for approximately one month she noticed that the feeling of needing to belch did not return. She was healed!

Ms.Winthrop is convinced the alternative experts have faced this challenge in a more positive way.  They identified the challenge and  sought ways  to get to the cause by supplying her with digestive enzymes, changing the kind of foods that she  was eating, changing  poor eating habits and teaching us that “we really are, what we eat.”  The digestive enzymes prevented the excessive secretion of gastric juices, thereby eliminating the back flow. There was not a constant acid wash to the distal end of the esophagus, so healing took place.

          In addition to Dr Witherspoon, she gets great health lessons from another one of her teachers, a Dr. Bob Marshall, PHD who says that we are starving. Our diet is so pathetic and we are not getting what the body need from our food. We have no choice but to supplement. Marshall says that unfortunately the supplementation is not equal. We must take a supplement of digestive enzymes to assist us in the digestive process. If we do not take the digestive enzymes we will hoard food. The food then rots bloat our body, as we fill with gas as a result of this rotted food.  We are not able to digest appropriately. It is because we have difficulty with digesting our food. We require those digestive enzymes to aid us in the digestive process.

 He emphasizes the fact that, the chosen supplementation must be from a live source.

      We are not getting the best from our food. We were made to consume raw foods however we have to cook the majority of our foods to help us get rid of disease causing bacteria. Our growth procedures are very poor. We have used gross amounts of pesticides which have

affected the food. The nutrient and mineral content of our food has had a steady decline in quality. As a result of this decline, our bodies does not receive what it needs from the food, therefore we are not in the best state of health.

     The pharmacist, who initially gave Ms. Winthrop the price of $120.00 dollars for the pepcid, would always greet her when she entered the drug store.  He would smile and ask the same question. That would be thirty pepcids right? And and she continues to respond emphatically, No more pepcid Please!