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Author "Reflux Suppressant" was: Re: lansoprazole causing reflux or coughing?
jmc

2006-03-22, 1:31 pm

Suddenly, without warning, Howard McCollister exclaimed (3/15/2006 4:38 AM):
> "jmc" <NOnewsgroupsSPAM@NOjodiBODY.HOMEus> wrote in message
> news:47osqrFgru6tU1@individual.net...
>
> Lansoprazole, doesn't stop reflux. There is no medication that stops reflux.
>
> HMc
>
>
>

Howard:

Interestingly enough, I picked up a product at the chemist today (UK)
that calls itself a "reflux suppressant". It's a really thick
suspension. Active ingredients: sodium alginate Ph Eur 1000mg and
potassium bicarbonate Ph Eur 200mg. Has calcium carbonate and some
other stuff as well. The package says "[it]forms a protective layer
that floats on top of the stomach contents. This layer prevents reflux
and keeps the stomach contents away from the lining of the food pipe."
Says it's good for controlling hiatus hernia symptoms...

This is a well-know, respected brand in the UK, the product is called
Gaviscon Advance - it a pharmacy only med (here, there's three types of
meds - OTC, pharmacist only, and prescription).

I'm wondering what you think of the product's claims?

jodi
Howard McCollister

2006-03-22, 1:31 pm


"jmc" <NOnewsgroupsSPAM@NOjodiBODY.HOMEus> wrote in message
news:47r1c4Fh20agU1@individual.net...
> Suddenly, without warning, Howard McCollister exclaimed (3/15/2006 4:38
> AM):
> Howard:
>
> Interestingly enough, I picked up a product at the chemist today (UK) that
> calls itself a "reflux suppressant". It's a really thick suspension.
> Active ingredients: sodium alginate Ph Eur 1000mg and potassium
> bicarbonate Ph Eur 200mg. Has calcium carbonate and some other stuff as
> well. The package says "[it]forms a protective layer that floats on top
> of the stomach contents. This layer prevents reflux and keeps the stomach
> contents away from the lining of the food pipe." Says it's good for
> controlling hiatus hernia symptoms...
>
> This is a well-know, respected brand in the UK, the product is called
> Gaviscon Advance - it a pharmacy only med (here, there's three types of
> meds - OTC, pharmacist only, and prescription).
>
> I'm wondering what you think of the product's claims?
>


Gaviscon has been around for many years. It's function is as described, but
it acts and an antacid that neutralizes acid before it can come into contact
with the esophageal lining. It doesn't stop reflux, just neutralizes the
acid that IS refluxed. Gastric contents can still get up the esophagus and
into the posterior pharynx. Anything that hits the vocal cords can cause
coughing.

HMc



Howard McCollister

2006-03-22, 1:31 pm


"jmc" <NOnewsgroupsSPAM@NOjodiBODY.HOMEus> wrote in message
news:47rfkbFh4844U1@individual.net...
> Suddenly, without warning, Howard McCollister exclaimed (3/15/2006 6:42
> PM):
> Well, the Gaviscon Advance is new. I don't have some old gaviscon handy
> to compare ingredients, just assumed (after talking to the pharmacist)
> that this was indeed something new and different. At any rate, I think
> it's working.
>
> I know the old stuff just neutralized. This stuff says it does more, but
> I'm unfamiliar with the UK laws concerning truth in advertising...
>
> Is Gaviscon available in the States? I don't remember seeing it there.
> Before I got on prescription meds, I always found it worked better than
> malox or the other US antacids.
>
> jmc


Yes, still available. As I've said - whatever works in controlling symptoms.

HMc




Pete

2006-03-22, 1:31 pm

Howard McCollister wrote:
> "jmc" <NOnewsgroupsSPAM@NOjodiBODY.HOMEus> wrote in message
> news:47r1c4Fh20agU1@individual.net...
>
> Gaviscon has been around for many years. It's function is as
> described, but it acts and an antacid that neutralizes acid before it
> can come into contact with the esophageal lining. It doesn't stop
> reflux, just neutralizes the acid that IS refluxed. Gastric contents
> can still get up the esophagus and into the posterior pharynx.
> Anything that hits the vocal cords can cause coughing.
>
> HMc


Howard...I was going to comment on this, but decided not to. I follow your
posts in here and in sci.med, and I have been quite active in here in the
last six weeks or so, as I'm sure you know (let me change that to "I know
you know").

IMO, you are a very dedicated doctor (volunteering your time and knowledge
to this ng and the sci med ng), and I have continually praised you for this.

One major problem with newsgroups is that you have to continually say the
same thing over and over (you do it, and I do it - all the time), not only
to new people who may have just joined (and didn't search previous posts),
but also to existing people who have been reading your (and my) posts, but
perhaps what we said just didn't sink in, or they just chose not to pay any
attention to it.

I would like to have a dollar for every time you said that drugs only change
the nature of the refluxate, and do not effect the reflux mechanism, and
that GERD is a surgical disease. And I would like to have the same dollar
for all my posts about the H2 blockers versus the PPI's :-) .

So let me ask you, at what point do you become uninterested because of the
repetition, and quit...Pete


Howard McCollister

2006-03-22, 1:31 pm


"Pete" <pete@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:121ha6mbu2ogj86@corp.supernews.com...
>
> So let me ask you, at what point do you become uninterested because of the
> repetition, and quit...Pete


Medicine's a tricky landscape, and people get lot of bad information -- from
their friends, from the internet, and sometimes from their doctors. I post
here and sci.med about things where I have some expertise just doing my
little part to try to counter some of that. I find the whole process
fascinating, and I'm always interested in understanding what people think
about medical subjects and why. Sometimes it's outrageous, sometimes
pathetic, sometimes even accurate, but it's always interesting.

HMc



Pete

2006-03-22, 1:31 pm

Howard McCollister wrote:
> "Pete" <pete@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:121ha6mbu2ogj86@corp.supernews.com...
>
> Medicine's a tricky landscape, and people get lot of bad information
> -- from their friends, from the internet, and sometimes from their
> doctors. I post here and sci.med about things where I have some
> expertise just doing my little part to try to counter some of that. I
> find the whole process fascinating, and I'm always interested in
> understanding what people think about medical subjects and why.
> Sometimes it's outrageous, sometimes pathetic, sometimes even
> accurate, but it's always interesting.
> HMc


Let me ask again Howard...are you saying you don't mind saying the same
"kinds" of things over and over (I gave you examples - ie about the nature
of the refluxate versus the reflux mechanism). It would seem to me that
after a while you would lose interest.

Let me give you another example. The guy named "Bill" [hell of a nice guy -
I still haven't called him yet :-)], who was against surgery (like me) and
was the ginger juice advocate, and also posted the H. pylori articles. He
and I went through several exchanges and now it is over. So does he sit
back and relax now, or does he repost every month or so about the ginger
juice and raised bed.

I think you see my point. That is great that you "find the whole process
fascinating", but it seems to me that the repetition (of you stating your
case to new posters, and even previous posters) would eventually get to you.
No??

Pete


Howard McCollister

2006-03-22, 1:31 pm


"Pete" <pete@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:121hf7mbcmens74@corp.supernews.com...
> Howard McCollister wrote:
>
> Let me ask again Howard...are you saying you don't mind saying the same
> "kinds" of things over and over (I gave you examples - ie about the nature
> of the refluxate versus the reflux mechanism). It would seem to me that
> after a while you would lose interest.
>
> Let me give you another example. The guy named "Bill" [hell of a nice
> guy - I still haven't called him yet :-)], who was against surgery (like
> me) and was the ginger juice advocate, and also posted the H. pylori
> articles. He and I went through several exchanges and now it is over. So
> does he sit back and relax now, or does he repost every month or so about
> the ginger juice and raised bed.
>
> I think you see my point. That is great that you "find the whole process
> fascinating", but it seems to me that the repetition (of you stating your
> case to new posters, and even previous posters) would eventually get to
> you. No??
>


Nah. It doesn't bother me.

HMc



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