Another Off Topic Question About GERD And ACV (apple Cider Vinegar)

Q: Has anyone ever taken apple cider vinegar for acid reflux? I have heard ppl say that it really does work. I have been on prilosec for many years....still works but as we all know, things eventually don't work as good in the end as opposed in the beginning

A:Some people do use it, but I personally found it rather vile, and utterly non-helpful. Vinegar, as you probably know is acetic acid, and could very well irritate the esophagus as it was being swallowed - making it less than excellent for someone with chronic inflammation/esophagitis. Prilosec is certainly a very effective proton pump inhibitor (PPI) however it does have some interaction with some medications, particularly of note in this discussion group because it tends to cause a significant rise in the serum concentration of Xanax. I have been treated for esophageal reflux since 1986, and have tried every one of their drugs. It's my personal opinion that Prevacid and Nexium work the best, but that is probably somewhat of a YMMV thing. I recall that you were asking about ETOH beverages earlier

this week, and would highly recommend that you at least not consume alcohol within two hours of going to bed, as it tends to really make that whole situation much worse as it washes up into the esophagus. It's also felt by some that Xanax and drugs like it are not especially helpful to the chronic GERD sufferer, probably because they cause some relaxation of the cardiac sphincter. Unfortunately, that is not something that can easily be changed, or would even be necessarily desirable to change, but I think it's always good to be aware, in that it helps people notice things about their medicines and how they are affected by taking them at possibly different times, etc..