| Over-the counter heartburn drug could save consumers thousands
The over-the-counter drug omeprazole (Prilosec OTC) is just as effective in easing heartburn and acid reflux as costlier prescription medicines--and could save consumers up to $2,000 a year, according to an updated report from Consumer Reports' Best Buy Drugs initiative.
Prilosec OTC and prescription versions of similar drugs, such as lansoprazole (Prevacid) and esomeprazole (Nexium), belong to a class of drugs called proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). They are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the country, and manufacturers have put a great deal of marketing muscle into steering consumers to their brands. Nexium, for example, was the second-most advertised drug in 2005, with a $205 million direct-to-consumer ad campaign.
But according to the Consumer Reports' Best Buy Drugs report, none of the PPIs are significantly more effective than the others, with the only real difference being price.
Patient patients wanted
IF you suffer from Barrett's oesophagus you could help staff at Hereford County Hospital carry out a trial using aspirin. But you will need plenty of patience because it could last eight years. People with Barrett's oesophagus, better known as the food pipe, have stomach acid that rises causing frequent heartburn. The acid damages the cells in the lining of the oesophagus and in some cases they can turn cancerous. .
Heartburn Q & A
According to the British medical journal The Lancet, heartburn is pretty common. Twenty-five percent of Americans report experiencing heartburn at least once a month, 12 percent at least once per week and 5 percent daily. So what is heartburn? And what about gastroesophageal reflux disease? Well, here's a guide to provide a bit more understanding of that burning sensation in your chest.
Why is it called heartburn?
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Please Tell Britney Spears What is Going On In The Middle East
Recently I have been trying to keep up with current events. I have been watching the news on the television and reading the news in the newspapers and online. One thing that I have learned is that there are countless self proclaimed experts out there blogging, writing articles and commentating on television and on the internet all around the world. Imagine that this was medicine, heart surgery. A man suffers a heart attack. The man comes into the hospital. The expert in medicine, the doctor orders an angioplasty. He sees that one artery is 90% blocked. He cuts a tiny hole in the mans thigh and sends up a tiny microscope, inserts a stent, opens up the artery, sends the man home the next day with a prescription for blood thinners and the man is golfing the next week and lives another 20 years.
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