Source
r/askscience•
Differentiate

Is it true that antacids actually prevent your esophageal sphincter and/or pyloric valve from closing thereby exacerbating acid reflux/heartburn/gastritis? [medical]

According to a few sources I've found online antacids merely mask the symptoms of acid reflux/heartburn/gastritis instead of addressing the actual cause, which these sources claim is actually too low stomach acidity instead of the conventionally accepted wisdom/advertisements that insist that it's a result of too much or too high stomach acidity.

I have been looking for some quantifiable science to back up this claim Why Antacids Will Never Cure Your Heartburn but I can't seem to find more reliable sources. I would appreciate any expertise on this medical subject.

If this is the case, then would Apple Cider Vinegar be a logical remedy to take on a daily basis to close the esophageal sphincter and pyloric valve by safely increasing the stomach's acidity so that the stomach acid/intestinal bile doesn't persist in causing stomach irritation/gastritis?

Posted Aug 21, 2011, 3:53 AM UTC · edited

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mobilehypoMedical Laboratory Science•

You know, I have a real hard time answering this just due to the fact you truly are questioning how drugs that have been on the market for exceedingly long periods of time (especially stuff like sodium bicarbonate which has been around forever) due to something you read on a webpage who's address is www.natural*bias*.com. I think this is a pretty good teaching moment here. You look at your source, you can't find anything the back the statement up, which disagrees with the vast amount of medical information available to consumers out there. My question to you is why do you feel you still need to ask?

No, it's not true. Antacids lower the pH of your stomach, the main issue is if you take too many you can end up in metabolic alkalosis or just making your stomach produce too much acid.

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DifferentiateOP•

Sigh that's what I was thinking, you're right I should know better. I guess I just needed to hear I was off base. Thank you.

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mobilehypoMedical Laboratory Science•

It's all good. I just wanted for you to have confidence in your deductive skills. Just because you're not a scientist doesn't mean anything, you are just as qualified to judge the information you get and the sources you get it from as I am.

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i8beef•

So why does Apple Cider Vinegar work then? I'm not saying that lowering the pH in the stomach doesn't help, perhaps in a different way, but apple cider vinegar clears my heartburn in under a minute, and this explanation of why it works certainly seems logical. Is it just a matter of working in a different manner?

I know from the research I've done, not a whole lot was out there in the scientific community regarding this cure... but I, and several others I know, have used it to manage heartburn outbreaks successfully for a long time.

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mobilehypoMedical Laboratory Science•

I can't answer this because there hasn't been a single study done on it that is available on PubMed. The only research that has been done is in connection with diabetes, cholesterol, and weight loss.

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AnatomyGuyInternal Medicine•

Anectdotaly, It does in fact work and I have suggested it to patients.. It worked for my mother after PPI's failed. I have not a clue how it works though. It has worked for some 30-40ish% of patients who failed all other treatments (again, anectdotaly). Forgive me for being an ignorant rube and not knowing how to spell anectdotaly.

Edit - I've never suggested it to my patients unless they have failed all conventional treatment. H2 blockers, PPIs, elevating head of bed, avoid caffeine, choco, alcohol, etc.

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i8beef•

I'm no expert, but I am a frequent sufferer of heartburn. I have heard this a lot, and it makes sense logically, but I'm no doctor. I know there's not a lot of studies (that I've found) that support the apple cider vinegar cure.

That said: it freaking works like a charm for me, eliminating heartburn within seconds. The explanation of how it works seems to make logical sense, but I have no idea if the mechanism is as you have described, or some other reason.

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DifferentiateOP•

Yeah, I've really only heard anecdotal evidence for it, if any. If there isn't any actual evidence or current studies to support it, then I wonder if perhaps it's merely a placebo effect or if perhaps a newer study could possibly be initiated to put these either legitimate concerns or erroneous rumors at bay...until then, thanks for your anecdotal experience, glad that you found something that works!

EDIT: Could it be possible that both antacids and something like Apple Cider Vinegar could work? Perhaps the solution is not mutually exclusive?

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i8beef•

It definitely works for me, that's all I know. Cure is instant and lasting.

I have mixed them (usually try tums, zantac, etc. and then I just say screw it and drink some vinegar, and it goes away instantly), other times I go straight to the vinegar. I don't recall noticing any difference between the two situations when I try it.

Just LOGICALLY with no medical training? Maybe the acidic vinegar just hitting the valve causes an immediate contraction that stops heart burn instantly, and the regular antacids can lower the pH in the stomach at the same time...

I know my girlfriend and my mom both have herniated valves or something like that which cause the valve not to close correctly all the time (and it's genetic... I should probably go get checked at some point given my heartburn). Perhaps this works for me because my heart burn IS caused in this manner. Perhaps there are multiple causes of heartburn. I don't know, I just know what works for me (and it took a lot of experimenting to get there).

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jprawnInternal Medicine | Hematology/Oncology•

It's nonsense. I'm not sure which sources you're using, but try NIH.

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