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Antacid abuse? When is it too much?
Digestive Health | Last Active: Jan 8, 2022 | Replies (33)Comment receiving replies
I just got a cortisone shot in left knee on Monday. Helping somewhat but at least I am ambulatory. Had both hips replaced when I was 56 and 57 years old. They are holding up well. Orthopedic surgeon told me a few years ago we would see each other in heaven with those hips. Sweet man. I had PT and OT in November to help me with balance from a left side weakened from infantile polio. Polio is a gastrointestinal virus and I often wonder about the connection between my gut and that day in August 1949. I had a SIBO test in November and was positive for that (methane and hydrogen). Flagyl helped, I think, but I got thrush from the medication. The less I put into my body that is not water or food, the better off I am. Can't avoid the medrol for R/A and b/p pill and the rest is vitamins. The Mag Oxide does me ok and I know not to take the citrate as when I was really really constipated, I drank liquid citrate which had explosive results. Frankly the best thing for constipation is an old fashioned enema bag with just plain warm water. But that's a story for another day. Plus I don't get the fact that Tums and their kin are peppermint flavored when mint is supposed to be an irritant. Mary Ellen
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Hi Mary Ellen
My husband and I were having this discussion the other day. While I find peppermint soothing after a meal, it sends his innards into a tizzy. So I found this article about peppermint and how it is good for some, and a night mare for others.
While peppermint can be a relaxant and an aid to digestion it can act as an irritant when higher up in the digestive tract for people who suffer from GERD.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/the-power-of-peppermint.aspx
“A study from 2011 published in Pain showed why peppermint might help people with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. The compounds in peppermint actually activate an anti-pain channel in the colon. This channel, called TRPM8, may reduce the pain linked to eating some spicy foods like mustard or chili, according to researchers. Since then, multiple studies have confirmed peppermint oil to be a beneficial treatment for IBS.
When Peppermint Won't Help
When it comes to digestive pain higher up in the digestive tract, such as heartburn due to GERD, peppermint might not be such a good idea. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, peppermint can actually relax the sphincter muscle which closes off the stomach from the esophagus. This can cause stomach acid to pour back into the esophagus and make heartburn or GERD worse.”