The People's Perspective on Medicine
How Does Baking Soda in Water Fight Swelling?
A dose of baking soda in water signals the spleen to produce anti-inflammatory immune cells. This may help reduce swelling.
Show 1224: What Is the Best Way to Manage Your Heartburn?
Learn the best way to manage your heartburn without relying too heavily on PPI drugs like Nexium or Prilosec. Does diet help?
How Can You Ease Heartburn Symptoms?
You don't have to take a PPI like omeprazole to ease heartburn symptoms. Other medications and some nondrug approaches can help.
What Are Downsides to New Secret Weapon for Heartburn?
We warn a reader to be wary of a secret weapon for heartburn. It turns out to be generic Nexium, and long-term use has potentially serious complications.
Could Famotidine Have a Surprising New Use?
A high-dose IV form of the heartburn medicine famotidine is being tested for a surprising new use. Scientists hope it will help against COVID-19.
Can You Relieve Heartburn With Vinegar?
Many people have found they can ease heartburn with vinegar. When will scientists study this remedy so we will know whether or how it works?
How a Little Girl Overcame Her Constipation
A mother describes how her young daughter overcame her constipation by following a diet full of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits.
Apple Cider Vinegar Is a Weird Remedy for Heartburn
Taking a spoonful or two of apple cider vinegar mixed in water is a popular remedy for heartburn. While not everyone finds it helpful, many people do.
Will Intermittent Fasting Give You Heartburn?
Some readers report that intermittent fasting reduces their symptoms of heartburn. For others, however, fasting triggers indigestion.
Show 1187: Are Supplements Really a Waste of Time?
Many people take supplements. A major review last summer concluded, though, that they are a waste of time for heart disease. Is that really true?
Show 1179: What Should You Do About Digestive Distress?
Listen to find out when your digestive distress might signal a serious problem and when you could manage it at home with simple remedies.
Could Soft Drinks Be Killing You?
A large European study found that people who usually had two soft drinks a day were more likely to die prematurely than those who had less than one a month.
Must You Take Acid Blockers For the Rest of Your Life?
Some people need acid-suppressing drugs forever. That would include those with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. But not everyone needs acid blockers for life.
Do PPI-Type Acid-Suppressing Drugs Cause Allergies?
A new study from Austria suggests that acid-suppressing drugs cause allergies such as hives. There are even elegant explanations why it could be true.
Thyroid Trouble Was Behind Stomach Problems
A reader describes how effective treatment for hypothyroidism reversed low stomach acid and overcame stomach problems and Barrett's esophagus.
PPIs are Safe! New Study Contradicts Prior Research
PPI confusion continues. One week a study suggests that long-term use of PPIs is linked to serious adverse events. Now we are told PPIs are safe! What's up?
Why Popular Heartburn Drugs PPIs Are Linked to Premature Deaths
Acid-suppressing drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are go-to drugs for heartburn. Should you be concerned that PPIs are linked to premature deaths?
Can You Get Off a PPI Without Suffering Heartburn?
One reader found a way to get off a PPI without withdrawal symptoms: Eat just one low-carb meal a day to reduce discomfort.
Falling Asleep with Zolpidem | Waking up with Heartburn
Millions of people have insomnia. Many try falling asleep with zolpidem. But the drug can cause indigestion. Waking up with heartburn at night is not nice.
Doctors Deny That PPIs Can Cause Kidney Damage
PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) are great at suppressing acid, relieving heartburn and healing ulcers. But evidence suggests PPIs can cause kidney damage.