Could this be the real reason you can’t seem to get rid of that heartburn?

The hidden cause of heartburn your doctor is missing

It can be a real vicious cycle…taking more and more antacids and heartburn drugs but not getting any relief.

But now we may have discovered why.

You see, your doctor might be trying to fix the wrong thing.

So you’re chugging down Tums and popping Prevacid, cutting out onions, and giving up your scotch. But the real culprit could be something else you’re taking.

You are getting sleepy…

I know you’ve heard these stories about people on sleep drugs. They do some crazy things like driving in their sleep, or even sleep-cooking and sleep-eating (what the drug companies call “complex behaviors”).

So if you haven’t found enough reason yet to toss out these pills, how about that they could be causing your severe acid reflux and constant heartburn? Or maybe an increased risk of cancer of the esophagus?

When you’re under the influence of these “hypnotics” (yes…that’s what they’re called), a good night’s sleep can suddenly turn dangerous.

A study done at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia found that people taking the drug zolpidem (you know them as Ambien and Intermezzo) didn’t swallow enough during sleep to neutralize stomach acid. And for those who already had GERD, it made their condition even worse.

One of the researchers said that swallowing “protects your esophagus” because it offsets the acid with saliva. But when you’ve drugged yourself to sleep, you lose that natural reflex that helps buffer stomach acid.

Researchers called it a “warning” and said that sleeping pills can cause “serious levels of acid reflux…without detection.” They also said that doctors need to “use caution” prescribing these drugs to GERD patients.

And lots of people who never had GERD in their entire life get it for the very first time when they start using hypnotics. For some that happens right away, while for others it can show up after a year or more of taking the drugs.

But the good news is: As soon as they stop taking these sleeping pills, their heartburn problems go away completely.

Experts call this a common and often “unrecognized” side effect from prescription sleeping pills.

And then there are the “benzo” drugs.

These are used to treat anxiety or also to help you sleep (the best known are Valium and Xanax).

They trigger GERD by causing that muscle at the top of your esophagus to weaken and relax, giving all that acid a free pass out of your stomach.

Keep in mind that constant heartburn can lead to something really serious…way beyond the annoyance. So work with your doctor to get off of any drugs that may be putting you at risk.

Sources:
“Zolpidem (Ambien) side effects & heartburn” People’s Pharmacy, peoplespharmacy.com

“Sleeping pills make acid reflux worse, study says” health.com