Dr. Eisner Answers Your Questions About Acid Reflux

Can Ultram cause or worsen symptoms of GERD?   Ultram is a centrally acting pain relief medication that is commonly taken for chronic pain conditions, specifically back pain and arthritis. Ultram has many adverse effects, including gastrointestinal side effects of nausea, vomiting and constipation. These occur in 5-15% of patients taking Ultram. The effects are due to Ultram's decrease in gastrointestinal motility, slowing down... Complete news...

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Reflux -- Better or Just New?

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Reflux -- Better or Just New?
"A chance to cut is a chance to cure" - This is an adage that surgeons have lived with for generations. But that may be changing.   Surgeons at Ohio State University have performed a new, incisionless operation to stop gastroesophageal reflux disease. The procedure (Esophyx) involves tightening the valve at the bottom of the swallowing tube to prevent the flow of stomach contents where it doesn't belong. And all...

GERD Parenting Sins Part 1: Spoiling the Baby

GERD Parenting Sins Part 1: Spoiling the Baby
Let me start by saying, I have committed all of the GERD Parenting Sins....I rocked my reflux baby to sleep and let her come in my bed even though others told me that I was spoiling the baby and setting myself up for a severe and long term sleep issue. I let me reflux baby eat on demand 24/7 even though that was considered way too often. I even resorted to “waitress syndrome” and made my toddler customized meals at a moments notice...

GERD Parenting Sins Part 2: The Picky Eater

Last week in my blog, I admitted that I had committed all of the GERD parenting sin. Please understand that the GERD Parenting Sins are a humorous look at the real lives of real parents doing their best every day and night to care for a baby or toddler with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. We know that each day brings new, overwhelming challenges and worries and yet we somehow manage to get out of bed every day and meet the challenges... Complete news...

Reglan: New Warnings from the FDA

Reglan: New Warnings from the FDA
The FDA has issued a new warning about the use of Reglan or Metaclopramide, a medication that may be used to treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and related conditions. There has been ongoing concern about the side effects of Reglan. Some children and adults experience Tardive Dyskinesia including tremors and involuntary movements. The new warnings offer more specific information on how the medication should be used. If you are a...

Another cup of "Joe?"

I found it interesting that this month that the ENTIRE issue of Delta Airline's Sky Magazine is devoted to our fascination with coffee. Everything from caffeinated lip balm to the world's great java-related destinations are covered. But if you are living with acid reflux disease should coffee really be the drink of choice?   Researchers at Stanford University recently tried to answer this question. They looked at all of the research... Continue reading...

Another Acid Reflux Friendly Meal Idea Part II

Last week I provided you with a dinner menu that could be easily modified for someone with acid reflux disease. This week, I am sharing a menu for a warm and soothing breakfast that can also be easily adapted for someone with a sensitive stomach.   Homemade Granola A dear friend of mine runs a Bed and Breakfast and taught me this recipe. I use the modified version below all of the time for my son with acid reflux disease - it travels... Read more...

Don't Trust Your Child to an Adult Gastroenterologist

Don't Trust Your Child to an Adult Gastroenterologist
Would you trust your accountant to change the brakes on your mini-van?  Probably not.  And so too shouldn't trust your child to an adult gastroenterologist.  Here's why: They're not trained to treat children.  Children are remarkably different creatures from adults and the effect of digestive disease on growth, nutrition and development requires specific training.   So what if there isn't a pediatric...

Resolve To Have Fun!

Resolve To Have Fun!
Being overweight is a strong risk factor for acid reflux disease and esophageal erosions. The risk for these disorders progressively increases with increasing weight. I suspect many of you are already well aware of these facts and would love to begin 2009 by getting in better shape. This SharePost is written for you!   Unfortunately, somewhere in the late 20th century we veered off track and started to equate exercise only with things...

Dealing with Discontinued Medication

"This medication has been discontinued."   That's what our pharmacist told us the last time we went to pick up my son's prescription for Erythomycin. You may remember that Erythomycin is a common antibiotic that is often used to help individuals who may have an allergy to penicillin, and it can also help with gastric emptying for reflux patients. I wrote about how well the drug was working with my son's nasal stuffiness at... Complete news...

GERD Parenting Sins Part 2: The Picky Eater

Last week in my blog, I admitted that I had committed all of the GERD parenting sin. Please understand that the GERD Parenting Sins are a humorous look at the real lives of real parents doing their best every day and night to care for a baby or toddler with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. We know that each day brings new, overwhelming challenges and worries and yet we somehow manage to get out of bed every day and meet the challenges... Read more...

Dr. Eisner Answers Your GERD Questions

My newborn baby has been spitting up and vomiting a lot after feeding. Is this a sign of reflux, and what can be done?   Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease in an infant may include burping, frequent spitting up or non-projectile vomiting, frequent night waking, poor weight gain, difficulty swallowing and sudden, inconsolable crying. Unless the infant shows signs of poor growth, severe choking, or lung disease, it is rarely... Continue reading...

Another Acid Reflux Friendly Meal Idea Part I

Providing recipes for those with acid reflux can be tricky business. Individuals react differently to different foods, especially if their reflux is caused by food allergies or their reflux has caused a very sensitive stomach. However, I will keep sharing what works for my family, because as a mother of a young son with acid reflux disease, and another son who can eat anything he wants, coming up with menu ideas to suit everyone has been one... Complete news...

National Children's Dental Health Month

This year, the American Dental Association (ADA) marks the 60th anniversary of celebrating National Children’s Dental Health Month. Each February, the ADA promotes the importance of regular brushing, diet and dental visits for the dental health of children. There is a great deal of evidence that children with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) are at greater risk for tooth enamel erosion. Stomach acid that is refluxed into the mouth... Complete news...

Colic Solved -- A book from Dr. Bryan Vartabedian

Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, is author of the book Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to-Soothe Baby published by Ballantine/Random House in 2007. HealthCentral.com talks to him about his book and what is has for parents of infants and children with acid reflux. HC: Explain your motivation for writing this book. ... Further reading...