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From:  "John Messmer, M.D." <jjm23@p...>
Date:  Tue Sep 4, 2001  4:35 pm
Subject:  RE: [vocalist] hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice


> I immediately went to the library and looked up the condition
> and the drug. I read that lansoprazole "can completely remove
> all acid from the stomach for a full 24 hours". What I'm
> curious about is, how do I digest my food if that is
> happening? I've only been on it for a day.
>

It reduces acid secretion about 98% in the initial hours; the
suppression gradually diminishes over 24 hrs so that by the 24th hour
you are suppressing about 90% give or take a bit. There is still enough
acid for digestion. The object is to keep the pH of your stomach above
3-4 or so. The low pH (acid environment) is needed to denature proteins
so that the enzymes can work on them. Unless you eat a LARGE meal of
protein (which you shouldn't do anyway), say, a 32 oz steak (not an
uncommon event in restaurants in the US), you will have no digestive
problems with chronic acid suppression.

>I have put on 5 stone (that's 70
> pounds, we still count in base 14 over here!) but over the
> past 5 months I have shed nearly 3 stone and feel a _lot_
> better for it!

And if you lose those stones (pounds, kilos, whatever) your hiatal
hernia will be less of a problem as there will be less abdominal mass
pushing against your stomach and squeezing acid and digestive enzymes up
your throat. You will likely be able to discontinue the acid
suppression if you get down to a lean body weight.

John

John Messmer, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine
Penn State Hershey Medical Center







emusic.com