> 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
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