Talk:Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gerd

This page has been merged with the contents of Gerd (no capitals), which was an NIH patient information page. A lot of irrelevant stuff had to be slashed to keep this readable and informational. Additions will still have to be made. JFW | T@lk 00:38, 25 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Thought I might just mention that GERD is abbreviated GORD in Australia... (and the UK?) Though I'm not sure how to integrate that into the article. Techelf 12:05, 27 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Totally agree. I've stuck to US spelling as much as possible, but a mention of GORD would only be reasonable. Same in the UK and European mainland. JFW | T@lk 15:01, 27 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Done now; I had to replace all instances of "oesophagus" with "esophagus" because someone had changed a large number of them to BE without checking the page title... JFW | T@lk 15:30, 27 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Antacids

Would the author of the original page provide a reference for the information about calcium-based antacids exacerbating acid production? All the information that I can find says exactly the opposite. Thanks -- Minerva9 06:33, 1 August 2005 (UTC)Minerva9

I'm not the original author, but I added a link to a 1995 paper that discusses "acid rebound" with CaCO3 antacids. -- Kaszeta 14:36, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

There is some debate over this matter. See here -- Wikifish2 22:13, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

help with link

Could you please help me understand what parts of this site can be used as a useful contribution. We are very interested in adding our medical expertise to this article and are inquiring about any need for further content. Thanks

Ryan Acid Reflux

It is a secondary source and hence not very useful compared to directly cited journal articles. JFW | T@lk 22:22, 21 January 2006 (UTC)

Reference needed

"EGD every 5 years is recommended for patients with chronic heartburn, or who take medication for GERD chronically."

This needs a reference. (A reference would also be particularly helpful to those of us in HMOs.)

one experience

I have reflux, an I started getting acid pains and a burning sensation and being sick and a sticky throught, I had it for years, but since Ive been taking gasviscon, its really good stuff, its a miracle it cured me, it works by forming a raft in your stomach and it blocks the acid from splashing up your pipe, so your pipe can heal. My dads freind Nogin also had this stuff when he was in hospital, he was an alcoholic and he really started to deteriate, his guts were burning really bad and this stuff saved his life,

paul from walsall england

oh get a life who took that link out!!!!!!!!!!

Go look at Alginic acid. In this article the Gaviscon link is fairly off-topic. I added something about alginic acid in the "treatment" section.

Please assume good faith and remain civil. Telling someone to "get a life" sours any open discussion. JFW | T@lk 03:23, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

Ryan: The problem with your site acidreflux.com is that it has very little content. It is a single page with some basic information about reflux. There are links on your page that then point off to other sites. Perhaps you have a financial relationship with those other sites in an effort to drive up visits directed from your site. But the big issue is that there is no content on your site that isn't available from any of the professional society sites, and other sites have much more information to share. Kd4ttc 17:15, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

Stretta and endocinch

There is currently controversy in the GI literature on how effective and durable these approaches are. Kd4ttc 14:55, 7 February 2006 (UTC)

IFFGD?

Does any one know anything about "International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders" that is in the external links? Are they recognised by anyone as an authority? Are they legitimate? -- Barrylb 14:20, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Natural home remedy help

www.RefluxRemedy.com shows many ways to "cure" acid reflux from home, using foods instead of drugs.

Acid-Reflux-Online.com

I want to suggest a site for inclusion among the links, www.acid-reflux-online.com was written by a former acid reflux sufferer who advocates natural solutions for acid reflux, heartburn and related conditions. I believe the Wiki audience would benefit -- people need to know about alternative and complementary therapies. I'll try inserting the link one more time. Hope this is ok. Any help would be *greatly* appreciated. Thank you!

I'm not sure why the link needs to be included. If your aim is to provide "information", then why is that information not in the article itself? Many articles have sections about "alternative and complimentary therapies". As long as these are adequately sourced, there is no need to resort to offsite information that is unauthoratitive and supported by ads. JFW | T@lk 21:49, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

Thank you Jfdwolff. You asked why the information is not in the Wikipedia article itself. Would it be a stretch for your guidelines to include the specific practical steps in elevating the head of the bed, for instance? Doctors will of course recommend elevating the bed in most cases.... however, only someone who has lived with the condition really knows the details of cinderblocks, bed risers and wedge pillows. This is the kind of information that is needed by others to save them valuable time and effort -- and yet it is tough to source in a conventionally authoritative way. Basically this website walks a fine line by providing information for individuals to discuss with their doctors. Similarly, herbal remedies have proven effective with respect to acid reflux, even though they are not generally favored by conventionally practicing doctors especially here in the U.S. And there are other aspects of the site's content that I could mention. I happen to be the site's author, and I developed it to speak to those who have few other places to turn for alternative information. Let me try to add the link once again, because I'm not sure whether this note will be seen otherwise. By adding the link, I'm reasonably sure this will come to your attention again. I'll respect whatever decision you make. Thanks again and have a nice holiday.

This site has far too much emphasis on selling "remedies". It is not appropriate for our links. -- Barrylb 23:17, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

I'd like you to consider my recommendations before blindly reinserting the link. The modalities you recommend on your site may well deserve mention on this page itself, even if doctors do not commonly recommend it. As long as it has a fair support base, this belongs here and not in an external link. You are free to use your site as a reference, although I can think of more primary references in support of this. JFW | T@lk 23:19, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

Jfdwolff, thank you for your help. I included a paragraph on raising the head of the bed mentioning the site as a reference only. I trust this will be ok. All the best.

Please note I am now adding the link again... it seems to have been removed, even though okayed through dialogue with editors a couple of months ago.

The above discussion does not pertain to advertising within the text, it suggests that it may be okay to add as a reference, as I have changed it to now. Sparkleyone 02:39, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

Upon checking the article today, I noticed the reference was deleted. (It had been a footnote, and previously was a textual reference.) I'm going to include it once again as a textual reference. On the other hand, would be happy with just a footnote, if there were ways to keep it included as such. Can anyone surf in to the site and delete material from an article? This is perplexing. All the best to Wiki editors, and happy 1st day of summer.

Even as a footnote it does not fit any criteria for inclusion in Wikipedia. It is a personal account, perhaps the least useful source of information on any health-related article. As to deleting material from articles, please peruse wiki. If you can add material, then you can also delete material. A pleasant summer. JFW | T@lk 16:15, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Hello Jfdwolff: In that case, let's keep the page included as a reference, as mentioned in your comment of April 6.

question?

I have a chronic cough that began around the same time as i starting taking Tetracycline. i would like your oppinion on weather or not it could be Gastroesophageal reflux disease, and if so could Tetracycline of caused it? 67.162.66.69 01:43, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Been taking Doxycycline and my acid reflux has gone through the roof. Noam Chomsky

Evidence based

This review[1] shows that most dietary measures have not been studied well enough. Worth pointing out in the article? JFW | T@lk 10:17, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

Reflux in children

I wanted to suggest the following addition to the section on reflux in children. I've marked the addition with "**". This information is based on several studies. Please let me know if okay to add. Thanks, MIke Davenport

Children GERD may be difficult to detect in infants and children. Symptoms may vary from typical adult symptoms. GERD in children may cause repeated vomiting, effortless spitting up, coughing, and other respiratory problems. Inconsolable crying, failure to gain adequate weight, refusing food and bad breath are also common. Children may have one symptom or many - no single symptom is universally present in all children with

• • It is it estimated that of the approximately 8 million babies born in the US each year, upwards of 35% of them may have difficulties with reflux in the first few months of their life. A majority of those children will outgrow their reflux by their first birthday, however, a small but significant number of them will not.**

GERD. Babies' immature digestive systems are usually the cause, and most infants stop having acid reflux by the time they reach their first birthday. Some children don't outgrow acid reflux, however, and continue to have it into their teen years. Children that have had heartburn that doesn't seem to go away, or any other symptoms of GERD for a while, should talk to their parents and visit their doctor.

I tihnk the article should also include info (sourced, of course) about GERD in teenagers, also, the way the reflux disease is beomcing more and more of an increasing "epidemic" nowadays. Knuckles sonic8 23:03, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Laryngeal cancer

Expect 1000s of people demanding endoscopy and PPIs: this paper links GERD to laryngeal cancer. JFW | T@lk 08:23, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

Episodic treatment subsection

I added a new section for Episodic treatment Nov 20, 2006 -- what to do when one is having an episode. It doesn't do much good in the middle of the night to know that the solution is a change in diet... Hopefully, this section is just a start and others will add more information, perhaps with citations.

You added a lump of text with no sources and essentially based on your personal opinion. The solution of episodic reflux is antacids, pure and simple. There is no need for a paragraph telling the readership that you couldn't find this. JFW | T@lk 23:23, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Second Kd4ttc 22:24, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Then where it is on Wikipedia and why isn't it linked here? You state "The solution of episodic reflux is antacids, pure and simple" but even this "pure and simple" information isn't on Wikipedia and it's not accurate anyway. Most antacids do nothing directly to acid which is lodged in the esophagus. I know that from experience. If you're such an expert, what's the answer there?

If you think the "surprising" comment is inappropriate, remove it, but what does that have to do with a section about episodic treatment, which is perfectly appropriate for this article?

If the actual eposodic treatment information isn't accurate or appropriate, then propose appropriate information, don't stonewall because you happen to already know the information (or think you do). If Wikipedia didn't include information that various contributors already knew (or, again, think they know), it would be empty.

I will check back in a few days and if Jfdwolff, who deleted the information (and claims to be far more knowledgable than me on the subject), hasn't inserted an appropriate section, I will do so.

'Smoking' seems out of place within 'Foods'

Under a heading on food changes as treatment, smoking is mentioned as an aside. Maybe under treatments there should be an "Other", and smoking could go there, or have a "Smoking" entry even if it only has one sentence to it. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.124.149.163 (talk) 00:23, 18 December 2006 (UTC).

Fasting

The section on fasting seems out of place and needs to be cited. Who says it's an effective treatment? 199.126.44.35 06:42, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Not only does it need to be cited, it desperately needs a grammar overhaul.

Unfortunately the whole article needs a grammar overhaul. 82.36.228.184 11:36, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

I can't imagine that fasting helps anyone with GERD, and I was told by multiple doctors never to go for long periods without eating because it aggravates symptoms.

I agree, fasting is a typical "folk remedy" and I have found no scientific support for it in any major journal (pubmed etc. journals)

I deleted the fasting instructions since there was no source, and a fairly extensive search of the information for patients put out by reputable agencies did not support the contention. Mhickcoxhoward 05:43, 17 February 2007 (UTC)