Is Your Antidepressant And Reflux Disease Linked July 24th, 2010
There could possibly be a link between antidepressant and reflux disease. Therefore, in case you take antidepressants and are affected by frequent acid reflux/GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), your antidepressant medication might be contributing to the symptoms you are experiencing.
Researchers have discovered that a hyperlink between antidepressant and acid reflux does in fact exist. Of course, there are different types of antidepressants and not all of them cause or exacerbate acid reflux symptoms. The type of antidepressant that has been most commonly linked with GERD is known as Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). TCAs are a certain kind of antidepressant designed to offer relief from symptoms associated to melancholy such as disappointment and irritability.
Tricyclic antidepressants work to revive and stability chemicals inside the brain to help treat and prevent depression. However, although effective, these antidepressants also have a lot of potential unwanted side effects including an increased danger of acid reflux. This link exists because the neurotransmitters the TCAs work on within the brain are the same as these found within the stomach.
Thus, both the mind and stomach are equally affected, which suggests when the TCAs decelerate and relax the muscles within the brain, they also slow down and loosen up the muscles in the stomach. Hence, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) becomes relaxed, allowing the contents throughout the stomach to be refluxed again into the esophagus. In addition, the slowing down of abdomen muscles may also cause delayed stomach emptying allowing acid to stay longer, increasing the chance of reflux.
The most common acid reflux symptom to watch for if you think your antidepressant medication may be affecting you is heartburn. Heartburn is characterised by a painful, burning sensation within the upper chest.
Though there are different antidepressant medications, tricyclic antidepressants are generally prescribed to treat a variety of depression disorders. If you might be on any of the TCAs which have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for depression and you suffer from GERD, or are noticing a rise in your acid reflux disease symptoms (I.E. frequent heartburn), it’s essential bring this to your doctor’s attention.
Tricyclic antidepressants include: Amitriptyline, Amoxapine, Desipramine, Doxepin, Imipramine, Nortriptyline, Protriptyline, and Trimipramine.
Your doctor may be able to suggest or approve another sort of medication to deal with depression to reduce the chance of reflux disease, nevertheless this try at switching medications could also be unsuccessful. The purpose is because there are diverse antidepressant drugs and everyone responds differently to medications. Thus, what works well for someone, might not be beneficial to another. Therefore, if TCAs are the one meds that work for you in phrases of bringing depression beneath control, your only option is to strive other methods to stop or control acid reflux.
To assist limit and stop acid reflux symptoms attempt the following:
- Increase your intake of water
- Limit or stop consuming alcoholic beverages
- Stop smoking
- Eat frequent and smaller portions of food.
- Avoid foods that can trigger acid reflux disorder or make it worse (i.e. spicy, fatty foods, chocolate, mint, caffeine, citrus fruits and juices)
- Refrain from mendacity down or exercising at least one hour after consuming
- Sleep together with your head elevated 4 inches to forestall reflux from occurring whereas sleeping.
- Manage your stress. Stress can exacerbate GERD symptoms, learn how to reduce your stress by finding ways to relax and release your tension.
Finally, remember to talk to your physician about your antidepressant and reflux disease concerns. He or she may be able to help you discover a method of acid reflux disease treatment that works well for you.
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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 24th, 2010 at 9:04 pm and is filed under Mental Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.