Nutritional Immunology – Gastrointestinal Drugs

Gastrointestinal Drugs

Considering the average diet of most Americans, it is no wonder the country is prone to stomach chaos, indigestion woes, gas attacks and ulcer pains. Doctors suggest healthier changes in diet for better gastrointestinal performance, but instead of giving up bad habits, the majority of people continue to give their stomachs good reason for upset. Rather than choosing good nutrition, they depend on gastrointestinal drugs to calm their troubled insides only to continue making poor dietary choices. It is an endless cycle plaqued with a plethora of potential problems from unplesant side effects to irreversible damage to one of the body’s most vital systems. Gastrointestinal drugs – such as antacids and anti-flatulents, laxatives, stomach acid blockers and ulcer drugs – may help the junk addict rationalize a substandard diet, but the body is not so easily fooled by these chemical dangers.

Antacids and Antiflatulents (Anti-gas)

An antacid is a common follow-up to a disagreeable meal, carelessly consumed as if it were a mere after dinner mint. However, the contents of antacids deserve cautious consideration. Many antacids feature aluminum hydroxide, an ingredient used to treat stomach acid and other antacids contain a combination of aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide and simethicone. Unfortunately, aluminum can cause bone damage, and the magnesium found in antacids can cause severe diarrhea. Doctors strongly discourage older adults with severe kidney disease from using magnesium antacids. Other adverse side effects caused by antacids ingredients include painful urination, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, mental changes, muscle weakness, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps.

Not only found in antacids, the combination of magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide and simethicone is also taken as an antiflatulent (anti-gas) drug. But, according to physicians, there is no evidence that simethicone alone or combined with other ingredients effectively treats excess gas. In fact, physicians believe that treating excess gas is by and large a futile process. Suffers from excess gas may actually have a bloated feeling from overeating or discomfort from eating the wrong food. In this case, no anti-gas drug will help because the problem has nothing to do with gas. In general, the passing of gas is no cause for medical concern, but rather, a cause to improve diet.


Every year, Americans spend $725 million on laxatives (constipation 1). As with antacids and antiflatulents, many people take laxatives far more frequently than necessary. This is dangerous for several reasons. First, laxatives can cause lasting damage to the intestines and can interfere with the body’s use of nutrients. Second, they can be habit forming. Of taken for long periods, they inhibit the body’s natural abolity to digest food properly, causing consumer dependency. The unpleasant side effects are numerous and scientists are continually discovering additional causes for concern. For example, the laxative ingredient danthron was recently recalled in the United States because of its cancer-causing possibilities. According to physicians, laxatives should not be used to “clean out the system” or to promote intestinal regularity, a process the body generally controls naturally.

Unfortunately, even those with healthy diets are not immune to occasional constipation. Although it may be bothersome, according to physicians, constipation itself usually is not serious. For most people, dietary and lifestyle improvements can lessen the chances of constipation. A well-balanced diet that includes fiber-rich foods, such as unprocessed bran, whole-grain breads and fresh fruits and vegetables, is recommended. Drinking plenty of fluids and exercising regularly also help to stimulate intestinal activity.

Stomach Acid Blockers and Ulcer Drugs

Despite doctors’ calls for improved lifestyles, the multitude of gastrointestinal drugs on the market is astounding. Stomach acid blockers, such as nizatidine, famotidine, cimetidine and randitine are another popular drug group used to treat duodenal and gastric ulcers and conditions caused by excess stomach acid. Long-term safety of these drugs is still unknown, but side effects may include confusion, hallucinations, dizziness, sore throat and fever, irregular heatbeat, abdominal pain, skin rash, depression, diarrhea, hair loss, headache and nausea. Because older people eliminate drugs more slowly from their bodies, they are at an especially high risk of side effects.

Ulcer drugs, such as sucralfate, misoprostol and omeprazole are used to treat and prevent ulcers resistant to the usual treatment with stomach acid blockers or antacids. Adverse side effects include constipation, dizziness, backache, drowsiness, dry mouth, indigestion, stomach cramps, difficulty breathing, fever, cloudy or bloody urine, bleeding or bruising and skin rash. Certain ulcer drugs have also been shown to alter chemical markers of bone metabolism, possibly leading to osteoporosis. Long-term suppression of acid by ulcer drugs can also lead to intestinal infections.

Stomach acid blockers and other ulcer drugs should not be taken for minor digestive complain such as occasional upset stomach, nausea or heartburn, as there is no evidence that they effectively treat these problems. They should also not be used by those with pre-existing conditions and in combination with other drugs, so it is critical to consult with a physician before taking any ulcer drug. It is also important to recognize that even with treatment, ulcers frequently return after a few months. As long-term prevention, people prone to ulcers should avoid smoking, foods that trigger ulcers and drugs known to aggravate ulcers, especially aspirin, ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Anti-Nausea Drugs for Cancer patients

Although most instances of stomach pain are caused by diet, feeling of sickness, including nausea and vomiting, are also side effects linked with chemotherapy drugs can affect the lining of the digestive system and others can cause people to lose their appetite for a time. More rarely, chemotherapy drugs can cause constipation. A doctor may prescribe one of a number of anti-sickness drugs (antiemetics) to stop or reduce these side effects. However, these drugs can cause further side effects including signs of tardive dyskinesia, parkinsonism and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Eating small, frequent meals so the stomach is never empty, avoiding foods with strong smells and drinking clear liquids are simple dietary changes that may prevent the need for antinausea drugs (drum).

Effective Solutions to Gastrointestinal Upset

Stomach disconfort is real, but it is preventable in many cases. According to physicians, dietary changes, as oposed to drugs, should be the first solution in the attack against inner aches and pains. E.Excel family’s goal offers healthy and delicious ways to better meet the body’s nutritional needs. As medical studies demonstrate, improved daily eating habits may help prevent the gastrointestinal nightmares haunting the stomachs of millions. Furthermore, choosing a healthy lifestyle hushes the phrase “oh, I shouldn’t have” and prevents emergency drugstore trips and the body will celebrate their absence.