SALT LAKE CITY — More than 4 dozen callers asking about everything from specific dietary suggestions to esophageal cancer kept phone lines jammed Saturday during the monthly Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare hotline, which focused on acid reflux disease.
Dr. R. Kyle Barnett and Dr. J. David Schmidt, who have offices both at the new Riverton Hospital and at Granite Peaks Gastroenterology in Sandy, fielded a steady stream of questions during the two-hour hotline, scheduled the second Saturday each month from 10 a.m. to noon. Topics change monthly.
Schmidt said several callers asked about unusual presentations of reflux, including asthma, being hoarse, a cough that won't go away, and chest pain, rather than heartburn.
All can be symptoms of reflux. People who haven't found relief making lifestyle changes with diet or weight loses, or in taking over-the-counter medications including Tums, Rolaids, Pepcid and Prilosec using the right dose for an extended time, may want to consider having an upper endoscopy, he said.
The test involves a small scope about the size of an adult's pinky finger being inserted into the esophagus to give the physician a view inside, particularly in the area near the stomach where reflux is most common. Most abnormalities contributing to reflux can be seen with such a test, he said.
Others asked about difficulty swallowing, which is one of the three most common symptoms of acid reflux but can also indicate esophageal cancer.
Barnett said it's often difficult for people to associate those kinds of symptoms, especially a chronic cough, sore throat and hoarseness, with acid reflux disease when they don't have heartburn. But often medications to deal with reflux either reduce or eliminate the symptoms, which is why ear, nose and throat specialists often refer patients to a gastroenterologist.
Barnett spoke with a caller who was concerned about the safety of Prilosec and other proton pump inhibitors, because research has shown there is some connection with bone loss and/or osteoporosis.
One woman told him the medication had helped her deal successfully with acid reflux, but when she had a test showing a decrease in bone density, her doctor took her off the medication. Now she's trying to deal with reflux again.
Schmidt said to his knowledge, the only identifiable long-term risk of using a proton pump inhibitor is loss of bone density and a possible decreased effectiveness for patients who also take Plavix.
e-mail: carrie@desnews.com