Saw my ENT doctor today. He scoped my throat and said there was not much swelling at the top of my esophagus. He is concerned about my continued hoarseness. I told him it gets worse when I eat certain foods that scratch my throat and foods that are spicy. So he recommended I begin taking omeprazole prior to eating spicy foods. He wants to see me again in 2 months.
Got home and I researched the drug and found that this drug is also known as Prilosec which is a Proton Pump Inhibitor medicine designed to reduce stomach acid. If a person has too much stomach acid, it can flow into the esophagus. This can cause severe forms of heartburn and other medical problems. I'm not having any heartburn.
In 2017, researchers found that long term use of Proton Pump Inhibitors doubled the risk of gastric cancer. My mother died from stomach cancer. She took this drug for many, many years.
Researchers also concluded that it caused five percent of all esophageal cancers. Prilosec dangers also include an increased risk of kidney disease and long term kidney damage.
Prilosec alternatives include: Maalox, Alka-Seltzer, Pepto=Bismol, and Tums.
I think I'll use one of these instead.
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