Question: I have GERD and take Nexium (a proton-pump inhibitor) for it. I was wondering if reducing the amount of acid in my stomach would slow the digestion of food.
Answer: Not likely. Proton-pump inhibitors such as Nexium and Prilosec reduce the amount of acid in your stomach, which tames your pain from gastroesophageal reflux disease. But there is still plenty left to help digest your food. In fact, even when you take these drugs, the stomach goes about its normal business, reducing acid during sleep and naturally fluctuating throughout the day.
Keep in mind that digestion isn't just confined to the stomach; your mouth (the glands that produce saliva) and intestines (and the bacteria you have inside them) do a lot of the work, too. There are a couple not-so-great things that PPIs do, however:
• They can make it harder to absorb bone-strengthening calcium, so make sure you get extra of that mineral.
• They don't allow you to absorb vitamin B-12 from food very well. You can, however, absorb supplements of B-12 just fine. While some prefer pills, liquid vitamins are often easier for GERD sufferers.
• They can affect how well you absorb some prescription drugs that require a certain level of stomach acidity. Make sure all your docs and pharmacists know you're taking PPIs.