You may want to discontinue using Prilosec to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, for a variety of reasons, including cost and side effects associated with this drug. If this is the case, following the Candida diet has a theoretical benefit for reducing the risk that your GERD symptoms will return when the drug is withdrawn. However, the benefits associated with the Candida diet are only anecdotal, according to MayoClinic.com, so consult your doctor before altering your GERD treatment plan.
Significance
Prilosec is the prescription name for the drug omeprazole, which is a proton-pump inhibitor, or PPI. This drug is frequently used to treat GERD. With this condition, backward flow of acid from your stomach into your esophagus causes heartburn and raises risk for injury to your esophagus. Prilosec works by reducing the amount of acid made in your stomach. This reduces the symptoms of GERD, allowing your esophagus to heal and preventing additional damage to it. The concern with withdrawing this treatment is that GERD symptoms will re-emerge, including esophagitis, which is the general term for irritation, inflammation or swelling of your esophagus.
Reasons for Withdrawal
PPIs like Prilosec pose numerous risks to those who take them, including raised risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency, diarrhea, pneumonia and hip fractures. Furthermore, PPIs can affect your body’s ability to absorb and utilize other medications. For these reasons, a March 2009 scientific review in the “American Journal of Gastroenterology” recommends limiting use of PPIs like Prilosec for conditions such as GERD. Prilosec also can cause numerous other side effects including gas, nausea, stomach pain, constipation, fevers and headaches. Doctors should discontinue the practice of issuing long-term PPI prescriptions for GERD and instead prescribe it for short-term use or use during flare-ups only, recommends lead review author Joel J. Heidelbaugh.
Candida Issues
Candida is the scientific name for yeast. Following a Candida diet when you cease taking Prilosec in theory will help you avoid a relapse of symptoms because a chronic Candida infection can contribute to GERD. Chronic Candida infections also can cause esophagitis on their own, according to the Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins medical reference book “Sternberg's Diagnostic Surgical Pathology.”
Diet and Considerations
The theory behind the Candida diet is that you eliminate sugar, refined flour, cheese, fruit, mushrooms, processed meats and yeast from your diet because they encourage growth of this funguslike organism. The diet encourages you to choose unprocessed protein sources like eggs and low-carbohydrate veggies like cabbage and carrots. You eat whole grains and high-carbohydrate vegetables like potatoes and squash sparingly. However, there are no clinical trials that back using such a diet to treat any medical condition, according to MayoClinic.com. Anti-fungal medicines are the proven and typical method of treating yeast infections.
References
- PubMed Health: Omeprazole
- Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics: Discontinuation of Proton Pump Inhibitors in Patients on Long-Term Therapy
- European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology: Discontinuation of Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Primary Care Patients
- DrLWilson: Chronic Intestinal Yeast Infection
- Sternberg's Diagnostic Surgical Pathology; Stephen S. Sternberg et al.
- PubMed Health: Esophagitis
- Nature’s Own Candida Cure; William G. Crook
- American Journal of Gastroenterology: Overutilization of Proton Pump Inhibitors
- MayoClinic.com: Candida Cleanse Diet
- MedlinePlus: Yeast Infections
