Considering the Impact of Medications on Acid Reflux

Your autonomic nervous system controls the functions that are necessary for living, including blood flow, breathing, heart muscle contraction and food digestion. The autonomic nervous system is made up of nerves that control your smooth muscles and send signals to the brain. This system can be adversely affected by the use of certain medications. For example, there are a number of medications that can cause irritation and damage to the autonomic nervous system and lead to an increase in heartburn and GERD.

Some of the types of medication that most commonly cause problems are antidepressants, medications for high blood pressure (including calcium channel blockers, nitrates and beta-blockers), medications to combat nausea (anticholinergics) and pain medications such as narcotics. In addition, some asthma medications such as theophylline as well as sedatives and hormones can cause problems. All of these medications are quite common and have the ability to damage the esophagus and stomach, which can lead to an increase in acid reflux.

Because your stomach and esophagus are exposed to many potentially damaging substances, you have the mucosa, a protective layer of cells that lines the esophagus and stomach. This lining in the esophagus and stomach is quite durable, but can be compromised by a number of medications. When the mucosa cannot repair itself quickly enough, your acid production can increase and you can begin to experience heartburn or GERD.

In addition, some antibiotics such as Zithromax and Biaxin can cause irritation of the stomach. Bisphosphonates, a medication for osteoporosis, also can irritate both the esophagus and stomach linings and lead to increased acid production. Some pain relievers such as Aleve, Advil and Motrin can cause irritation as well as ulcers in the duodenum, stomach or esophagus. All of these medications can increase GERD and heartburn due to their tendency to increase acid and irritate the protective lining of the stomach and esophagus.