September 2025

Over The Counter

• Should You Use NSAIDs
• Antihistamines – Pros & Cons
• PPIs – Use & Side Effects
• Do Supplements Worth The $$?

Over the counter medications and supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry exploiting the pain, weakness, and ignorance of people.

In September, I focus my content on these over the counter meds that are common in most medicine cabinets in America, the ones you reach out for without a second thought. I explain how they work, when using them can be beneficial, and when you want to consider other options.

PPIs – Use & Unwanted Effects

The role of stomach acid in digestion

Stomach acids play a vital role in digestion and immunity by creating a very low PH in the stomach.

Low PH in the stomach is essential for:

• Protein digestion and the breakdown of B vitamins from proteins.
• Minerals and vitamins absorption, including: calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, iron, folic acid, vitamin C, and beta-carotene.
• Antimicrobial immune defense – killing bacteria that enter the body with the food you eat.
• Keeping H. pylori bacteria in the stomach in check so it doesn’t proliferate.
• Reducing PH in the duodenum, the upper part of the small intestine, prevents dysbiosis and SIBO.

A healthy stomach ecosystem affects your nutrient status, which affects the capacity of every cell in your body to produce energy. This is why you want to pay attention when alarm bells sound from your stomach.

The way the stomach sounds the alarm when things go wrong is by developing GERD.

What is GERD?

GERD occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t close properly, allowing stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus. Most people who struggle with GERD recognise the burning sensation in the chest. If you are one of these ppl who struggle with acid reflux, let me assure you, you don’t struggle with acid reflux due to PPIs deficiency.

The root cause of GERD

The common misconception is that GERD happens because the stomach produces too much stomach acid, but this is one of the biggest myths about the GI tract.

The real root cause of GERD:

Low stomach acid

The main reason for GERD is low stomach acid production due to nutrient deficiencies, stress,

Producing stomach acid is one of the most energy consuming functions in the body. If your diet doesn’t provide the body with the vitamins and minerals to produce energy, then the body can’t create stomach acid. Some vitamins and minerals essential for energy production are vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, Magnesium, iron, and B12.

B vitamin deficiency and low acid production can become a vicious cycle because stomach acid is essential for releasing B vitamins from the food you eat. Without stomach acid, B vitamins are not digested, absorbed, and utilized for energy production.

Other nutrient deficiencies are salt and zinc, as they, along with water, are used to synthesize stomach acid.

Chronic stress

When you are stressed, your body is primed to fight or flee; therefore, it shunts blood rich with oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. The digestive system gets only enough blood to survive until the threat is removed.

In chronic stress, poor circulation leads to atrophy, your digestive tract is left starving for nutrients and oxygen, and you can’t produce enough stomach acids.

Dysbiosis and SIBO

You probably heard about gut bacteria and their important role in managing your immune system, mood, and metabolism. However, a thriving gut bacteria population belongs in the colon; your small intestines should have a much smaller colony of critters.

When you have a large number or an imbalance in the species of critters in your small intestines, the food you eat feeds them, leading to nutrient deficiencies, bloating, and gas. Bloating and gas increase the pressure in the abdomen and force the esophageal sphincter to open, leading to acid reflux.

Mechanical dysfunction

Hiatal hernia and mechanical sphincter dysfunction can also cause acid reflux. They are driven by:

• Chronic increased intra-abdominal pressure from:
  • Chronic constipation (straining)
  • Chronic cough
  • Obesity
  • Heavy lifting with poor technique
• Weakened diaphragmatic tissues from aging or poor nutrition
• Loss of connective tissue integrity

When you understand the root cause of GERD, you can see that PPIs don’t address the root cause; instead, they mask the alarm bells and exacerbate the nutrient deficiencies, increasing the risk of infections and dysbiosis.

While long-term use of PPIs has adverse health effects, short term use for about eight weeks could be helpful while working on the root cause of your GERD.

When can a short term use of PPI be beneficial?

You want to use PPIs while addressing the root cause of the conditions that created the symptoms. Here are some of the conditions where using PPIs short-term can be beneficial:

• While treating H. pylori infestation. H. pylori is kept in check in the presence of stomach acids. When there isn’t enough stomach acid, they proliferate, shifting the ecology of the stomach. The bacteria irritate the lining of the stomach and suppress mucus production.
• Bleeding Ulcers: Active GI bleeding requires acid suppression to allow the tissues to repair.
• In cases with actual elevated stomach acid production. Most cases of hyperacid production are due to an overactive immune system that produces and releases far more than normal histamine levels, leading to sky-high stomach acid and the need for temporary relief.

The rebound effect of stopping PPIs

PPIs work by binding to the parietal cells, the cells that produce stomach acids. The bond is irreversible, meaning the stomach will take 3-5 days after stopping the PPIs to produce stomach acids.

If you used PPIs for a long time, you might not feel any symptoms for 3-5 days after you stop using them. However, once the PPIs affect wean, the stomach will overcompensate and create a large number of parietal cells that will release far more stomach acid than normal.

 Some of the drug withdrawal effects of terminating PPIs use after chronic use might be harsh and include

• Severe heartburn – often worse than original symptoms
• Acid regurgitation
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Sleep disruption from nighttime symptoms

These symptoms are not only unpleasant, but they can also damage the tissue of the stomach and esophagus. The high acidity might burn the tissue.

PPI termination should be a gradual process of tapering down dosage while supporting mucus production, building digestive fire, and addressing the root cause. This is a process that can take up to fourteen weeks.

Pharma companies count on you not reading the small letters that accompany the over the counter meds. It is up to you to educate yourself before making informed decisions.

Over the counter PPIs are used for stomach acid. However, they don’t come without side effects, including reducing nutritional status and fatigue.