| Gastrointestinal Drugs - Part 1 | | | | evidence that simethicone alone or combined with |
| Considering the average diet of most Americans, it is | | | | other ingredients effectively treats excess gas. In |
| no wonder the country is prone to stomach chaos, | | | | fact, physicians believe that treating excess gas is by |
| indigestion woes, gas attacks and ulcer pains. Doctors | | | | and large a futile process. Suffers from excess gas |
| suggest healthier changes in diet for better | | | | may actually have a bloated feeling from overeating |
| gastrointestinal performance, but instead of giving up | | | | or discomfort from eating the wrong food. In this |
| bad habits, the majority of people continue to give | | | | case, no anti-gas drug will help because the problem |
| their stomachs good reason for upset. Rather than | | | | has nothing to do with gas. In general, the passing of |
| choosing good nutrition, they depend on | | | | gas is no cause for medical concern, but rather, a |
| gastrointestinal drugs to calm their troubled insides | | | | cause to improve diet. |
| only to continue taking poor dietary choices. It is an | | | | Laxatives |
| endless cycle plagued with a plethora of potential | | | | Every year, Americans spend $725 million on laxatives |
| problems from unpleasant side effects to irreversible | | | | (constipation 1). As with antacids and antiflatulents, |
| damage to one of the body's most vital systems. | | | | many people take laxatives far more frequently than |
| Gastrointestinal drugs - such as antacids and | | | | necessary. This is dangerous for several reasons. |
| anti-flatulents, laxatives, stomach acid blockers and | | | | First, laxatives can cause lasting damage to the |
| ulcer drugs - may help the junk addict rationalize a | | | | intestines and can interfere with the body's use of |
| substandard diet, but the body is not so easily fooled | | | | nutrients. Second, they can be habit forming. Of |
| by these chemical dangers. | | | | taken for long periods, they inhibit the body's natural |
| Antacids and Antiflatulents (Anti-gas) | | | | ability to digest food properly, causing consumer |
| An antacid is a common follow-up to a disagreeable | | | | dependency. The unpleasant side effects are |
| meal, carelessly consumed as if it were a mere after | | | | numerous and scientists are continually discovering |
| dinner mint. However, the contents of antacids | | | | additional causes for concern. For example, the |
| deserve cautious consideration. Many antacids feature | | | | laxative ingredient danthron was recently recalled in |
| aluminum hydroxide, an ingredient used to treat | | | | the United States because of its cancer-causing |
| stomach acid and other antacids contain a | | | | possibilities. According to physicians, laxatives should |
| combination of aluminum hydroxide, magnesium | | | | not be used to "clean out the system" or to |
| hydroxide and simethicone. Unfortunately, aluminum | | | | promote intestinal regularity, a process the body |
| can cause bone damage, and the magnesium found in | | | | generally controls naturally. |
| antacids can cause severe diarrhea. Doctors strongly | | | | Unfortunately, even those with healthy diets are not |
| discourage older adults with severe kidney disease | | | | immune to occasional constipation. Although it may be |
| from using magnesium antacids. Other adverse side | | | | bothersome, according to physicians, constipation |
| effects caused by antacids ingredients include painful | | | | itself usually is not serious. For most people, dietary |
| urination, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, mental | | | | and lifestyle improvements can lessen the chances of |
| changes, muscle weakness, diarrhea, vomiting and | | | | constipation. A well-balanced diet that includes |
| stomach cramps. | | | | fiber-rich foods, such as unprocessed bran, |
| Not only found in antacids, the combination of | | | | whole-grain breads and fresh fruits and vegetables, is |
| magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide and | | | | recommended. Drinking plenty of fluids and exercising |
| simethicone is also taken as an antiflatulent (anti-gas) | | | | regularly also help to stimulate intestinal activity. |
| drug. But, according to physicians, there is no | | | | |