I have been having heartburn on a regular daily basis for the past six months. I've tried over-the-counter antacids, Tagamet, Pepcid AC, Zantac, Tums, and more. The only thing that seems to work is acidophilus. Once I started taking it, my heartburn almost disappeared. Are there any risks or side effects from taking this for long periods of time? Could it be just masking a serious condition that needs treatment? My doctor wants me to see a GI specialist, but I don't have any insurance, so it'll be a while before I can. Until then, I want to know if it's okay for me to keep taking the acidophilus.

Donna

It is unlikely that acidophilus will cause you any harm for the foreseeable future. However, if what you are calling heartburn is due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), it's likely that the acidophilus will stop working. If you are having heartburn more than two or three times a week, we would normally recommend an evaluation for GERD.

Under most circumstances, GERD is treatable with some minimal changes in lifestyle, such as elevating the head of your bed six inches by placing blocks under the head of the bed or by using a wedge under your shoulders. (Avoid using pillows to accomplish this same task as they will often not work and may make your heartburn worse). If you are a big eater, try eating smaller meals spaced out over the day; this will keep your stomach from being distended and reduce the frequency of reflux. You might also try to decrease the fat in your diet by cutting down on red meat, ice cream, cheese and other high-fat foods; read labels and try to stick to foods that consist of less than 30 percent of calories from fat. If you smoke and can cut down, this will also decrease your heartburn.

You might ask your physician about giving you samples of a prescription medicine. The over-the-counter drugs you have used do come in prescription strength, and one of these may be able to relieve your heartburn and keep things under control until your financial situation allows you to see a GI specialist. If your symptoms are controlled with prescription medicine, you might not need to see the specialist. You might also suggest that your physician consider a short trial of a drug called a proton-pump inhibitor. This drug inhibits the production of acid and may dramatically relieve your symptoms. You might ask your physician if he or she can provide you with a week or two of samples; after that, you would know if this worked.