James, I have exactly the same question. Why during my countless doctors visits no one ever brought up strict diet in the picture. You already have pretty good idea what would happen if you'd continue with your old eating habits and your doctors treatment. He would tell you go on even higher PPI dosage, keep taking pain killers and then he'd say your G is stress related and you need to add anti anxiety drugs to the mix. Looks like a bright future isn't it?

They don't that's why there are millions complaining of stomach problems but still eating same old fat laden food . What Steve is saying is true in the days when people were farming and growing their own foods, they lived on mainly staples, pots and rice with some proteins now and again . Fried chicken , bacon etc were treats . I mean I don't have problems eating staple foods like potatoes and rice so basically we have got to try to eat what our ancestors ate before fast food came along . I must admit I am a food junkie queen but my mum cooks pretty healthy basic food so I just don't eat out anymore . I can do Toby carvery but I stick with turkey and have the child's portion but I don't pile my plate high . Remember a correct portion is two hands held together .

Well steve, I know that if i was being paid 100,000 per year I would like to think i would give out the correct advice. And in the initial stages ppi's will aid recovery but when there is no improvement and they just keep treating it with pills thats when the real problems will start. Its a huge reality check when you go through your life healthy and then suddenly get an illness like this it really does test you.

No don't wean off ppi like that, when the time comes in a month, I will review your eating and how your feeling in general. Next time you require some ppi. Ask for a mixture of 15 mg and 30 mg. what you can do s take 30 in morning and 15 in evening and see how that gets on. Don't just stop, if your stomach is healed and you get an acids surge it will be fine . If not it could set you back by a few weeks. Then you can do 15 in morning and 15 in evening but don't be gung Ho about it. You can't really get addicted to them. I would carry on with them for at least 6 months

Ok Anita right you are, I will let you know month to month how I am getting on because i never want to experience what i have done again. I will never forget the 1st time in january when i was doubled over in A & E in nottingham QMC. It was awful so I know the advice you give me is good advice and i will follow you and steve becasue you are both in the much later stages.

Becaus the pharmaceuticals would be out of business and to be frank half the people don't listen, would you really listen to your doctor on your first visit . It's like obesity , everybody knows fat laden food bad for you but obesity is increasing all the time . They are probably afraid of being sued, something about not being politically correct to tell yor patient to restrict thrr diet and not to eat themselves into an early grave .

I don't want to bring up any conspiracy theories but sales of Nexium in the US only bring $7 billion in one year http://www.drugs.com/stats/nexium . Nexium is #2 drug in the US. Add all other prescription and OTC PPIs and antacids and now multiply this to the worldwide sales. Crazy money. All the doctors want to get paid too. Why would anyone want to cure you and loose the profit?

Double edged sword, is the doctor your best friend or your worst enemy. Everything usually boils down to money in the end.

Found good article on PPI http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/combating-acid-reflux-may-bring-host-of-ills/

But did you see the resident made no change to her diet so her stomach still had the same problems all the time .

Exactly! In the end of the article they had this:

If we took 100 people with reflux and got them to rigidly follow the lifestyle recommendations, 90 wouldnt need any medication, Dr. Castell said. But good luck getting them to do that.

Right thats it i am coming off my ppi's lol, i wonder if thats ppi's in general or whether specific ones are worst than other for example lazoprazole vs omeprozole. It seems we are the ginea pigs for ppi's at the moment as all the affects are not yet known. Due to years and years of people consuming fast foods and dangerous amounts and additives i predict in 50 years time this will be a huge huge problem with many people suffering gastritis and other digestive related diseases. Then these people will suffer like we do but in far greater numbers and the doctors will still be giving the same advice about ppi's along with the incentive that they are the worlds 3rd most popular drug and creating billions of pounts of revenue. Thats a great example of money before welfare and its a sad truth.

I don't think you need 50 years, it's there already especially in us due to their large portion sizing . Everything is massive

All PPIs more or less the same. Some people tolerate them differently so they trying different kinds till find the one they can bear. There is a big surge in digestive problems in developed countries in the recent years. Chrons, UC, IBD, IBS, Gastritis, GERD, etc... I'm sure that besides bad eating habits we developed over our lifetimes food quality also plays huge role. All the chemicals, preservatives, artificial ingredients, GMOs, etc...

Steve I have spoke to a few more people who say they have made nearly a full recovery, through careful diet for upto a year. They then stuck to a sensible diet with the normal treats and didnt over eat and haven't been bothered by it since.