Greetings, Dr. Roach I’m 81 years old and doing fairly well. I frequently struggle to get asleep and stay asleep. I took two ibuprofen tablets before bed for several nights in a row a few months ago since I was having trouble sleeping because of a hurting lower back from doing too much yard work. I observed that I was able to fall asleep more quickly.
I’ve been taking ibuprofen as a sleep aid, and it still helps me fall asleep. However, I’m curious as to whether taking ibuprofen every day could lead to any health problems. J.T.N.
ANSWER: Ibuprofen is not a good sleep aid in general because most people don’t find that it improves or detracts from their sleep. In reality, ibuprofen may cause sleep disturbances for certain people. However, some people discover that it makes them drowsy.
In any event, taking two ibuprofen pills at night—or even daily—carries a minimal risk. Ibuprofen shouldn’t be taken regularly by someone who has a history of ulcer disease or unusual bleeding without first talking to their doctor.
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Greetings, Dr. Roach You recently stated that probiotics are not advised for healthy individuals. I am a 78-year-old man who had an esophagectomy three years ago to remove my esophagus and a portion of my stomach due to cancer. Pantoprazole dosage was started at 30 mg and subsequently raised to 40 mg. I’ve read that using this medication for an extended period of time is not advised.
According to what I understand, the purpose of this medication is to lessen the likelihood of acid reflux. According to what I’ve read, it also eliminates both beneficial and harmful microorganisms in the stomach. In order to assist reestablish the beneficial bacteria, I asked my primary care physician whether she was comfortable with me taking probiotics. — E.M.
ANSWER: Following surgery for esophageal cancer, patients are frequently prescribed proton-pump inhibitors, such as pantoprazole. They lessen acid reflux, which in turn keeps the rest of your stomach from joining the rest of your esophagus in a stricture.
Although long-term usage of proton-pump inhibitors may result in adverse effects, there are instances in which the advantages exceed the disadvantages. For esophageal survivors like you, many esophageal cancer specialists believe that the advantages exceed the hazards.
The gut flora, or microbiome, does alter as a result of prolonged acid suppression. There has been research on using probiotics to enhance the microbiome, and early findings indicated that taking probiotics on a daily basis can increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut. It is unclear if this will result in improved patient outcomes or if any of the long-term negative consequences of proton pump inhibitor therapy will be lessened. Although it hasn’t been tested yet, it seems reasonable that it could be beneficial.
Although it’s uncommon, probiotic medication carries some risk. Probiotics have been demonstrated to spread infection in a very small number of cases. Due to the high cost of some probiotics, the primary harm is primarily financial.
Although he regrets not being able to respond to each letter individually, Dr. Roach will try to include them in the column. Questions can be sent by mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or by email to [email protected].
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