Heartburn

Heartburn in pregnancy is common, beginning as early as the first trimester. But doctors have worried that medications to treat the condition, called proton-pump inhibitors, may not be safe in pregnancy. A new study shows that the drugs, especially Prilosec, appear to be safe for pregnant women and women who may become pregnant. Researchers in Denmark examined a large database to find 5,082 cases in women who were exposed to proton-pump inhibitors at some time during the period of four weeks prior to pregnancy through the first trimester.

Nora Ephron, who cast an acerbic eye on relationships, metropolitan living and aging in essays, books, plays and hit movies including "Sleepless in Seattle," "When Harry Met Sally... " and "Julie & Julia," died Tuesday in New York. She was 71. Ephron died at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where she was being treated for acute myeloid leukemia and pneumonia, said her close friend and Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen. A rare author and screenwriter whose works appealed to highbrow readers and mainstream moviegoers, Ephron wrote fiction that was distinguished by characters who seemed simultaneously normal and extraordinary.

I have read your articles about various ways to treat heartburn naturally. What I have found most helpful are chewable papaya enzymes. We have heard from other readers that chewing a tablet with papain, an enzyme from the tropical fruit papaya, can help with heartburn. Although we could find no recent scientific research supporting this natural approach, we did locate an article in the British Medical Journal from April 3, 1886. A physician writing about acid reflux (dyspepsia)

Republicans seem befuddled by President Obama's decision to halt deportation of young people brought into the United States illegally by their undocumented parents. Mitt Romney is gobsmacked, Speaker of the House John A. Boehner is exasperated and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is totally bummed out. They say their quarrel is with the way the president made an end run around Congress. Rubio claims Obama's move has forced him to drop his own bill that proposed granting work visas to those who illegally entered the country as little kids, grew up in the U.S.A.

I read with interest that eating three almonds before or after a meal could help with heartburn. Do you see any problem with the almonds being chocolate-covered? We're afraid so. Although they are delicious, chocolate-covered almonds are unlikely to be helpful. That's because chocolate may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, the ring of muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus. Heartburn happens when this muscle relaxes and allows acid to splash back up into the swallowing tube.

It's hard to imagine that the year will provide a more disappointing film than "Heartburn." Some films promise nothing and live up to the promise. But you had to figure that with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep starring and Mike Nichols directing, "Heartburn" had to be something special. Wrong. As Sheila Benson pointed out decisively in her review last week, "Heartburn" is a pain. Seldom has a Class A, platinum-plated movie made so many elementary mistakes.

This article has been corrected. See note at the bottom for details. Nora Ephron, who cast an acerbic eye on relationships, metropolitan living and aging in essays, books, plays and hit movies including "Sleepless in Seattle," "When Harry Met Sally... " and "Julie & Julia," died Tuesday in New York. She was 71. Ephron died at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where she was being treated for acute myeloid leukemia and pneumonia, said her close friend and Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen.

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details. Americans consume a lot of prescription drugs. And they seem especially fond of those to lower their cholesterol, relieve their heartburn, cheer them up and take away pain. Overall, however, their rate of spending on such drugs is slowing, a trend of the past decade. A new report from consulting firm IMS Health offers a quick, but thorough, look at Americans' consumption of, and spending on, prescription drugs.

Your otherwise fine interview with Jack Nicholson last Sunday contained an interviewer's error that surprisingly not even Nicholson caught: to wit, that until "Hoffa," Nicholson had never played a real-life person. Untrue. Nicholson portrayed playwright Eugene O'Neill in "Reds" in 1981. And one might even mount a case for his thinly disguised portrait of journalist Carl Bernstein in "Heartburn." I won't, but one might. JIM BEAVER Van Nuys

I have used Pycnogenol for almost two years for horrible hot flashes and night sweats. I started with 200 milligrams. It did stop the symptoms, but it felt like I was trying to restart an old engine. I dropped the dose to 150 mg and found that is a good dose for me. The flashes and sweats are minimal and tolerable. An unexpected and welcome side effect is that my asthma is so much better. I was on Symbicort, maximum dosage, and could not wean myself off. I realized my asthma was better after using the Pycnogenol for a short while, and I tried to taper down again.

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details. Americans consume a lot of prescription drugs. And they seem especially fond of those to lower their cholesterol, relieve their heartburn, cheer them up and take away pain. Overall, however, their rate of spending on such drugs is slowing, a trend of the past decade. A new report from consulting firm IMS Health offers a quick, but thorough, look at Americans' consumption of, and spending on, prescription drugs.

I read with interest that eating three almonds before or after a meal could help with heartburn. Do you see any problem with the almonds being chocolate-covered? We're afraid so. Although they are delicious, chocolate-covered almonds are unlikely to be helpful. That's because chocolate may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, the ring of muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus. Heartburn happens when this muscle relaxes and allows acid to splash back up into the swallowing tube.

Heartburn in pregnancy is common, beginning as early as the first trimester. But doctors have worried that medications to treat the condition, called proton-pump inhibitors, may not be safe in pregnancy. A new study shows that the drugs, especially Prilosec, appear to be safe for pregnant women and women who may become pregnant. Researchers in Denmark examined a large database to find 5,082 cases in women who were exposed to proton-pump inhibitors at some time during the period of four weeks prior to pregnancy through the first trimester.

I have used Pycnogenol for almost two years for horrible hot flashes and night sweats. I started with 200 milligrams. It did stop the symptoms, but it felt like I was trying to restart an old engine. I dropped the dose to 150 mg and found that is a good dose for me. The flashes and sweats are minimal and tolerable. An unexpected and welcome side effect is that my asthma is so much better. I was on Symbicort, maximum dosage, and could not wean myself off. I realized my asthma was better after using the Pycnogenol for a short while, and I tried to taper down again.

I have read your articles about various ways to treat heartburn naturally. What I have found most helpful are chewable papaya enzymes. We have heard from other readers that chewing a tablet with papain, an enzyme from the tropical fruit papaya, can help with heartburn. Although we could find no recent scientific research supporting this natural approach, we did locate an article in the British Medical Journal from April 3, 1886. A physician writing about acid reflux (dyspepsia)

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday warned consumers not to take popular heartburn medications Nexium or Prilosec if they use Plavix, a widely prescribed blood thinner that guards against heart attack and stroke. The two heartburn formulations can reduce the protective blood-thinning effect of Plavix by nearly half, according to a study undertaken at the request of the FDA by the blood thinner's marketers, Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Nexium and Prilosec inhibit a liver enzyme that is involved in converting Plavix into active form.

Occasional heartburn is usually no cause for alarm, but chronic nighttime heartburn can lead to more serious conditions, like cancer of the esophagus. Doctors from the American Gastroenterological Assn. will answer questions at the DIAL-ogue on Heartburn: The Difference Between Night and Day. Call toll-free (877) GUT-9800 on Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Spicy or greasy foods, onions, chocolate -- all can take a painful, post-meal toll in the form of heartburn or acid indigestion. When these problems occur often, as they do for millions of Americans, they become known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Whether the discomfort is occasional or chronic, choosing food and drink more carefully can ease the symptoms. So too, perhaps, can a supplement most commonly associated with sleep. At the root of the problem is a bit of faulty plumbing.