I don't believe that stomach acid enhances absorption of medications.

But stomach acid CAN affect negatively some compounds. This is why peptides are not given orally, since stomach acid breaks them up/digests them. Some drugs are enteric coated for this reason. Peptides are small proteins, and the bonds between the amino acids are broken by acid.
Also many people don't know this, but Prilosec has to have a basic non acid vehicle to be used orally. So does Prevacid. They are inactivated by stomach acid. We add bicarb to them when making them into liquids. The Prilosec beads(caps) and tablets are enteric coated.
This wiki explains it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omeprazole

You may notice motility changes when going off or on SSRI drugs like Lexapro. Since this drug increases serotonin in the synapse, it affects gastric functioning for some people. Some people have nausea/vomiting on it or diarrhea. Serotonin is the main neurotransmitter in the GI tract.

Here is an article explaining drug absorption, where most is accomplished in the small intestine. By the time drugs reach the intestine, the acids in the stomach have been neutralized by the pancreatic bicarb that is provided by the pancreas.
http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec20/ch303/ch303b.html
Solubility in water, is the most critical factor for absorption, but even then, some insoluble things do get thru. Giving highly lipophilic drugs with a fatty meal, can help absorption of this type.

I have not been aware of drugs needing acid to be absorbed...I wonder who told you that.

In fact long term use of PPI drugs leads to gas and more reflux.
This is because the protein you eat is not digested properly and is fermented by bacteria in the intestine instead forming gas.
The gas then come back up or down depending along with diarrhea for some people. This is why those side effects are listed for those drugs. Gas coming back up as a belch, will also reflux food if it is present.

well it wasnt a firmly held belief about stomach acid, it was just a theory that it was causing medications to become less effective. i was just having trouble sleeping, and looking for a reason for this.

There is an antacid that coats the esophagus and is useful for resistant heartburn. It is called Gaviscon. If you don't have warnings on your pill bottles, about calcium etc, you can try this before bedtime. It usually does the trick for many people.

Insomnia is listed for all the PPI meds in that family as a side effect. I tried looking for the mechanism and could not find it.

Just having an upset stomach can cause sleep disturbances. I have a birth defect of the GI tract that when it starts, begins with insomnia, before I feel the cramping which comes later.

yah i mean i much rather not take gaviscon every night, instead of a PPI. because the PPI seems to be able to take away the spasms ive been having, and im trying to live with the insomnia. i mean before i even started taking the PPI i had insomnia. so like i said it was just a "theory" that it would be causing insomnia. i actually didn't see insomnia listed as a common side effect for PPI meds.

PPIs do nothing for spasms. They only reduce the secretion of acid.

What happens sometimes is that chronic irritation of the esophagus leads to a spasm there. By using an antacid for a week or so,this may heal up and stop. You may not need the Gaviscon every day after that.

Some drugs are irritating too. If you take your medications at night, you might consult your doctor and ask if you can take them in the daytime instead. Or take at least one hour before you lie down, and make sure you drink enough water with them.
The stomach has a mucus coat to protect it, but the esophagus does not. So some drugs may actually be irritating you.

hmm, not completely sold on using an antacid for a week, and then not using it. cause with me calcium carbonate doesn't seem to really help out my heartburn. I read somewhere that antacids aren't effective for heartburn, as you may need more and more of them, and they are just a temporary solution. and they cause heartburn to come back more and more worse when they do come back. not that PPIs don't do that. but my ENT doctor, who looked down the back of my throat said that my heartburn, or my stomach acid, is causing the spasms.

maybe i just need to cut back on the dosage of the PPI, cause I am taking 40 mg which was prescribed. but, they do have a 20 mg dosage. I didnt find anything that said PPIs can cause insomnia.

Gaviscon is not like other antacids. It sticks to and coats the esophagus.
This is how it works:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001145.html

It is a unique product and very effective.

I'm wondering what all this means. i tried my best to absorb the merck with the ionizing and unionzing. it seems a bit complicated. and what if anything, my poor tolerability of aspirin has to do with this.

everytime i take aspirin, i feel like it really does a number on my throat, it's hard to describe but it causes an immediate weakening of me, along with crepitus in my throat region. and i end up having trouble sleeping the night, and so for a few days i don't feel myself.

i hate having to deal with this stuff, and having to go through doc after doc, just to have him kick me out of the office, with his payment in hand. I know that there's just this truth out there that they haven't gotten to yet.

because u know when there's something wrong, and ive known since about 7 years back and i think i can pretty much tell the difference between somatic and non somatic. hell, i even read 'house of god', in which the whole point of the whole story was that none of us are sick, we're just in need of love and I also tried to get into a hypochondriac study just to cancel out some variables.

Just take my word for it.... drugs do not need acid to be absorbed. In fact the acid in the stomach can interfere with some drugs (peptide types, etc). Some drugs are enteric coated for this reason. Some nutrients do need acid environment for absorption, and acid is needed to digest protein.

Crepitus is the sound that joints make when they are grinding against each other. The clicking you hear when you swallow is from your eustachian tubes trying to equalize the pressure for the middle ear.

If you have problems swallowing, often, or feel weak all over, you should be evaluated for Myasthenia gravis. I'd suggest you read our forum here. There are several men who participate who can help you find appropriate medical interventions, tests.
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder where the antibodies attack the neuromuscular junction, and produce weakness.

right, my doctor just ordered a cervical xray, and bloodwork as i was having trouble swallowing and he wrote that on the order. i think he was checking acetycholine values, cbc, and ck