Chris Kresser: Paula asked, “Do you think it’s possible for someone who was taking PPIs for many years to become hypersensitive to [them] and then actually have hypersensitive ___ [34:59], then actually [have] stomach acid functioning in their stomach?”
I wouldn’t put it exactly that way. What I would say is I think that PPIs reduce stomach acid production. That’s their whole purpose, but that then creates an environment that’s hospitable for bacterial overgrowth, and then that bacterial overgrowth can cause gas production in the small intestine that can reflux back into the stomach and then press on a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter, and whatever little acid is in the stomach can get up into the esophagus. That’s my current guess for what’s going on there.