HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Do we all avoid soft cheese?

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/25/2011 12:36 PM (GMT 0)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20429970

I've just remembered that when I first went on antacid medication I stopped having soft cheese, as I wondered about the risk of listeria (which stomach acid would kill). And yet I've never been given any official advice to avoid particular foods (soft cheese or sushi for example) due to being on antacid medication (nor have I ever been told by a doctor to avoid spicy food, alcohol or coffee, so no surprise there........).

So I'm wondering - does everyone avoid soft cheese or is the risk actually small? The link above points out there is a link between listeria infection and antacid medication (and amusingly reports that of those patients with listeria who had recently been in hospital, the hospital food was the source smhair


MMM
Posted 9/25/2011 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
MMM,

To be honest with you, I was never told anything about the meds by a Dr. either other then the info that was enclosed with the prescription.  I have been eating cheese all along.

Thanks for the post.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 9/25/2011 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
seems to me the key is whether or not a patient is just lowering stomach acid or eliminating it

i have read that often gi docs prescribe doses of PPIs intended to drive a patient into a state of hypoclorhydria, where there is low stomach acid, but still enuf acid to get break down some proteins and get somewhat normal action out of reduced hcl

in other cases gi docs prescribe so much ppi for a patient that they intentionally (or otherwise) drive them into a state called aclorhydria

it would seem to me that moderate hypoclorhydria may allow for eating salad, cheese washed fruit etc, but aclohydria would put a person at significant risk of gi infection eating uncooked foods

this is "guestimation" on my part, i cant cite a study
Posted 9/25/2011 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
Kitt, it's only soft cheese that has the listeria risk. There's no mention on the Lansoprazole leaflet either.

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000306
This article says they expect to see more cases of Listeria due to increasing numbers of vulnerable people (due to their medication or other illnesses): -

"As disease patterns change in Asia, gastric and duodenal ulcer diseases are increasing and more people are taking H2 antagonists and proton pump inhibitors reducing the potential protective acidity of the stomach."

Scarily, the cite a case of Listeria meningitis. But it's hard to determine what the actual risk is. I guess we're more susceptable to other infections like salmonella too.........

MMM
Posted 9/26/2011 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi MMM,

I've been on PPI's for 15+ years and eating soft cheese throughout that time. 

I would think that the risk is very small. 

Good luck with your quest for answers!

Denise

Posted 9/26/2011 8:18 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Denise, that's reassuring. Maybe it's one of those relative risk things, where the theoretical risk exists but you require a particular 'alignment of the planets' to get struck down by it!! Also, maybe it's OK if the cheese is made from pasteurised milk?

MMM
Posted 9/26/2011 9:04 AM (GMT 0)
All cheeses (soft or otherwise) are made from pasteurized milk & laboratory tested to World Health Food safety standards before being released for sale.

Most contamination occurs after packaging through poor hygiene during food preparation. If you follow the 4 C's - Clean, cook, cover & chill when handling food then I think the risks would be very small.
Posted 9/26/2011 12:05 PM (GMT 0)
MMM-
I have been on and off PPIs for about 14 years and have had no issues or had any warnings from doctors about staying away from soft cheeses. You may be on to something about the pasteurised milk.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 9/27/2011 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi MMM,

The soft cheese warning applies to pregnant women now.  My DIL didn't eat soft cheese while pregnant per request of her OB/GYN.  It's amazing we ever survived pregnancy and had children who survived, considering how many new rules and regulations there are!

Good luck with your quest!

Denise

Posted 9/27/2011 9:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise, yes it was from the pregnancy advice that I knew there was a risk. And no honey for infants in case of botulism .... Etc etc

Maybe I'll contact the drug company and see what they say about ppis and listeria!

MMM
Posted 9/27/2011 4:38 PM (GMT 0)
I'm with Denise.... it's amazing we ever survived to be adults with all the warnings and regulations now. LOL!

Take care,
Bill
Posted 9/29/2011 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
MMM,

Just heard on the news that there is a similar threat from cantelope.  Go figure.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/27/health/main20112512.shtml

smhair  Denise

Posted 9/29/2011 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
"Ain't it true", Bill? 

 Fancy cribs, sleeping babies on backs, no more baby walkers, WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!  I'm old enough to have been driven around in cars without seatbelts!  We used to ride in the back of the station wagon.  My baby brother's car seat was just slung over the middle of the front seat so he'd get a good view out the windshield!  I'm not saying we should go back there, but I do wonder sometimes how we or our kids survived. yeah It's a little overboard at times.

Denise

Posted 9/29/2011 7:27 AM (GMT 0)
Yikes - glad I'm allergic to melon!!

800 cases of listeria per year - I guess the risk to the individual is small. I suppose the Health Police just feel they have to give strong advice for avoidable risks . .

My hubby remembers sleeping in the footwell in the car when he was little too!

MMM
Posted 9/29/2011 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
MMM,

I will be interested in hearing more about your search for answers regarding soft cheese.  (According to the article, deli meats are another big culprit.  Do PPI users avoid them as well?)  Have you asked your GI doc?

I think it's good to be made aware of the risks, however I would think that if it was a really big threat it would have been in discussion more widely.  I'm sure it's not a new issue.

Thanks for the info.

Denise

Posted 9/29/2011 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise
I've emailed the company that import the Lansoprazole I take. Not very hopeful of a reply, but will wait and see.

MMM
Posted 9/30/2011 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi MMM,

Because of the cantelope problem, they had a doctor on the Today Show.  She mentioned the soft cheese issue for pregnancy, and said it was fine to eat soft cheese as long as it was stated in the ingredients that it was made from pasturized milk. 

 I looked and saw that of the soft cheeses I had in the fridge, the cottage cheese, camembert cheese, and brie all had "pasturized milk" as the first ingredient.  My gorgonzola cheese did not.

FYI...thought you might like that bit of information!

Denise

Posted 9/30/2011 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
Ah OK, so the pasteurization process kills listeria. So presumably we're OK so long as we're buying from main outlets, but perhaps we should be careful if buying products from farmer's markets etc.

Funny how the answer came up on TV - well spotted!!

MMM
Posted 10/1/2011 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
MMM,

The doc said to check labels, and as long as the label lists "Pasturized Milk" as the ingredient used, it's fine.  It's just that we aren't to assume it's made with pasturized milk unless it's explicitly listed.

turn  At least that gives some guidance.  Makes sense.

Have a great weekend!

Denise

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply