Q: I am a 30 years old man having anxiety and acidity problem for more than a year. I am taking homeopathic treatment along with Rabiprazole for acidity and Etizolam for anxiety. Off late, I have started feeling that when I have hyperacidity, my heart beat goes down even lower than 60 bpm most of the times but when I take both the allopathic medicines the condition tends to get fine for sometime. Is there any correlation between acidity leading to slow heartbeat? Also, after taking the medicines I get lots of burps and a feel that something has stuck in my throat. As per the homeopathic doctor my acidity leads to a breathing problem, which leads me to panic (anxiety). Can you suggest any herbal method to control acidity, as I am allergic to a lot of foods? I am already avoiding fatty, fried and pre-cooked food and I am very much aware of what to avoid. Can you suggest me some home remedies and help me not to take an acid medicine?

A:I note that your symptoms are mainly related to acid peptic disorder and an anxiety state. In fact it is well established that acid related symptoms are aggravated by anxiety or depression. At the outset, you should have a proper medical check up to find out your exact problem. This will need certain blood tests and an upper GI endoscopy. If there is an organic problem such as GE reflux, peptic ulcer, gastritis, etc, then it needs to be treated accordingly. If your evaluation comes out to be normal, then it is highly likely that your symptoms are related to your state of anxiety.

I do not think that you should take a combination of allopathic, homeopathic and herbal drugs. Stick to any one form of therapy, follow some life-style changes, do regular exercises, de-stress yourself, do yoga or involve yourself in some sporting activity.