On prevacid two times daily, stopped working - help - Acid Reflux / GERD Message Board

KellyCz · 01-01-2009, 02:30 PM

Hi all,
I have never posted on this board before, but I am hoping someone can help me. Here is a short version of what I have been dealing with:
I started having reflux problems around 2006, after gaining a substantial amount of weight. (Close to 60 lbs. in a few months, due to medications I was on at the time.) I was having almost constant heartburn/reflux at that time, so I went to the doctor who told me to take Prilosec OTC. That was ineffective, so because of my insurance (medicaid) she referred me to a GI specialist who was asked to do a scope on me, but never did. She ended up trying a two medication combination of Prevacid 2x daily and Zantac 300 mg. at night, to prevent nighttime episodes of reflux. This worked for about a year, so I stopped seeing the GI doc.

Then, in late 2007, the pharmacy I use told me I could not keep taking so much of the same type of medication, and started refusing to fill both meds to be taken at the same time. I had to choose, and I chose the prevacid because it is the one I knew was working the best. Everything was fine, aside from occasional breakthrough reflux problems for the next 6 months.

In May of 2008, I started having almost constant heartburn again, and basically stopped being able to eat almost everything without being miserable/vomiting afterwards. Once again, I went to my primary doctor, who said, after a hidascan that my gallbladder was barely functioning and that this was probably where my symptoms were coming from. I had my gallbladder removed in late June 2008, and was even able to reduce my prevacid to once a day dosing of 30 mg. before breakfast. In October of 2008, I had too much "breakthrough reflux" and my doctor increased the prevacid to 2x daily again.

Up until a few weeks ago, it was working fine. Right now, I am having almost constant burning/reflux again. I do plan to go to the doctor when they open again after the holiday, probably Monday, but until then I am miserable. Whatever I eat ends up causing reflux, including bland foods. I have not gained any more weight, if anything have lost some. I am so sick of this, and I am afraid my primary care doctor will refer me back to the GI, who did nothing for me to speak of. I really don't know why this is happening and I would really like to. My question I guess is where do we go from here? Anyone have a similar story to mine whose reflux was previously well controlled with meds, and now it isn't? The issue with trying other medicines was previously that I only had medicaid (and anyone with it knows that they are notorious for not being flexible.) Now, I have medicare D that covers my prescriptions....will my choices for medicines to try be any better? I would really like to hear others' experiences with this. Thank you, and I apologize for this being so long.

Kelly

greg1x · 01-02-2009, 11:30 AM

Greetings Kelly, Thius is the exact regimen I have been on for over 3 years. To be blunt, who the ... does your pharmacist think he/she is ? I am a dentist by the way , so know plenty about pharmacology. This combination is safe.If your doctor gave you the prescription I do not belive the pharmacist can refuse to fill them. Now, your insurance may very well refuse to pay for more than one Prevacid a day, like mine did. You could take 2 of the over the counter Zantac 150mg like I do. Good luck.
greg

Quote:

Originally Posted by KellyCz

Hi all,
She ended up trying a two medication combination of Prevacid 2x daily and Zantac 300 mg. at night, to prevent nighttime episodes of reflux. This worked for about a year, so I stopped seeing the GI doc.

Then, in late 2007, the pharmacy I use told me I could not keep taking so much of the same type of medication, and started refusing to fill both meds to be taken at the same time. I had to choose, and I chose the prevacid n.

Kelly

KellyCz · 01-02-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaugreg1x

Greetings Kelly, Thius is the exact regimen I have been on for over 3 years. To be blunt, who the ... does your pharmacist think he/she is ? I

Hi there, thanks for the reply. I don't know. The pharmacist told me that the only time they see people taking both meds is when they have an active ulcer, which I don't know if I have, because I swear the GI doctor did not do anything for me but look at me funny.As I said in my previous post, she did not scope me, which was the main reason my PCP did not just handle it herself. The GI told me I did not have to keep coming to GI clinic (since I live out of town and last she saw me the meds were working.) Since then, I have been back to my PCP 2 or more times with reflux issues, so obviously it doesn't work to take just the prevacid. I forgot Zantac was over the counter too, I will try that.

As for insurance, my medicare D pays for 2 prevacids a day, but I think my doctor had to explain why I needed the two, and once she did they were fine with it. I do remember that medicaid had issues with it, but what don't they have issues with? Anyway, thanks for your reply.

Kelly

greg1x · 01-02-2009, 05:28 PM

I do not have an ulcer, and my gastroenterologist recommnended this combo. You are lucky that medicare pays for 2 a day. Blue Cross will not pay for 2 a day under any circumstance. I am lucky my gi doc loads me up with samples/ Prevacid 30 mg costs close to $5 per capsule.
Greg

Quote:

Originally Posted by KellyCz

Hi there, thanks for the reply. I don't know. The pharmacist told me that the only time they see people taking both meds is when they have an active ulcer,
As for insurance, my medicare D pays for 2 prevacids a day,
Kelly

suzyshop1 · 02-06-2009, 12:58 AM

Im sorry to hear bout your situation.Sometimes after taking a medication so long it can start to lose its effectiveness.When my reflux first started i was put on tagamet.Its and older drug,took care of my problem pretty much for yrs.Then i switched doctors ,who decided to put me on zantac.I stayed on it for bout 5 yrs then i started to have break thru episodes.Then i was switched to prevacid where ive been on it for bout 5yrs now.If it starts not to work the next drug for me to try would be either protonix or nexium,then i would be at the end of the line.Lucky for me prevacid is still helping me.Take care.