I would love to hear which one works best for you and how often and for how long you take it!

Thanks everyone!!!!! :wave:

All the stuff I have read seems to show that Nexium is the best. I have used Prilosec, Zantac, Prevacid, Aciphex and Protonix at various times in the past. I used them to help avoid problems when I take NSAIDs. My wife has had GERD for several years and now takes Nexium with good results.

She had stopped responding to Prilosec and Prevacid so Nexium was the next choice.

Zantac and Prilosec are OTC now. You should be able to try those and see how you do. All except Zantac are PPI - proton pump inhibitors.

I was max doses of Protonix. Didn't really help. Now I'm on Nexium twice daily and it work excellent for me.

Isn't Nexium only once a day? How long can people be on the Nexium at one time?

I am to take twice a day. Thats what my doctors have me on. I've been on it for about 3 months now. They plan to keepme on it for awhile yet.

To be honest if you have severe cases, none of them really work that well.I have been on every popular one and none of them worked for me. Upon the recomendation of others on the bords I strated taking Magnessium oxide and It works wonders for me.

You can't tell how severe GERD is by symptoms . Often the symptoms are much worse than what the test results indicate .

Everyone reacts differently to PPIS -- it's an individual thing. One person may have great results on one particular drug-- but that same drug may not help another person at all. It's trial and error.

Just to add to the disscussion I was on em all but now Aciphix and that seems to work best for me? Any others?
HAp

From what i've heard, there is no best one for everyone, each formulation is a little different and each person responds differently to the meds. I tried them all and protonix was the only one that actually worked for me. \

I would recommend asking your doc for samples before you fill a scrip. I filled a scrip for prilosec, nexium and one other before i got to protonix, that's three co-pays before i even got the right med!

To be honest if you have severe cases, none of them really work that well.I have been on every popular one and none of them worked for me. Upon the recomendation of others on the bords I strated taking Magnessium oxide and It works wonders for me.

How much magnesium oxide are you taking? I'm taking 250mg a day along with Nexium (40mg) and was getting great relief from symptoms. Now, however, the GERD symptoms are coming back. I'm just curious if you were taking mega doses of the magnesium oxide.

no, not taking any of that.

I've been on Prevacid, Nexium, Prilosec, and Zantac (not to mention about a million other stomach meds). All these meds, except Zantac, are proton pump inhibitors. My doctor said they are all very similar, but slightly different, and all good. He said whatever works for you is the best. None work for me. Right now I'm on Prevacid 30 mg twice a day, just because my doctor didn't want me off ppis.

I am on Locec 20mg 1x per day and my symptoms are 90-100 percent gone. Can very a little day to day. Sandra It,s aso a PPI

I'm on my 3rd week of free sample of nexium and so far no relief and I've tried all others. I also have Barrett's esophagus with no cell changes thank heavens but at this rate of no healing what next? Surgery is the last option and I've tried all the pills along with all the otc to go with them. It's caused small damage to my air ways, lungs, throat and who knows what else after only 6 months of it. I hope Dr gives me more free samples.....I don't want to pay through the nose for something that doesn't work.

I have been on Nexium for about a month now. I have a hiatal hernia and the gerd symptoms associated with it. I went to a chiropractor to try to see if he could massage it down as described in another post. This particular person didn't seem to know how to do it and I was wasting alot of $ in just copays. The nexium seems to be working but I'm worried about the long term use of it. I get some stomach pain but I don't know if its the Nexium or my diet. Has anyone been on this for a long time without any negative side effects? I just turned 40 and I hate to have to be on this for the rest of my life. Any Suggestions....MDB :)

my Pharmacist did say that she knew of many people on it long term and that Nexium is one of the safest drugs to take. My only question is, Isn't Nexium fairly new? Is this going to be a turnout like Vioxx was and will Nexium eventually be realled because it took all that time to figure out that Nexium really did more damage than good? That's what I worry about with new meds.

Iv'e been on Protonix for 2 years and maybe once had gerd.
works great for me 40 mgs. i was in the hospital when i found out i had acid reflux disease. thought i was having a heart attack.

Was on zantac 150 2 x a day for bout 20 yrs,had a second child and for some reason it stopped working.Doc then put me on prevacid 2 x a day worked like a charm.Take care.

my Pharmacist did say that she knew of many people on it long term and that Nexium is one of the safest drugs to take. My only question is, Isn't Nexium fairly new? Is this going to be a turnout like Vioxx was and will Nexium eventually be realled because it took all that time to figure out that Nexium really did more damage than good? That's what I worry about with new meds.

From what I understand, nexium is basically the same thing as Prilosec. The drug company's patent expired on Prilosec, so they needed a new cash cow, therefore Nexium was created. No, I am not a conspiracy nut, or anti-drug company. I have heard this from pharmacists and medical professionals.

I've been on Prilosec's gen. off spring, Omeprazole for almost 2 years now. It works great for me, better then Nexium did anyway. I really did not like the way Nexium made me feel but, it did seem to help just the same. In the past I've been known to not take it on the weekends and let me tell you, by Monday morning I'm right back to square one and swear that I'll never miss a dose again.

The only side effect I've had with it is a missed heart beat, well, really my heart beats and then beats again before it's time to so I guess it's a fast beat but anyway, it only does it twice a minute or so and I have had no ill effects from it. The info that came with my prescript for it said that maybe a side effect and that is the only one I have from it.

Now, on the other hand, my brother-in-law cannot take Prilosec because he is allergic to it.

On yet another hand, my dad takes prevacid (spelling?) and that works great for him. As other posts have said, it all depends on the person and what works best for that person and getting free samples is the best thing to do before getting a prescript for something that may not work or may made matters worse.

-M

I was diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus 3 years ago and was told that I had to have an endoscopy done every 2 years to make sure those pre-cancer cells did not turn into the real thing! I was put on Aciphex back then and it's workeded very well (no heartburn at all unless I eat too much chocolate) then I pop a Tums in my mouth. I had a grandfather who died of esophageal cancer so I want to keep on top of this thing. Long story short - my insurance company has decided that I don't need the Aciphex anymore. I was told that once you have Barrett's that it has to be treated for the rest of your life. Can an insurance company just say "no" to paying for meds someone really needs? I'm still waiting on their reply but I know that these over-the-counter meds are not nearly as affective as the prescriptions ones. If I don't take the meds, I get horrible heart burn, I lose my voice (it gets real hoarse) and I sometimes get choked on the reflux. It's all very scarey and annoying!!!!! Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I may be able to do? Thank you!

I bought a set of 6" bed risers and raised the head of my bed. I sleep on a slant but I don't even notice it.
fly

I guess that we're talking about American brands of certain drugs, because I don't recognise the names (except Zantac and doctors don't generally prescibe that hear, it's OTC.)

I'm in the UK and have found the both Lanzoprazole (Zoton) and Omoprazole work about the same for me. I get about 80% relief from them, but have to self medicate, depending on symtoms and what I intend to eat..... For example when I go to the movies I know that a bag of sweets (that's candy, my USA friends, lol) will give me aweful reflux, so an extra dose of my PPI 90 minutes beforehand will allow this naughty indulgance (I don't drink alcohol, coffee or Smoke, so give me a break.) ;)

However I'm having a fundo soon as I don't like that I need such high doses of drugs (3 x 20mg Omoprazole a day) for only 80% relief! Bring on the knife!!!

Does anyone know if the Zantac 300 can be broken in half? My insurance quit paying for the 150 and it helped. The doc gave me 300 and told me to break it in half but not sure if you should.

Just to add to the disscussion I was on em all but now Aciphix and that seems to work best for me? Any others?
HAp


Hap,

My Mom was just put on AciPhex (they believe the Protonix rendered itself ineffective). After 4 days, she feels just as bad. How long for this to take effect? How many mg are you on, twice a day?

Thanks!

Lori

Does anyone know if the Zantac 300 can be broken in half? My insurance quit paying for the 150 and it helped. The doc gave me 300 and told me to break it in half but not sure if you should.
==================
hi Tex,
I have read in many many places, folks break pills in half.

If inner contents tend to spill, use mashed slice of bread, like rubber sheet for texture, as a wrapper. But do it without touching it at all, since fingers carry germs.

I am on Locec 20mg 1x per day and my symptoms are 90-100 percent gone. Can very a little day to day. Sandra It,s aso a PPI


Losec is Nexium, I believe. It's omperazole. Prevacid is lansoprazole.

I have tried practically all of the meds: Zantac, Prevacid, Nexium, etc. etc.

Personally the one I have found the best is Ranitidine 150 mg (one tab per day). Zantac 75 is exactly the same as Ranitidine, only 1/2 the strength. Ranitidine puts out the "fire" or heartburn better than the PPI's -- my observation. (I found Nexium better than Prevacid/Prilosec, as far the the PPI's were concerned).

ALL of them seem to slow down the digestive process, I find, which is a paradox ........

Just to add to the disscussion I was on em all but now Aciphix and that seems to work best for me? Any others?
HAp


Hap,

My Mom, who suffers from extreme reflux and hiatal hernia just recently switched to AciPhex, after her Protonix rendered itself ineffective (so says the GI Dr.). After two weeks on AciPhex, 20 mg, twice daily, it hasn't done all that much, and Dr. has now suggested going on it THREE times a day. Has anyone been on this type of high dosage before?

He also says to take a Pepcid once before bedtime.

Thanks!

Lori

I took Protonix for a few months and it worked wonders for me. I had 0 heartburn the entire time. I ran out of the sample doctor stuff and now my heartburn has returned so hoping to get back on it.

Nexium worked the best BY FAR for me.

I take Protonix, 1 pill a day and I am still on the samples. It has been ok for me however, I NEED to stick with taking it everyday. I tend to get a little lazy and not take it everyday and wondering why it's not working, lol.

Zantac isn't a PPI, it's an H2 blocker. That is why it "puts out the fire faster." Because it's meant to work quickly. PPIs take up to a week to work, but generally work better.

Ranitidine is Zantac.

For me I take 30mg of Prevacid twice a day. I take up to 300 mg of Zantac up to twice a day as needed. I also take reglan as needed.

I can't afford something like prilosec or nexium, the student pharmacy doesn't carry them.

I also pepto bismal as needed, and I take fiber. Slowly increasing fiber intake is good for bowel problems and supposed to be good for the digestive tract overall.

Kyethra, how does Reglan work for you? I was on it for about four months, and it was absolute hell. I had a ton of side effects, and never remembered to take it at the right times.

Well I only take it as needed. And it helps me keep stuff done. Rather than get the heartburn on the meds, I get mostly the reflux. On my 24 hour probe the dr. said that my stomach was incredibly acidic (60% more than it should be and that was already on 30mg on prevacid in the morning) and that when I registered the GERD activity it was the bile comming back up.

Reglan increases stomache motility so it helps move things out faster. Diarrhea is one of the potential side effects, but I find it actually helps me with that.

I also tend to gag on mucus sometimes and then start retching. On a bad day the reglan will help move the stuff out and then there is less to retch up and it breaks the cycle that otherwise seems to occure (the more I retch the more I gag, and then the more I gag the worse it gets and I throw up a little bit half a dozen times, etc).

I take 10-20mg at one time.

When I went on it it was after a pH probe that showed a ton of reflux. The pH probe was done on 80 mg of Nexium a day, so something needed to be added. I was put on Reglan, 40 mg a day (maybe why I had more side effects than you), and was not told that it could be used as needed, but that it was something I should be on all the time. I am just starting to get heartburn. Before that it was all vomiting and refluxing. I also have asthma that is a billion times worse when I am refluxing all the time.

thats usually my first sign to look at reflux problems- the asthma.

I have heard bad things about being on reglan all the time-- aparently I was on reglan as a baby and had a bad reaction to it. I always approach new meds cautiously and I would not want to be on reglan all the time because of potential side effects such as fatigue and so forth.

I had major fatigue! Oh my gosh, I slept all the time. I also had terrible headaches, and was getting really depressed. My dose was cut in half and then I went off it completely. It's a relief! It didn't help much anyways because of the weird timing required. Anyways, I typically use Phenergen or Compazine to get me through bad patches, and it does okay.

Have you considered going on a higher dose of Prevacid? I'm on 60mg a day.

I am also on 60 a day. Not familar with phenergen or compazine though.

I'd really like to get a consultation about enteryx, GP thought that was worth pursuing.

After being diagnosed with reflux after a Barium swallow (and a three-month sore thorat) I was prescribed Omeprazole (20mg day) and started sessions with a speech therapist here in the UK to hopefully get my oesophagus working again! Omeprazole stopped my acid immediately - no ore heartburn or nasty tatse in mouth. BUT after 4-5 weeks I began to get groin pain, lower backache and Gynecomastia (tender, slightly enlraged breasts) - all worrying symptoms for a male (can all be testicular cancer related - had doctor check 'downstairs' and he was satisfied that nothing was wrong). Reading the insert, all of these symptoms were also listed as side effects from Omeprazole (albeit 'rare'). Groin pain went after a couple of weeks and I stopped taking the Omeprazole for a week but the acid came back so went back onto them. Symptoms all receded after about ten days but came back after a week or so. Have now been on 30mg of Lansprazole a day for a week - fingers crossed but all PPIs have similar effects so I'm not getting my hopes up. Anyway, so although these side effects are listed as rare, they do happen - a friend of my family (female) suffered exactly the same symptoms as me on Omeprazole - how 'rare' is that? I've posted another listing to find out if anyomne else has suffered the same!

Phenergan and compazine are anti-emetics used to treat nausea. I have them because nausea is a major reflux symptom for me.