I'd like to know what PPI/H2 therapy has been effective and not effective for you. It will be very helpful to have one thread where we can objectively see which drugs have been the most useful. Please provide the following information:

1. Your condition: GERD or LPR

2. Drug therapy that works: Name of medication, and dosage schedule (1x or two times per day, taken together, or separated into morning/night dosages).
How effective is the drug therapy at relieving your sympotms? How long have you been on the effective drug therapy? How long did it take for this drug to relieve your symptoms?

3. Drug therapies that have not worked for you, including dosages.

I'll start:

1. I have LPR (really really bad before meds). My worst problem was a severe, unrelenting chronic cough. I reflux during the day when I am upright and the symptoms stop when I am lying down at night.

2. Nexium is very effective for me. I take 2 doses a day (40 mg per dose). I take the 2 doses together, first thing in the morning. I have tried separating the doses (1 at night 1 in the morning) and my symptoms come back. I give Nexium an A+ for effectiveness - it relieves about 95% of my symptoms. I get some breakthrough symptoms when I eat baddie foods or do stomach crunches. I've been on the Nexium regimen for 4 years and it still works incredibly well. I first started taking Nexium at the 1 pill a day level 4 1/2 years ago for 6 months, and it did not relieve any symptoms at this dosage level. On the very day I started taking 2 pills together 4 years ago, my symptoms cleared up in 30 minutes - almost instant recovery.

3. After already being treated successfully with Nexium, I experimented with the (significantly cheaper) Prilosec. All my symptoms returned within 45 days, even after increasing the dosage to 4 pills a day. I also tried Protonix 2x per day, and about 75% of my symptoms came back. I switched back to Nexium after that.

My Condition: Still Undiagnosed - possible stomach ulcer

Drug Therapy: Aciphex and Protonix
Both worked the same to relieve the burning. Also stopping medication that was irritating whatever inside. Then the medications started helping. in about 2 weeks. Can't stand the night mares though

Drug Therapies that didn't work: The over the counter Zantac didn't work as well as the PPI's. I stopped taking PPI's for a few days and the burning returned with nausea.

After suffering for over 3 years with shortness of breath, hoarseness, breathing discomfort, chest pain, cough, and various other symptoms, and after seeing 2 pulmonologists, a cardiologist, and an ENT, who couldn't figure out what was wrong (one of them told me to go see a psychiatrist), I finally figured out that I have LPRD. Thank goodness for Google!

I have been on Omeprazole (Prilosec) for 2 months. I've been taking 20mg one hour before breakfast and 20mg one hour before dinner. Most of my symptoms are gone now, but I still get what I call "breakthrough" reflux sometimes, and I still have a sore throat. I'm a singer, and the sore throat is a real problem.

After reading Aswander's postings, I've decided to try taking 40 mg once a day instead. If that doesn't help, I will switch to Nexium.

I would like to thank Aswander for her excellent postings. This group is lucky to have her. She knows what she's talking about.

been diagnosed with GERD and a hiatal hernia. in the process of test for LPR. the top of my esophagus is swollen along with an enlarged thyroid so swallowing is a challenge. tried them all : nexium, prilosec, zantac (when it was still prescription) carafate. have taken prevacid for years. usually one a day but now that something is acting up dr. told me to start 2 a day. have had some relief withing days.

1) GERD

2) I take Prevacid (30mg) once a day. On occassions when my heartburn is really bad I bump it up to twice a day.

3) Nexium worked a little for me but not as good as Prevacid. OTC meds didn't put much of a dent in my problem at all.

Aswander,
You said you tried taking 4 Prilosec a day at one point. How did you take them - 40 mg (2 pills) at a time, twice a day? 20 mg twice a day isn't working for me, and 40 mg once a day isn't working either. I can't get in to see my doctor for another week, and I'd like to bump up my dose in the interim. I'm just not sure what to try.
Thanks.

1. GERD
2. 40mg of Nexium 1x per day. Very effective and after 7weeks I have decided to try and go off of this. I just wonder what shutting down the digestive systems "food processer" any longer would do to me-in the long run.

I'll let you all know how this goes.:D

Kstory,

I take 2 doses of Nexium each morning. I take the pills together, and each pill ist 40 mg - so I am taking a total of 80 mg of Nexium. This lasts about 14 hours or so, and I can usually sleep comfortably without another dose at bedtime. If I have any breakthrough symptoms in the evening, I take 1 Zegerid dose (pill form). I suppose I could take more Nexium, but that gets a little expensive and my insurance will only pay for 2 doses per day max.

I have since discovered that I can also use 2 Zegerid in the morning instead of the 2 Nexium and achieve the same results. Since I find the only negative side effect of the Zegerid is that it is more drying than the Nexium, I'm sticking to the the Nexium regimen in the morning. But I like having options.

Gerd last scope showed a 5mm erosion in the cardia area..

Aciphex was a miracle drug quit after 18 months.Since than I have tried and switched diffrent PPI's,some seem to fizzle out or never work at all.I akso have panic disorder so this dosent help..
Zegerid can work great somedays nothing others,bland diet head raised wait to a few hours after eating to sleep..

Im on Carafate now a little over a month on very bad days I take mylanta..
So i guess only 2 have have worked Aciphex Zegerid..both in and out..
lookin at the nissen option..thanks guys..