Hello All!!

These boards have been a life saver for me lately.

Can anyone tell me some of the rather 'odd' side effects that you may have had that you attribute to the PPI you were taking:confused:

I developed upper chest tightness and breathing problems as well as severe tightness and cramping around my stomach and esophogus with an hour of eating?? At least I am assuming these are from the PPI because I never had ANY OF it before I had been on my PPI for 5+ days.

THANKS!

When I was taking Nexium I felt like I had the flu. After I stopped taking it the side effects disappeared.

Hello :)

How long were you on the Nexium? How long did it take to feel better?

Thanks :)

I had similiar side effects with Prevacid (chest pain, tightness), I also had bad side effects from Aciphex (hair falling out, always thirsty and "thick" tongued). Zantac has been okay for me, at this point I only use it when it gets really bad...I am trying really hard to do things with diet and stress/anxiety control (not that I am doing too great of a job, but I really had a rough time with the meds).
Good Luck to you!
Crazy

Which PPI are you using? I think my favorites have been Aciphex and Prolosec.

roxcyn

I was on Prilosec OTC (thank you Crazylife - it helps to know someone else had my side effects). I have been given Prevacid to try but am afraid. I use Pepcid A/C but does not seem strong enough.

I have modified my diet 100% -- I really think what is causing my acid problem is the HBP medication that I take (Toprol).

Maybe I should try Zantac?

Thanks for your replies!

I was on toprol whe this all started and they switched me to lotrel still no difference.

Hello :)

How long were you on the Nexium? How long did it take to feel better?

Thanks :)

I took Nexium for 6 weeks. It did nothing for my LPR so the dr. told me to stop.

Thank you for the information.

I am so sorry Chalupa - you sound like you are still really suffering.... No relief for you yet???

I think being on Toprol for 4 years has caused this horrible acid problem that started for me suddenly in October -- not getting better.

I am not sure if the breathing problems are from the Toprol - the acid reflux, both - or if I have developed asthma. I am terrified every single day and not feeling any better.

VANESSA74,
I no how you feel i can't breath right all day long. It is destroying my life and my family. Im also dizzy all day long like i am falling and my head hurts and banging inmy left ear alll day.

Chalupa,

I am so sorry for your suffering and I so wish your Drs. could find a cure? What are your breathing problems like? Have you ever gone to the ER thinking you were having an asthma attack? What did they do for you there?

My breathing problems (that my Dr. feels is from GERD and my pulmonologist feels is asthma??????) -- are tightness across my upper and lower chest, difficulty breathing, tightness across my back and upper chest that feels like someone is squeezing me, :(feeling like all of sudden I cannot breath. Sometimes I cough but never any wheezing (so far anyway) -- the tightness comes and goes but for the last 11 days it has been constant and is becoming unbearable.... I tried my rescue inhaler today - and it helped me cough up some stuff (yuck) -- but did NOT Help me breath any better??? I am so scared that by the time they figure out what is wrong it will be too late.

I HATE HATE HATE living like this. I am supposed to start taking Prevacid for the acid but I am scared because Prilosec OTC created new breathing issues for me????:(

I have been to many lung docters and they said it is not asthma. I have it all day long now. It feels like i can't breath through my mouth. Like something is holding my chest and throat. The asthma meds do not work fo me because it isn't asthma. I never had any reflux in my life till i woke up and couldn't breath.

Have you ever had breathing episodes that landed you in the ER -- would being on O2 help?

Do your breathing tests come back normal?

Did ANY of the PPI's help at all????

I worry about you...

all breating tests came back normal. yes i have gone to the er and they don't no what to do for me. Neither do i no the ppi's don't really work i am now on aciphex.

I no how you feel i can't breath right all day long. It is destroying my life and my family. Im also dizzy all day long like i am falling and my head hurts and banging inmy left ear alll day.

I've been dizzy off and on for the past couple months. I've also recently started getting a ringing in my left ear and my head has been pounding by the end of the day, however, I can't coincide these symptoms to the meds. i.e, they didn't start right after I started on any one of these meds.

Meds: Nexium x2/day, Ziac, Carafate x4/day, Zantac150 1/day, wellbutrin 1/day.

-Noggin

Chalupa,

I have been to many lung docters and they said it is not asthma. I have it all day long now. It feels like i can't breath through my mouth. Like something is holding my chest and throat. The asthma meds do not work fo me because it isn't asthma. I never had any reflux in my life till i woke up and couldn't breath

Asthma meds didn't work for me either for the same reason: I don't have an asthma. The tests did show reduced lung function which was consistent with asthma. I get short of breath sometimes but not all the time as before. I am very careful not to overexert myself and stop and rest frequently. I hope you will improve soon and won't have to go through so much misery.
Chalupa, did you get reflux AFTER you woke up short of breath one morning ?
I am wondering if one codition can be related to the other. Which came first: the reflux or the shortness of breath? I had the shortness of breath for several months prior to developing the reflux symptoms. The reflux came AFTER I started the PPIs.

That is exactly what happened to me Flower - I went to the Dr. for shortness of breath - and then was put on PPI's -- THEN the reflux started.

I just woke up one day and couldn't brath lik someone suckd th air out of me. I also had tightness in th chest. After that i was put on reflux meds. Nothing seems to help. I was now diagnosed with celiacs. I don't really have symtoms but i defintly hae it. I am on a strict celiacs diet. I was on it before for 4 months to see if it would help and it didn't but now i defintly hae it and hav to watch vrything i eat.

Vanessa and Chalupa,

I think the doctors prescribe PPIs hoping that stomach problems are the cause of our shortness of breath and that it will simply go away. Reflux is known to cause breathing problems and a certain type of asthma in some people . Could the reflux symptoms really be side effects of our PPIs? There are medications that have been shown to cause acid reflux is certain individuals, such as calcium channel blockers. (I take those too). Can the PPIs cause reflux as well? Just wondering....:confused:

flowergirl

flowergirl,

PPIs have been making my reflux worse lately. I did some
web searching on this and found that, allegedly, too little
stomach acid can cause reflux. Do a web search on insufficent
stomach acid or achlorhydria/hypochlorhydria. Supposedly,
too little acid can lead to slow draining stomach, which
increases the chances of reflux.

PPIs also cause me abdominal pain (intermittent, cramp-like,
upper-right quadrant pain) that goes away if I take
acidophilus supplements. That seems to imply that the low
acidity encourages bacterial overgrowth.

Mark.

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the information -- my PPI made me acid problem TERRIBLE, whereas before it was mild - some tums or a pepcid once and while and I was fine.

Now after three weeks on a PPI - and subesquently I have been off it for 14 days now - my GERD and ACID is so much worse than EVER before.

Unless I eat the MOST bland diet - my symptoms are almost unbearable - and even eating BLAND - I have symptoms off and on all day long. Breathing problems being the WORST WORST WORST of it for me......

I had a bad weekend feeling scared, fearful, BAD ACID and breathing horrible. Some days I feel like just giving up - but you all pick up my spirits.

So Mark, do you think the PPI's make that problem of not producing enough acid worse? I am wondering if I will have to live like this for the rest of my life:(:(

Vanessa,

I've read about something called "acid rebound" (you'll
probably get a bunch of hits related to that if you do a
web search for acid rebound and PPIs).
Supposedly, when you're on acid suppression drugs, your
stomach tries to produce more acid to compensate. If you go
off the drugs abruptly, then you get a flood of acid. Maybe
that's why yours seemed to get worse after you stopped
taking the drugs.

Strangely enough, I got better when I stopped taking the
PPIs. That made me think that my problem was due to too
little acid rather than too much. I'm still not sure if
this business about too little acid is a common problem.
Most of the information I find on it is on alternative
medicine sites where its importance may be overplayed and
the analysis may be less than scientific.

Mark.

Mark,

PPIs also cause me abdominal pain (intermittent, cramp-like,
upper-right quadrant pain) that goes away if I take
acidophilus supplements.

your input is much appreciated. I will do as you suggested. I've started getting a new pain in the gut. I don't have it all the time, just sometimes. It does not feel like a gas-related pain at all. It's like something is compressing the stuff in my abdomen. Feels like a vice. Nothing surprises me anymore. This pain is quite intense while I am having it. I even started wondering if I am getting some bowel disease.

Mark, I was told repeatedly by my doctor that my reflux would get worse if I stop taking the PPI. What do you think? I mean, can people just stop taking it and go on with their lives as before? I work with people and can't afford my already BAD reflux symptoms getting any worse. I am told they will if I stop taking this drug.
flowergirl

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the information -- my PPI made me acid problem TERRIBLE, whereas before it was mild - some tums or a pepcid once and while and I was fine.

Now after three weeks on a PPI - and subesquently I have been off it for 14 days now - my GERD and ACID is so much worse than EVER before.

Unless I eat the MOST bland diet - my symptoms are almost unbearable - and even eating BLAND - I have symptoms off and on all day long. Breathing problems being the WORST WORST WORST of it for me......

I had a bad weekend feeling scared, fearful, BAD ACID and breathing horrible. Some days I feel like just giving up - but you all pick up my spirits.

DID YOU HAVE BREATHING PROBLEMS MINE ARE ALL DAY LONG.

So Mark, do you think the PPI's make that problem of not producing enough acid worse? I am wondering if I will have to live like this for the rest of my life:(:(

Vanessa, just a quick note. I had terrible breathing problems and am better now. You'll get better as well. I wonder how we can find out whether or not the PPI we take is making us sick. I am not willing to take a chance of stopping it completely - the doctor said it would get much worse. Is there another way to find out? I wonder...

Hi Flower,

Thank you for the encouragement - I needed that :)

I think going off the Toprol may help my acid and my breathing (at least I am praying it will).

I have been off PPI's now for two weeks - and MOST of the bad side effects that there were causing me have disappeared. But the acid is HORRIBLE. Trading off one for the other:(

Hi all -

I have been taking Aciphex on and off as needed for about 1 year and a half now. I have been on it again since probably right before Christmas time and had started to notice a major decreasing in my belching and acid up the throat. In fact, I have noticed the exact opposite - that it's much harder to belch now on the medication. The other night, though, I woke up and could taste the acid in my throat. I'm sorry, but the only thing I could compare it to, is right after you get ill. It wasn't very pleasant. However, I'm starting to all of a sudden have an increase in anxiety and can't contribute it to anything but the medication. I had difficulty sleeping for awhile, but that also went away. I had chocked it off to "female issues". I'm not sure what to think about this new onset of anxiety, though. I have read where Aciphex can cause headaches, nervousness and insomnia. I also had kind of flu-like symptoms today. Sometimes it's so hard to know if you are really coming down with something or if you a reacting to the medication. I find it strange, though, that all of a sudden I would notice these side effects. However, I think this happened to me another time - like after awhile of using it, I noticed the same symptoms last year. I have also been experiencing a little bit of fatigue and an on and off pressure in my nose, but chocked it off to high Cedar. Any words of wisdom here? My mouth was so dry today, but there are other times it just waters, I guess from the overproduction of the stomach acid. Anyone else get this and how do you control it? My guess would be to exercise more and maybe drink less water? I know water is good for you, but who wants a mouth that waters? It comes and it goes.

danni

Hi Vanessa,

I think going off the Toprol may help my acid and my breathing (at least I am praying it will).

I have been off PPI's now for two weeks - and MOST of the bad side effects that there were causing me have disappeared. But the acid is HORRIBLE. Trading off one for the other

How sad we have choose between having side effects and only a little reflux and no side effects with a lot of reflux. Hmmm. I am staying on my med for now. :(
I wish you the best of luck with keeping your blood pressure controlled and getting your breathing back. I did. I think we are both on the same boat with the breathing/asthma/stomach/beta blocker issues. Hard to tell what's causing what. I had to stop taking a heavy dose of beta blockers in the past. I experienced all of the witdrawal symptoms and mean 24/7 headaches which lasted for almost six weeks. I hope you'll have an easier time.

flowergirl

I was on here back about 4 months or so...(or less) - and now I'm back (kinda)

Without getting into details - I'm really totally unsure WHAT I have.

Of the many things I was taking....and the many doctors & Tests I've already taken....Saw a Gastroenterologist and they prescribed Protonix.

I took Protonix twice daily for 2 months. That was the worse 2 months EVER! I had more heartburt in those two months than I've ever had in my entire life. I felt so bad, I didn't wanna eat anything!! After 2 months - doc prescribed taking it once a day. At that point, my appetite came back and I started feeling better.

This is kinda gross...but... I started having rectal itching to the point I'd go to the bathrom just to scratch (nasty but true). Then - after a few weeks I started thinking about getting a fitness club membership because I was feeling *weak*. I've been off the Protonix since March 1st. No more recal itching... and I'm feeling better overall. At the time - I thought i was just getting old. But now - I think taking the Protonix was not the best idea for me.

But - things still aren't *RIGHT* yet....and I'm wondering if I have a form of too little stomach acid? Or whehter I've gotta give it more time for my system to get back to normal...?

Hi Janster, :)

thanks for the update. Sorry to hear about the worsening of your acid reflux symptoms with medication. I am starting to think the PPIs cause some of us more problems than we might think.
It's good to hear you started to feel better after discontinuing the PPIs. This gives us hope that we might be able to do the same some day without the dire consequences our doctors keep reminding us about. Most prescription (and OTC) drugs have some effect on our skin, resulting in rashes, redness, itchiness, hives, and other lesions. The more meds one takes, the more of a problem this becomes. It is more than likely that the itchiness you experienced was a side effect of your medication. Thanks for sharing your story. I am glad you're feeling better now. Please stay in touch and let us know about your progress.

Good luck, :angel:
flowergirl