Aciphex has generally worked fine for controlling my gerd 20 mg a day. Just got a bad cold and my gerd seems out of control, can't even breathe deeply, and am constantly seeming to be swallowing acid. ANy ideas? I tried taking two at once, doubling the dose, but it almost feels as if the acid got worse! What could be wrong?? Thanks for your help.
I had real bad GERD for a couple of years before I had the laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication surgery (basically, they sort of recreate the lower esophageal sphincter muscle to help keep acid from coming up from your stomach). I took aciphex too, and for a while, it worked wonders! But, it did stop working as well, and I doubled the dosage, and it worked for a while, and then stopped working. That was when my doctor decided to send me to the surgeon to do an EGD to look at my esophagus and stomach. It turned out I had a lot of damage, and really needed to get the surgery to control the GERD. The surgery was last October, and I will happily tell you that it was worth it!! I feel so much better. I still take one aciphex a day, just to help keep my GERD in check, and since the surgery, I have only had one case of heartburn.
At this point I have some other reasons why i'm not considering the surgery. I'm not that well read up on this surgery but I used to hope you wouldn't have to take any PPI after surgery, but you still take aciphex once a day. OF course my goal would be to never take one again-bliss! For about a month my stomach's been bloated and now the aciphex isn't working. Seems like a warning sign, I'm not sure. Anyway, which PPI is turning out to be the preferred one by people on this board? I'm going toread more posts too as I'm new here and need all the help I can get. I'm coughing nonstop again after getting rid of that GERD cough for about two years on aciphex.
You may need to change your PPi. Aciphex did not work for me at all. I have read that a PPI can stop working for some people and they have to switch their medication. You need to talk to your doctor to see what he thinks.
There are other drugs for you to choose from, so discuss that with your doctor. I hope you find one that works for you. I tried several different medications myself before I went ahead and did the fundoplasty. As far as having to continue to take the medicine after the surgery, it is not exactly what anyone wants to do. The difference is this: before the surgery, reflux medications weren't working for me, but after the surgery, the medication works. Unfortunately, the fundoplasty does not completely solve the problem, but it helps greatly. It is relatively painless, and there is a short recovery time from the surgery.
aciphex stop working? 
