Help! Gerd - Digestive Disorders Message Board

savanannastar · 10-18-2003, 08:33 AM

I have been on the meds(nexium,protonix,prilosic) for acid reflex for 4 months now well my meds ran out so i wanted to stop anyway i heard bad things if your on too long and i was never confinced i even had gerd ,my doc thinks i do she even gave me more precriptions for more nexium when i ran out,anyway for the past week i have woken up with a bad sorethroat and chest pains during the day i am really in pain and it started one week after i stopped the meds.Has anyone had this experience and should i go back on meds,will it effect me if i keep stoping and starting and can you ever stop?
also i have been taking tums and tagment too no help.

Harry · 10-18-2003, 09:02 AM

When you first stop the proton pump inhibitors your acid producers will produce more acid because they have been suppressed for sometime. It's called the rebound effect. It'll take some time for them to return to normal.
Try eating more bland food and some dry stuff to absorb the excess acid. If your throat burns --drink some thing that will wash the acid away like water and some times milk helps. Don't drink acidic drinks which is most other drinks.
If tums helps --used them!!

There is research that says lower stomach acid does allow for other bacteria to grow that does not grow in a higher acid environment.

I think it's best to not use PPI's for long periods. I know some people have to---- But, what did or would they do without these medications--- I think they would change their diets.

God Bless---Harry

actudan · 10-18-2003, 11:28 AM

Harry has said exactly what I would have said. I believe that I suffered from the rebound effect the first time I came off Prevacid. I got back on it because I wanted the pain to go away. The pain did subside but never went away completely. i was put on prevacid for an ulcer and not gerd. Anyway, since I didn't get to feeling any better, I decided to quit again. When I did, I also started taking digestive enzymes and other vitamins to help my stomach out. I experienced some occasional acid reflux and heartburn but I just took some gaviscon instead of jumping back on the prevacid. The reflux went away and I have been off ppis for almost 2 months now.

And now after all the things that I read about ppis, I really believe that they may be good for a short course of treatment but aren't good for long treatment.

Good luck!

savanannastar · 10-18-2003, 12:03 PM

Thanks guys i think i will stay off but its hard with all the pain.

suzyshop1 · 10-18-2003, 01:11 PM

Maybe she would do better on acid reducers if shes afraid of the long tern side effects of ppi's.I was on zantac for about 20 years with no side effects except that it started to not work as well as it did at first.Im now on prevacid for about 6 months with no problem.I assume i will be on it for life.Since otc stuff isnt strong enough for me.As for me a change in diet doesnt help my gerd.I have acid in my stomach that comes up when i have nothing in my stomach.I hope you find some answers.Take care.

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