Tapering off Prilosec OTC

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Canyondweller

If you swallow a capsule with half how do you swallow the other half? I was not aware that prilosec even came as a caplet. When I had to go off the PPI 's waiting for my H. Pylori test I was told I could use Pepcid or Tagamet and that helped with the rebound. Cheaper, too.

I open up the capsule and empty out about half of the spanules. I throw them away. Then I just take the reduced dose.

Prilosec originally came as a capsule with spanules inside in dosages of 20, 40, and higher. When it went OTC, the new formalation of the OTC version was a tablet. I switched over to that as my prescription plan would no longer pay for the capsule direct for the original manufacturer. Well, the Prilosec OTC did NOTHING for me and, in fact, caused severe nausea.

I had my doctor write a letter to my insurance company and I am now allowed to buy the "old" Prilosec 20 mg in a capsule. The manufacturer, Astra-Zeneca, still makes it. It is far superior to the OTC stuff.

Oh, and for me, Tagamet and Pepcid don't do a thing.

[Canyondweller]

Oh, that is good that it is covered cause it is expensive. You can get the pill in generic but you have to have a prescription for it. For people that have poor prescription coverage it is a help. I have to use 800 Tagamet a day or am for now. I will cut back when this episodes subsides. I am finding the gum chewing after meals the best solution yet and also anytime I feel like I might be getting some burn or throat problems from the acid. Don't know why no Doctor ever mentioned it because it like a miracle for me.