Catch 22

scott1360 · 05-09-2007, 11:55 AM

The choice: Don't take a PPI and have pretty bad heartburn acid-reflux after most meals? vs. Take a PPI and have little to no heartburn but some chest pain and back pain/pressure... Its driving me crazy. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat.

~K~ · 05-09-2007, 07:25 PM

Exactly the same here...less acidic taste and lump (less not none) BUT more chest/heart-like and spine pain. */??** to it all!
Have you had any of your results back yet?
Kim

TLB50 · 05-09-2007, 07:42 PM

I loved my PPI in the beginning, little or no reflux or stomach discomfort. I have recently developed chest tightness, shortness of breath, pain on sternum and in back. I just had a stress test and passed with excellent results. Can the PPI cause these symptoms?

scott1360 · 05-10-2007, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~K~

Exactly the same here...less acidic taste and lump (less not none) BUT more chest/heart-like and spine pain. */??** to it all!
Have you had any of your results back yet?
Kim

Hey. Ive had all my results back. Basically when Im on the PPI I have no acid reflux but off the PPI (impedence test) I have increased acid exposure to my esophagus (6.6%, anything >4.2% he said was abnormal). I also had a few "slightly acidic" and two alkaline reflux events during the test. Doc now wants me to go back on PPIs for 4 months and see where Im at. If I still have the pain wants me to repeat Impedence on the PPI to see if my acid reflux is replaced with non-acid reflux causing symptoms. This will determine if he recommends surgery or therapeutic means to ease symptoms (low dose anti-depressent, etc.)

I think the persistance of pain we get on PPIs might be non-acid reflux as it feel slightly different than traditional acid reflux maybe? Who knows.

~K~ · 05-10-2007, 10:15 PM

So you DO have acid reflux. My results are at the end of next week and I'm wondering if anything will show.
scott have you had any tests that prove a weak LES? Was your motility normal on Manometry?

TLB50...I think the ppi's cause symptoms for some people, but sometimes these drugs just stop working - to confuse the issue.
I think the answer is to come off them for a while and see how things go. If they're not working for you anymore, then you've nothing to lose.
Some people get by on Ranitidine at night instead.