Not taking any medicine

neddyflanders · 09-18-2007, 11:03 AM

I haven't taken any medication for GERD (LPR) for about 5 months now. I still have GERD (sometimes bad, like now, sometimes almost none, like this entire summer). It just seems to me that I felt worse taking the medication then I did when I wasn't. I watch what I eat (most of the time) and I'm able to keep it to a dull roar without any side effects (antacids of any kind give me horrible nightmares). I wake up with an acidy tast most mornings but it's not that bad and it's usually worse because I made it worse (ate a steak late last night). I just think it's easier and healthier, at least with LPR, to do away with the PPI's. Read these posts, very few people have any improvement on them. Yeah thats right, it takes 6 months to heal, read the posts, these people have it for years without any improvment at all. Then they try to scare you with the cancer talk, increases chances of getting cancer. So does Flouride in the water, so does 2nd hand smoke, so does pollution etc. etc. Try to find the root of the problem like I've been doing.

CharBerry · 09-18-2007, 01:21 PM

I have to agree with you. When I started this "GERD/LPR Journey" ten (yes TEN) years ago, I did get better with meds but after healing the errosion, I was still stuck with the LPR, which is much worse to me. I have gone on and off PPI's over the years and been switched to several different ones and tried every OTC product there is. I have chronic symptoms every day of my life but sometimes I get really sick and I get well taking the same meds I got sick on and eating the same foods. All I do different is have to go to bed and maybe take antibiotics if it's upper resp or sinus infection, which I feel are all caused by the LPR. Two Nexium a day doesn't seem to make any difference than one. I'm really discouraged as you might can tell, but it consumes my life. I do try to go about like normal people but some days I feel so bad and cough until I can't stop, can't breath and lose my voice for months and it's never good now to begin with. You are lucky you go long bouts without symptoms and if anyone gets well after 6 to 8 weeks please let me know what you did. BTW, a study at Stanford says diet is not thought to be of that much importance with LPR. The cancer thing does worry me since I was 45 when I got this continue to have it. I would have to think over the years of my throat and larynx getting bathed in acid that it would cause some kind of serious problems.

Charla

Charla

buildingmaint · 09-18-2007, 11:06 PM

I've been off PPI'S for about 5 months now and although I still get heartburn I feel so so so much better off PPI'S then on. While on PPI'S I always had flu like symptoms all the time , I just never felt well. PPI'S also made me reflux . Yes I know they are supposed to eliminate reflux ,but they did the opposite for me. Yes they did kill the acid but not the reflux. I could never get any of my Doctors to believe me . They just told me to take more PPI'S , which made the reflux worse . I guess they thought killing the acid was half the battle and some times that is good enough. I would wake up 2-3 times a week while in bed not being able to breath or with a mouth full of regerduated food. Not a lot of fun. I hope I never have that problem again.

CrazyLife414 · 09-19-2007, 08:05 PM

I agree, I do feel better off of the PPIs! I thought the Prevacid was going to kill me...If I have a really bad attack I sometimes will take a Zantac, but that is about it since May.
What I do know for certian is that in my case, stress and anxiety are my enemies along with carbs!
I am just i search of a common thread, I posted a thread looking for things that do or don't trigger attacks for people. I just think that if we all can get together, maybe we can find some type of an eating/living plan.
TakeCare!!
Crazy

ScarlettA · 09-20-2007, 02:25 PM

I started on Pepcid, and for about one wonderful week, I thought that this was the answer for me. I remember actually feeling SO GOOD, and so grateful to have found something at last. But then it stopped working. I quit taking it, waited awhile, tried again, but it never worked the same again. Same thing with Zantac.
Then Previcid. What a nightmare that was! It made me sick and headachey and weak and constipated. It was truly a scary medication for me and did a number on my body.. I'm afraid to try Nexium.
Right now I'm not taking anything. I'm trying to watch my food, but what I eat doesn't seem to matter in the least.

I have two questions:
#1 - Do most of you feel that this LPR problem gets better on it's own, but then always returns? What I mean is, are there times of "remission" when you actually feel normal? When you can resume life as it used to be? I'm not expecting miracles here, but just a break once in awhile.

#2 - I have noticed that MEN do not find this as big a problem as women? They seem able to take Nexium, Acifix and any prescription or OTC med and be just fine. No side effects! I know a number of men who take these meds that just go on with "business as usual". They drink booze, eat all foods, hang out at Starbuck's and generally live a normal life. Just so they take their pill every day, they are fine. This is NOT true of most women.