Sudden return of symptoms after 7 years successful treatment with protonix

Hi, I know this kind of thing has been discussed some elsewhere but I'm brand new here and looking for help so I thought I'd raise this topic new.  I have been taking protonix for about 7 years after an onset of gerd in 2003 and a diagnosis of Barrett's in 2004.  In 2007 I had a follow up endoscopy (at a different hospital since I moved) that claimed they found no evidence of Barrett's so I don't know if I have that or not.  But anyway, things have gone along fine taking 40mg protonix each night.  A couple of times I did try to get off it, but the rebound was intolerable.

So here's my problem.  This week I've had a sudden onset of new symptoms - the most disturbing of which is difficulty swallowing - like the food is getting caught in my esophagus and almost feels like choking or wanting to throw up (not nauseus but food stuck feeling).  I also have a scratchy sore throat - not bad but annoying.  And lots of nasty belching.

  I haven't eaten in two days because I'm frightened of having that swallowing experience again.  (I'm normal weight and generally have a pretty good diet and exercise regularly although I do drink coffee - seemed OK and the protonix worked so well that I was just cruising along).

My question is - can the PPI just stop working suddenly after 7 years?  I did just get switched to a different generic by the pharmacy which makes me wonder, although they say it's exactly the same.  Has anyone had issues with generic protonix?  Has anyone had this experience protonix stopping working?  Is there a good chance that switching to a different med would help?  I'm seeing a doc tomorrow but I don't have much hope that he will do much.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks for your help Bill I'm actually seeing my PCP tomorrow but I'll make sure he gives me a referral to a GI dr.

 

Some people have strictures. It's just a stiffing or constriction in the esophagus. Dilulation breaks up the stiffness.
Please eat or at least drink a protein supplement. You need the nutrition.


Joy

Hi Bovt,
So sorry to hear you're having problems. Join the club! I don't know whether or not the generic Protonix is different than name brand, but my PCP was specific about wanting me to take the name brand as he was not confident that it acts exactly the same as the name brand. I ended up with 40mg Protonix twice a day, so your idea of adding Prilosec is probably a good stopgap to try. It would take some time for it to make a difference.

If you're on PPI's and still having reflux, you could be experiencing bile reflux, rather than acid. It is still very damaging to the esophagus, so isn't something to ignore. Glad to hear you've got a GI appointment. You could try calling daily to see if there has been a cancellation. I have found that a great way to get in earlier.

You definitely should stop with the coffee. I know that's hard, but coffee is very acidic, and if it's caffeinated, it will further relax you LES valve, creating even more reflux.

Your hernia could have gotten worse, thus allowing more reflux. It typically does lead to more symptoms in GERD patients. Bill has already discussed the swallowing problem. That's pretty common for people who've had reflux irritating their esophagus. It doesn't effect everyone, but does bother some. Your GI doc could handle that.

Are you sleeping with an elevated head of your bed? That would alleviate some of the reflux damage at night--allowing gravity to hold more of the acid/bile in your stomach. Check online for specifics on that.

Also, be sure to check out GERD triggers and avoid those foods. With all your throat problems, you may be doing a lot of air swallowing--dry swallowing to relieve the symptoms. GERD sufferers tend to get more air in their stomachs.

Here's a URL of a site that discusses belching in more detail.
http://www.medicinenet.com/intestinal_gas_belching_bloating_flatulence/article.htm

Good luck in finding answers!
I'm sure others will be by to post information and provide support.
Take care,
Denise

Denise and my7pinecones - thank you so much for your support and your great suggestions. I'm supposedly on a waiting list at the GI doc's but I think I'll call Monday and just reinforce it as yuo suggest - I'm not usually good at being the squeaky wheel, but if ever there were a time...

I'm feeling slightly less icky this morning, so slightly less desperate. I actually ate some egg for breakfast and haven't thrown it up. It's so nice to know that there're others out there that have been threw this and I so appreciate your input.

I was surprised to see the erythromycin on your list, 7cones. Isn't that an antibiotic? Interesting. I've never heard of the other two meds so I'll look them up, so I can ask the doc when I see him. Good to know there are other things out there that might help - that gives me much needed hope.

i'll look into bed elevation too. I don't seem to have much symptoms at night - mostly during the day, especially after I eat, but maybe the bed thing would still help (?). I'm not sure how you go about this but I gather you can get something to put under the mattress so I'll look for it.

Thanks so much again. I hope I can return the favor some day.

Best, bosvt1

Hi Bosvt,
The way you elevate the head of your bed, is put blocks of wood, bricks, cement blocks, or "bed raisers" (you can buy bed raisers at stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, online, or medical supply stores at a higher price.) You put them under the legs of the head of your bed.

You may not have noticeable nighttime symptoms, but if you're getting any reflux, it's likely to be leaking into your esophagus during the night, and can contribute to the symptoms that are bothering you during the day.

You can buy a "wedge" at a medical supply store, but they can be hard on your back, and can cause more reflux if you slide down and your body gets into a position that's bent at the waist. If you're using a wedge, you want to bend at the hips.

I was on the waiting list for my GI doc, and my husband called daily. I wasn't going to be able to see him for a couple of months, but was able to move that up to about two weeks. It's definitely worth calling daily. When the opening occurs, you'll be there to take it!

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better today.
Good luck finding an answer to your suffering!
We'll try to help support you and provide as much information as we can.
Take care,
Denise

I bought my bed risers from target, but I've seen them at walmart, too. Almost everybody carries them now.
I did try the wedge for a short time, I had terrible back spasms from sleeping on it. :(


Joy