Nexium Side Effects - It's Messing With My Head

  I was diagnosed with GERD a year ago and have been on Nexium since then, 40mg's/day. I usually take the meds first thing in the morning 30-60 minutes before breakfast. At first I thought the confusion and inability to focus was one of the symptoms of GERD in its advanced stages. But, I was having a hard time remembering things. Things got foggy for the first few hours after taking my meds in the morning. By late afternoon I was more focused, but felt tired. It's as if my body was severely dehydrated. It wasn't. I was keeping my self well hydrated and nourished.   After six months I tried taking a break from the meds. I suddenly had this sense of well being, not so much as before I had GERD, but definitely better than while taking Nexium. For two days I was waking up with positive feelings and a more positive frame of mind in the morning. I was more relaxed and could actually smile. Then after two days, the symptoms came back; I had abdominal pain and increased acidity. I went back on Nexium and haven't stopped taking it since.   During this past year there was another instance when I experienced the same level of well being that I had before GERD. I was again focused, relaxed, well aware of my surrounding, and confident. I'm on the GERD diet, but I haven't been able to figure out how I got that sense of well being for a few hours or what affected it.   Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Hello Steve, I have been taking Prevacid for about 3 years now and I have been experiencing the same symtoms as you.  I feel tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get and am usually very sluggish and lazy.  I never even considered the fact that I could be feeling this way because of the Prevacid.  I take two 30mg pills a day, so I'm even on a higher dose than you are.  The weird thing is, I don't think that inability to focus and sleepiness is a documented side effects of these medications - but who's to say they don't affect different people in different ways?

You just made me realize that it could be the Prevacid that's making me feel this way or maybe it's just the acid reflux in general that gives me the blues.

Thanks.

I am getting ready to go to a new gastro for a second opinion about my reflux.  I have taken Nexium but I didn't think it did any good.  Only took it for a month or so.  Also, have taken Prilosec and it gave me stomach cramps and I felt lousy.

I've been trying some 'natural' remedies.  I have started to take some digestive enzymes to see if they might help. 

Hope you do better, Steve.

I've been on Nexium 40mg once a day for about 3 months.  The first 2 months I felt a little sluggish and maybe a little sad, but a month ago my doctor upped my does to 40mg 2 times a day.  I've been much sadder lately and went to my doctor the other day when my heart wouldn't stop racing and I had an overall bad feeling and mental confusion.  She switched me to Zantac and my prompting and put me on zoloft.  On top of what I had been feeling I ended up with bad stomache problems and worse feelings of panic and dizziness.  I ended up in the ER and they wrote it off to the flu and anixety.  I stopped taking the zantac yesterday and today my heart stopped racing.  I know one in a million experience these bad problems, I just hope its caused from the medicine and not "real".  Im hoping someone else out there has some reassuring news or similar experience that can help.

I have been on Pantaloc, Nexium, Randitidine and Prevacid. nothing has helped with my acid reflux and ulcer. I am running out of ideas. Having acid reflux has affected my work life to the point that I have quit my past job because of it. In my current job I've been there for one month and the burning symptoms have returned so strong that it wakes me up at night. I cannot go to work on little to no hours of sleep. and I can't keep relying on sleeping pills.

has anyone gone through this who might have suggestions?

My journey with acid reflux lasted over 10 years. I had severe acid reflux disease, in fact, it was so bad that I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I slept with the bed elevated (didn't help). I had a scope procedure down my esophagus to check for Barrett's esophagus. I had gone from Prevacid to Prilosec to Nexium. About 4 1/2 years ago I started a nutritional product which helped with my insomnia, low energy and depression. I had no idea it would alleviate all of my acid reflux symptoms. It has been over 4 1/2 years since I suffered from acid reflux. I haven't seen my internist in over 3 years. I don't take even a Tums and eat anything I want including Mexican food. I would have thought it was a fluke except that I have 3 friends whose husbands all suffered from acid reflux too and went to the same GI doctor that I was seeing for acid reflux. They all had the same results I did. Their acid reflux was worse than mine. One had already developed Barrett's esophagus which is a precursor to cancer. Since starting on this nutrition he has gone from seeing the doctor every 1 year for a checkup to every 3 years now. Another friend I recently met had already had surgery for acid reflux which did not help. He had only been on the product a couple of months when he noticed he no longer suffered from the symptoms. I am convinced that if we give our bodies what they need in the way of good nutrition the bodies can work miracles. This definitely is worth a try if you are really tired of suffering and taking drugs. E-mail me and I will share the information with you: [email protected]. What you do with it is up to you.

I seem to be having side effects from Nexium too.  Fatigue, but also muscle pain; pretty intense in my calves, thigh muscle, even my biceps and triceps ache.  I wondered if anyone else has been experiencing this side effect.  I stopped taking the Nexium for a day but the heartburn is so bad I end up taking the Nexium again.  I also experience shortness of breath if I don't take the Nexium because the reflux is so bad.

ttyler

Thanks for your reply Vicky.  Per my doctor I have the start of arthritis in my hip, which does hurt but my calf muscles, thigh muscles and biceps ache like crazy.  I am supposed to have thyroid blood work done at the end of May before my next check up.  I also am diabetic.  My doctor did a blood test to check for muscle problems but it came back negative but that was before I started the Nexium.  Yes these diseases are difficult to deal with at times.  Hope you have a good week too.  Again thank you.

Tess

I took Nexium 40 mg two days... And i feel foggy / Dead tired all the time... What you advice i shoud quiet it.?

this message is for tyler.  I have been taking all forms of gerd releif and i feal the very same things you do.  I read online that prevacid and nexium deplete your body of b12 which in turn causes muscle pain and nerve damage.  My legs also ache just like you described.  I am not really sure what to tell you but i have suffered with neuropathy for a year now and it was brought on by a vitamin deficiency.  I have been forgetful and confused and it was this site and all the testimonies that i have read to finally open my eyes.  maybe if we just dont eat we will be alright.  dont know what to do.  Cant function without some sort of remedy.

 

To Steve and everyone else,

I have been on Nexium for the last 6 years until last month (May 2005) where I got a Lap Nissen surgery where they make 5 little holes in your stomach and go in and reshape the valve(...in laymen's terms). The surgery takes 2 hours and requires about a week at home afterwards.

Now, I have no more reflux and finally said good-bye to Nexium and the vicious circle of "I want to get off this stuff" and then "I just can't deal with the pain anymore" and go back with Nexium.

Nexium gave me: the confusion, the dizziness, the foggyness, the time/space withdrawal, a few episodes of heart racing at 130 bpm for up to 10 hours during the last episode, increased blood pressure, buzzing in the ears... wow that's just too much. The worst is that most doctors don't know about it and think that we are nut jobs, but change Docs until you get someone who will listen and help you the way you deserve to be helped.

After 30 days off of Nexium, my blood pressure went down, I have a clearer mind, no more heart racing episodes, no more unjustified nervousness, but I still get some lightheadedness and hope that this is still a B12 deficiency issue that will eventually correct itself. (Anyone dealing with the constant lightheadedness, I'd like to hear about it).

Nexium does cause anemia due to malabsoption of B12 and / or Iron that causes nerve damages after long term use.

Unfortunately Nexium in my case was the only medicine that helped me with my reflux (I had / have Barrett's) and even though I tried Parriet, Zantac, Prilosec, Protonix, etc... nothing else worked.

One thing that I suggest to explore about the cycle of Nexium (stop it and then be forced back on) is to google about "Nexium Rebound withdrawal" where it is suggested that after coming off of Nexium there is usually a rebound or worst episode of reflux after a few days off the drug. Some sites suggest to decrease dosage to one pill a day to one pill every other day and so on...and after that, see how it goes. The issue is: coming off Nexium, which in my opinion is a necessary poison, shouldn't be done without consulting with your doctor because you do not want to cause more damage to your oesophagus in order to aleviate the side effects of the drug.

Anyway, after 30 days off the drug, I surprised myself laughing again and that feels pretty good.

Keep looking for doctors who will truly help you with your GERD by acknowledging that the multiple side effects are real, so you can find the best approach for you (if such doctors exist...)

Good luck!

Claude

 

So, let's hear more about this alternative way of fixing the "OH MY GOD IT'S BURNING EVERYTHING" feeling.. I'm really interested..

Over the last few years I've developed alot of mental, and physical issues that range from tired to angsiety.. (well how ever you spell it) and from what I'm reading, Nexium, my internal lifeline, may be a direct cause.. Wow..

Who would I talk to in regards to this kind of treatment, or lifesaving alternative. I like that word, Lifesaving.. Seems like it on the Nexium.

 

Lot has been asserted about PPI ( Nexium ) in this thread along with some H2 Blockers. Every humanbieng is different chemistry. There could be many reasons of ONE treatment bieng suitable to ONE human bieng and THE SAME treatment may not suit to THE OTHER indvidual. But frankly and generally PPI's are doing very good job in changed life style in comparison to non availiability time.

But the big question is what next if PPI stops working. Other question is " Has the doc care fuly studied the case and given PPI".

In my opinion doc's main interest is to make fast money. And PPI is the best possible fastest relief he can provide to patient in case of acidity/gerd. So this medicine is in full demand.

One day I took my friend to GERD DOC for acidity and abdomen pain. Doc looked at him for 2 min and prescibed PPI. I asked him why cant he prescribe Zentac or other mild drugs as my friend was not having any chronic GERD. Doc replied " If we have sword why should we use the knife."

All the best

wahijs