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When Do You Take Your Medication?

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 2/3/2012 11:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone,

When I was taking my prevacid, I took a double dose in the morning because I felt that was the only dosage that was able to help me. However, Dr. Kaufman informed me that this doesn't work so I started taking my second dose before dinner. I was wondering if any of you would be kind enough to tell me which time intervals you take your medication at? I took mine at 8:30 am this morning and then again at 6:30. Do these intervals matter? And did any of you feel like you had greater success with a double dose in one shot?

Thanks so much ;))
Posted 2/3/2012 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Faith!

I have GERD, but I take my Nexium first thing in the morning and then I wait an hour to eat. I started off taking my dose mid-morning in hopes of making it last longer, but I was actually getting more symptoms. I've never doubled up, but I fear that day may be coming.

Hope this helps!
Posted 2/4/2012 12:00 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Aeshley,

Thanks for your response!! Has nexium resolved your symptoms?

Additional Question:

I also forgot to ask you guys how long you wait after the pills before eating? I usually wait between 30 and 45 minutes. Also, if the medicine works best on an empty stomach, then how does the second dose of medication work considering most people have eaten several meals by that time?


Thanks again
Posted 2/4/2012 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Faith,

I take 60mg Dexilant in the morning as soon as I wake up - while it's recommended I eat food within an hour I notice no difference between the strength of my PPI with food or without after that hour, but my LPR persists regardless (just without the acid). Then again I also take 40mg Vyvanse in the morning at the same time along with 75mg Topamax - effectively killing my appetite for a good chunk of the day.
Posted 2/4/2012 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Dethl,

Thanks for your reply. If you don't mind me asking, what are your symptoms? You say that LPR persists without the acid on your medicine and I am wondering what you mean? Do you mean that you usually have burning?
Posted 2/4/2012 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Faith,

I don't think it's the spacing as much as taking it before your meals.  I used to take 40mg Protonix twice a day..a half hour before breakfast and the same at dinnertime.  Before my surgery I also took Ranitidine 300mg at bedtime.  That's a fairly common practice with intractable GERD. 

Good luck finding an answer!

Denise

Posted 2/4/2012 5:53 AM (GMT 0)

Faith224 said...
Hey Dethl,

Thanks for your reply. If you don't mind me asking, what are your symptoms? You say that LPR persists without the acid on your medicine and I am wondering what you mean? Do you mean that you usually have burning?

I don't mind answering at all. Hope this helps!

Without the Dexilant I would have SEVERE burning from the acid in my stomach, even if I ate nothing. On the medication my acidic LPR basically becomes non-acid LPR (which means gastric contents are still coming up past my upper esophageal sphincter, they just don't have the low pH yet still irritate my upper respiratory system).

I have typical LPR symptoms otherwise: chronic cough, phlegm/mucus in my throat all day (worst in the morning after waking up), occasional wheezing that goes away by clearing my throat, asthma not helped very much with an inhaler (or stronger stuff like Advair), hoarseness in my voice, trouble swallowing (sometimes it feels like food gets stuck in the back of my throat), trouble keeping food down (feels like food comes right back up), and the feeling of a tiny lump in my throat (the lump was much more pronounced before I was put on Dexilant, leading me to believe that my LPR was acidic at the time and the Prilosec/Prevacid I was on was barely helping).

The more I read over my symptoms the more I'm looking forward to my Nissen Fundiplocation next month.
Posted 2/4/2012 10:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Faith!

Nexium has definitely helped me, but:

While I no longer have actual heartburn (which I was getting it 3-4 times a week), if I eat a trigger food (like pizza or spaghetti) then I will still have some serious heartburn.

Also, while it takes away most of the heartburn, it gives me a lot of chest "discomfort". It just feels like I have a ton of gas in my stomach and chest, but I feel like if I were to burp, I will vomit. It's so strange. I have this feeling for about 30% of the day, after almost every meal. I also painlessly regurgitate food several times every day.

It's definitely not a magic pill for me, but I am grateful that it helps :)

How about you? Is your PPI helping you?

Take care,
Ashley
Posted 2/4/2012 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
When I had to take PPIs I took one in the morning at least 30 minutes before I ate and another 30 minutes before supper. I am SO happy to be PPI free! Sorry had to gloat.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 2/5/2012 9:41 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Faith

So as some people have replied already, I take nexium (40 mgs) 30 to 40 mins before breakfast, depending how slow I get ready that morning :)) .
When I started taking nexium, I was taking it at night, before going to sleep; but after reading the recommendations I started taking it each morning giving it time to work. In my case, I find it works better that way. It has been god-send to me. Luckily I didn't experience any side-effects from it.


I've been able to eat chinese, pizza (bolognaise does give me bit of reflux still), or even tex-mex food without any problem!
Any sparkling drink though will still cause me problems.

I started taking nexium 20 mg today in my first attempt to step-out from ppi's. If I fail, I'll fail early. If it works... I'll try to skip some days, and so on until I reach my lowest effective dose :D (if any is needed)
Posted 2/5/2012 2:59 PM (GMT 0)
yea,it's best too take your meds at least 1/2 hr. before breakfast,iv'e been on prevacid for four plus yrs.
Posted 2/5/2012 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much for responding to my questions, I'm so thankful to be part of a forum with such caring and helpful members =))

I know Dr. Kaufman told me that a double dose of medicine in one shot doesn't work for LPR, but that's the only dosage that seems to provide me relief. I tried breaking the dosage up but it makes the cough come right back. The downside is that I can't take more medicine at night unless I take an H2 blocker, which seems to lose its effectiveness rather quickly.

Do any of you have a form of vocal cord pareisis with your LPR? If so, what do you experience as a result?


Thanks again guys
Posted 2/6/2012 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
I take a 60mg Dexilant first thing in the morning, and always eat within 15 minutes of taking it. I've only been on the Dexilant a little over a month; switched when Prilosec stopped working. I had been taking Prilosec, one/day first thing in the morning for the past 4 years. Then, in December, I had a bad case of strep throat, and took way too many NSAIDS for about a week, and the the heartburn went ballistic. Even two Prilosec/day wouldn't do anything for the reflux, so switched to Dexilant. Reflux is much better, but I had to stop all coffee, alcohol, tomato-based foods, anything with spice, chocolate... it's sucked. I'm hoping it's a "temporary" flairup from the NSAIDs.
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