Starting my adventure to give up Nexium after 10 years..

Hi folks,

I am a new member and I would like to introduce myself. I was diagnosed with having a hiatal hernia (endoscopy) in 2009 and I have been on Prilosec 20 mg since then. I take it every other day because I do not feel comfortable taking it on a daily basis. However, when I have taken it on a daily basis I do feel much better. I feel fine the day I take it in the morning, but by the day after (when I don't take it in the morning), I do have to take a couple of Tums to have a decent night of sleep. I do have some questions and hopefully someone can help.

1- Am I hurting myself more by taking it every other day? I know the acid can eventually bring Barrett syndrome and cancer later. At times I feel like if I take it every day I would control that little acid that I get at night on the day when I don't take it.

2- Is rice milk bad for us? I have drank it for the last couple of days, and I have felt a lot of gas, belching and a little bit of heartburn. Isn't it supposed to be better than cow milk? I am not feeling great as I type this since I had some with cereal this morning (Clusters), and I even took Prilosec 20 min earlier.

3- I have been eating better since my diagnosis, but I do enjoy to drink. I don't do it excessively often, but I do drink 2-3 beers almost every night. I drink Scotch at times (with soda water) and I notice that if affects me a little more than beer. Anyone else with this condition here drinks? If so, how do you deal with drinking and this condition? What works best for you?

4- When is the best time to take Prilosec? I was told to take it at least 20 min before I had breakfast in the morning. Is this what you guys do?

5- Is there anything you guys would suggest to incorporate for the day that I don't take Prilosec? I am not sure Tums is the best answer.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey everyone,
I forgot that I started this thread more than 11 years ago.

Long story short, I had switched to 20mg Prilosec from 40mg Nexium 11 years ago after making changes in my diet and adding supplements. I had been on 20mg Prilosec since then without any side effects. Recently my physician encouraged me to switch to H2 blockers since they have low long-term side effects. So, I stopped taking Prilosec and I am taking 20mg Pepcid twice a day. I still get acid reflux if I eat anything spicy or eat after 8pm. I am also taking DGL and Slippery elm again. Some days are good and some days are tough. On tough days, I wonder if it's worth taking the risk of cancer or something else by stopping 20mg PPI if I don't have any side effects.

Btw, one of the GIs I saw said there was no difference between 40mg and 20mg PPIs and I should go back to 40mg PPIs. I didn't really agree with that and I stayed on 20mg Prilosec. Not sure if that's true or not, honestly.

Seems like there new acid reflux supplements on Amazon, such as Life Extension Esophageal Guardian, Gaviscon Advanced. Has anyone tried anything new lately that helped?

Ok, I am back with some updates and questions
I have completely stopped using PPI. Now I take one Pepcid before dinner, one cap each of Marshmallow Root and Slippery Elm couple of hours after dinner. During the day, I take one or two DGL tablets at different times. I use wedge pillow to raise my back/neck/head for sleeping. Sometimes during the day I feel burning sensation in my stomach area, but it goes away if I eat something or chew some gum. It is strange that acid reflux comes and goes randomly.
Now the question: I was wondering why did I come off PPI. Nexium worked great for me for many years. I didn't have any symptoms or side effects. I was able to eat anything. Now that I am off PPI, I am worried that the acid will cause damage to my esophagus in the long term, although maybe small amount of acid, and about Barrett's esophagus or maybe a cancer. Was it worth it? I am little disappointed that I feel little anxious now than before and my diet and lifestyle are different. I think I need a little encouragement or a refresher on why PPIs are bad in the long run.