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lifelong committment????

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Posted 5/28/2005 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
Called my pharmacist today and during the discussion,she remarked how people who go on PPIs have to stay on them for LIFE?  Is this true?  Why don't they tell you this when they write the first RX?  I don't know if I believe this or not but I sure would like to hear what everyone thinks.  Are we actually doing our bodies harm by relieving our symptoms?  Please Respond.
Posted 5/28/2005 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Unfortunately yes! I am on PPI for the last 8-9 yrs. Dosages have been increasing. When a particular salt stops working docs are changing salt around the same ring. Well this is the best remedy avaliable in many cases. Atleast the harm to food pipe is reduced, which could be much more serious than bieng on PPI.
Posted 5/29/2005 8:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Hearty, I am worried, like you about being on PPI`s for life. I have been taking zoton 30 mgs for over 2 years. Now my symptoms have returned and my dose has been upped by an extra 15 mgs. Waiting for another endoscopy to see whats going on. Will the dose have to be increased on a regular basis all my life i wonder ? It scares me.

Posted 5/30/2005 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
My doc referred me for an endoscopy and the specialist would not do it!! What will it show that the barium swallow test won/t? Thanks.
Posted 5/31/2005 11:12 AM (GMT 0)
I don`t know which country you come from, but in England we don`t get offered a barium swallow for gerd. My endoscop showed alot of eosophagus erosion. Vanessa
Posted 6/2/2005 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
I went to my old pcp about 3 years ago, he asked some questions and said, here try this - Nexium - well, that worked WONDERS. However, I kept trying to go off and then the old problems would come back. I talked with my pharmasist and he said then that is a good sign it is working. Well, 2 1/2 years later (last October) I go in for an EGD for celiac disease and the same doc that did my last EGD for heartburn 5 1/2 years ago did this one. He said he didn't see damage for the CD but my esophagus was SO scarred that I had to NEVER have heart burn again, I was to stop trying to stop taking the meds, if I even THINK I might have heart burn to take an OTC in addition to my Nexium. He said each instance of heart burn will increase my chance for esophagus cancer. There was no sign of GERD 5 1/2 years ago.

Not to scare you but maybe it is a good thing. I have to take calcium for the rest of my life since I cannot tollerate any dairy (along with a whole bunch of other foods) and I live with that...

I do have a question for this though - does this mean I have Barrets Syndrom?
Posted 6/6/2005 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Hearty - I know that with chronic conditions, such as GERD, you're likely to take medication for life to try & control your symptoms. I'm not sure the cons of doing so, though.  Have you talked to your doctor about your concerns?  I'd be apt to think that if your stomach produces too much acid and you don't do anything to reduce it, that would cause a greater health risk than taking PPI's. 

KateB - you could ask your doctor to run a test to determine if you have Barrett's Esophagus. That's probably the only way to get a definite answer. I do think that Barrett's Esophagus develops over a long period of time, though, but I could be wrong. I hope you find relief soon!

Best of luck to both of you! :)

Toni

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