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Asking people who have successfully gotten off PPIs

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 6/29/2013 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone here hates being on PPIs to some degree. They are the medication we are prescribed for having heartburn symptoms, but they do not treat the root of the problem and for some, do more harm than good. There are threads here all the time about people attempting to stop taking them and how bad the rebound can be. The question is, after the rebound is over (if it even does end nicely), do most people feel better or worse?

From my experience, I have never tried to quit, but when I had to stop taking them for two weeks prior to a test, the rebound was horrible. I never thought that they helped me because of how much pain I had on them, bit when I was off of them, the pain was 100 times worse.

Can anyone that has managed to quit tell me if they are better or worse off of PPIs? I've seen threads of people struggling to quit, but I want to hear from people that have actually done it.
Posted 6/29/2013 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
Was on Nexium and Prevacid. Stopped about 5wks ago and glad I did. While on Nexium, I had tons of side affects including chest pains. For me, the first wk off was the hardest. But at the same time, I was taking Zantac and still do. Been about 4wks now. Had some off days in between but other than that, I feel great.
Posted 6/29/2013 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
I have come off them successfully, successful in that I still have the same pain I had when I was on them!!
I stopped them straight after my fundoplication though so I'm not sure if you get rebound after having had that. I was on 40mg per day, so maybe that's not a very high dose when it comes to coming off them.
So in answer to your question, I am no worse but no better but I do know that I have no oesophagitis ( had a scope a few weeks ago) after 6 months of being Nexium free.

Xx
Posted 6/30/2013 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
I stayed on the PPI'S for about 9 months, which I believe allowed my system to heal but they didn't make my stomach feel very good. I think my rebound getting off PPI'S lasted about 2 weeks, even though I was taking the H2 blocker zantec. about 3 months later my heartburn began getting worse, and I decided to try the Fast Tract for Heartburn diet. My rebound lasted about a week this time, was not as severe. Now I eat pretty normally, some days I take 1 or 2 TUMS. I keep my meals small. I feel much better than I did during the time I was on acid reducing or blocking meds.
Posted 7/1/2013 9:30 AM (GMT 0)
I have successfully come off of the ppi. I was taking prevacid generic, 30 mg twice daily for 2 years. I came off slowly cutting back 10% of the dose every two weeks. I finally got to where 300 mg of Zantac twice daily was needed because of the rebound. I am now down to 75 mg Zantac twice daily. I do have to keep to the traditional GERD diet of avoiding trigger foods, but yes it can be done. Going cold turkey is not recommended. I actually didn't have too many HB issues coming off until I had reduced the meds about 40%. Which meant I was taking way more than I really needed. Good luck. Keep us posted.

I feel I am better off without the ppi, just because I feel the drug has more downsides. Even if I have to stay on an h2 blocker, I would rather be on Zantac than a ppi.
Posted 7/2/2013 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
I guess you could say I successfully got off my PPI. I had been on nexium for about 10 years and wanted off. My naturopath put me ona regiment of probitoics and a coctial of digestive enzymes ina product called Gastri-gest which according to him is supposed to help with stomach emptying, speed it upa bit and thus reduce reflux. I had some rebound, but not the terrible level alot of people complain about. That said, I still struggle with GERD, it comes and goes, comes and goes. If I could give up coffee I could probably be good to go. Thats all on me, so I can whine not about it. Anyway, you might try what I did fropm getting away from thePPI

Pokey

Posted 7/3/2013 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
about a year ago I had an upper GI endoscopy. It showed Barretts esophagus. I had experienced extreme heartburn about 15 years prior due to coffee consumption. It took me a while to realize the connection, but once I did I cut out the coffee. However the damage was done. My gastroenterologist put me on proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) (double dose of Protonix or Prilosec twice daily). Shortly thereafter I began experiencing a bitter taste in my mouth and often a burning in my lower esophagus, neither of which I had experienced since my bout of heartburn 15 years ago. After searching the internet I deduced it was bile reflux and it appears to be common. Bile can be just as damaging as acid to the esophagus; and there is an article in a 2007 issue of "Chest", a peer reviewed medical journal, that found that PPI's can indeed exacerbate bile reflux. I have stopped taking PPI's and the bitter, burning effects have stopped. Please be aware of this bile/PPI connection if you experience similar symptoms as it appears that many doctors are unaware of this possible side effect (mine was) and report your experience to whatever agency in your country is responsible for monitoring adverse drug interactions (here in the US its the FDA). I believe this issue needs to be investigated thoroughly. Thank you, Sandy.
Posted 7/3/2013 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
about a year ago I had an upper GI endoscopy. It showed Barretts esophagus. I had experienced extreme heartburn about 15 years prior due to coffee consumption. It took me a while to realize the connection, but once I did I cut out the coffee. However the damage was done. My gastroenterologist put me on proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) (double dose of Protonix or Prilosec twice daily). Shortly thereafter I began experiencing a bitter taste in my mouth and often a burning in my lower esophagus, neither of which I had experienced since my bout of heartburn 15 years ago. After searching the internet I deduced it was bile reflux and it appears to be common. Bile can be just as damaging as acid to the esophagus; and there is an article in a 2007 issue of "Chest", a peer reviewed medical journal, that found that PPI's can indeed exacerbate bile reflux. I have stopped taking PPI's and the bitter, burning effects have stopped. Please be aware of this bile/PPI connection if you experience similar symptoms as it appears that many doctors are unaware of this possible side effect (mine was) and report your experience to whatever agency in your country is responsible for monitoring adverse drug interactions (here in the US its the FDA). I believe this issue needs to be investigated thoroughly. Thank you, Sandy.
Posted 7/3/2013 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
Sandy, how often do you get checked? What did your doc say when you told him?
Your brave. How do you handle the anxiety? Did you ablate? Nissen? LInx?
Posted 7/3/2013 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Sandy, how often do you get checked? What did your doc say when you told him?
Your brave. How do you handle the anxiety? Did you ablate? Nissen? LInx?
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