Alternatives to PPI's

Hi lily, yes, I purchased two sets of shoe inserts designed especially for my foot problem and have been using them religiously. I also found, on the Internet, a compression sleeve to wear on my foot for additional support. Yesterday, I stayed off my foot and I now believe I am on the road to recovery. These appliances are working and didn't cost much and hopefully, in another week or so, my only affliction will be this stubborn acid reflux. Thanks to all for your input.

Lily, did you get that acid product you were waiting for? I just got something yesterday I ordered called 'Digest Gold' ... it is expensive and I read that it will provide relief so I'm giving it a try. I had been taking the chewable Papaya enzymes for at least a year after every meal but I don't think they help. I will use the 'Digest Gold' for at least 2 weeks and will then post any results I feel I get. I've spent so much money on stuff that DOESN'T WORK, I'm ready to pay whatever it takes, within reason, to get RELIEF from my suffering.

Do any of you suffer from shortness of breath since developing acid reflux? In the past, I found a discussion forum where many had this issue because the acid gets into the lungs and affects breathing. I can't seem to get enough air and am so tired all the time.....

Hi Mouche, Yes I can understand why people go back to their PPI but I am determined I want to be off. I honestly don't think I ever had Gerd in the past but I might do now. Initially I went to the doctor back 10years ago and had heartburn due to taking Aleve every day. One day I had terrible pains and nausea and went to the hospital. My doctor gave me Aciphex. It took months for me to feel better and had to take a leave from my high stress job. I went to a Gastro Doctor and did the Endo. He just said I had inflammation and because he couldn't find anything else said 'mild gerd and unexplained nausea. He told me to 'keep on taking the medicine. At that time I did no research on it and kept on taking it. I have had several over the years ending up on Nexium 40mgs for around 5 years. I blame myself for not being more proactive and it is only since the beginning of February that I have really dug and dug until I found some answers. My Primary care doctor had no clue at all about acid rebound and in the last 2 months I have tried to switch to Famotidine which didn't work at all I was sooooo sick. I tried to alternate Nexium every other day. That lasted a week. I went to see a GI doctor and he gave me Prilosec 20mgs and told me to alternate them then get on the Prilosec which I did 3 weeks ago. I have had up and down days but yesterday was awful with terrible nausea and pains in my chest and stomach. Today I am much better with only a sore throat. I hoped to find out if other people have the same difficulty switching to a lower dose and what is normal a time until I can lower it again. I feel sure that on the bad days my body is trying to adjust the levels of Acid and Gastrin. Mouche keep on posting and we can compare notes and cheer one another on. At times I feel desperate but I did read somewhere that it can take from 4 to 36 weeks to start being 'normal'. I want off these PPI's so badly but after 10 years I feel it is going to take a long time. I have no life at the moment because I never know how I am going to feel. Plus I lost 2 months messing about not knowing about acid rebound and listening to the doctor who wasn't much help at all.

@Lily, I am in this with you and will continue to post, I am going to start weaning again on Monday, I will have my lower dose by then. I have only been on Nexium since October 26, 2013 (5 1/2 months), I do believe that a lot of my issues from weaning was acid rebound and a little from the GERD. I say this because with the rebound I had symptoms I never had before the Nexium it was similar to what people describe when they are withdrawing from drugs like heroin. (No joke). But like you I am going all in and I am praying and believing I can manage this with natural treatment and a BIG change in my lifestyle of eating to live and not living to eat, also exercising. WE WILL DO THIS!!!

Yes Lily I had really bad nausea, it is what drove me back on the ppi, I could handle the burning and the headaches but that NAUSEA was so unbearable that I could not go to work. I had very few issues going from 40mg 1xday to every other day for approx 3 1/2 weeks, it was when after the 3 1/2 weeks that I switch to an OTC ppi that the acid rebound became unbearable. Now when I start reducing again it will be a gradual reduction daily dose with out switching out for other drugs, it may take a while to do this, but it may be the only way for me.
I NEVER want to experience anything like that again. Lol!!!

Thank you for the support and you have mine as well, WE WILL GET THIS UNDER CONTROL!!!

@Lily, I am currently on Nexium, when I switched to the OTC one it was Zegerid, and I drink aloe vera juice daily, take mastic gum and slippery elm. The aloe vera juice works wonders, I can tell the difference when I don't drink it. Every now and then I may have to use Gaviscon, chewing gum helps too when I'm reducing. I have Acid Smooth but won't be using it until after my stomach gets back to a some what normal state. Watching what I eat and much smaller meals, walking has helped also.

Toss the PPIs, they do very little but just mask...

The following fixed all my acid production issues and helps control my hiatal hernia...

Iberogast - 15-25 drops 3 times daily (later evenings do the 25 drops) - the only scientifically proven solution that is alternative - based. Recommended by a very good Naturopath (third one I've seen so far - says this is it with some science to back it up).

For more efficient digestion use high end enzymes - either Pure Encapsulations Brand Digestive Enzymes... take one just before a meal (double up at evenings)

Or use Natural Factors Tumeric/Bromelain caps - with or before meal (double up at evenings)

Peppemint Oil can soothe things... I don't do the full dose. Slippery Elm is so so .

Reduce Sugar, No Fried, No Coffee, No Dairy except Kefir or a serious probiotic Yogurt, and lay off the gluten except for toasted whole grain bread had with some of the kefir... toasting changes the chemical composition of the gluten.. eat light.  squeeze lemon juice onto salad and some olive oil... that's your only dressing... and stay away from creamy dressings.   If you must cook with oil, only use coconut oil as it can withstand high heat and not turn into a killer.

Cooked oats are ok. 

Stay away from Quinoa.  It usually irritates things and causes spasms if you are prone. 

After meals use a pro-grade probiotic such as by Pure Encapsulations or consumer high-grade probiotic from the brand Natural Factors

Take Marshmallow Root capsules.

(By the way people have a hard time finding alkaline water but they don't realize all you have to do is squeeze some drops of lemon juice into water. - from real lemons! not the sulphite-filled containers of lemon juice!)

Hot bath or shower seems to help.

Post Edited (7Stringer) : 4/9/2014 10:42:56 PM (GMT-6)

7 Stringer: I don’t think most of can ‘toss the PPI’s’ all at once. How long were you on PPI’s and what type and dose? Did you just stop with no weaning off? I get so SICK when I try to do this and this is exactly what we've been discussing.

You’ve provided some good advice that is definitely on the right track. I am totally changing my diet and eliminating, coffee/caffeine, sugar, artificial sweeteners, bread and pasta, fried food, any food that is not FRESH, all processed foods, most dairy and much more, on the advice of a holistic practitioner I have a meeting with next week.

She told me that most people with uncontrolled acid reflux who are taking acid controllers have developed ‘Candida overgrowth’. Basically, we have ‘bad’ bacteria growing out of control and killing the ‘good’ bacteria our gut needs for proper digestion and absorbing of necessary nutrients . This condition is FED AND NOURISHED with all of the above, especially SUGAR. Yes, it will be difficult, but I am SO SICK, I can’t live like this any longer. I am looking forward to cleaning up my diet and KEEPING it that way.

I also bought a ‘nutrition extraction’ unit called a Nutri Bullet. Check it out on the Internet. I saw an infomercial on TV and was so impressed with this unit versus the juicer I currently use because there is NO WASTE and clean-up is a snap. Concentrated nutrition with easy prep and clean up! My juices will be absent the fruit for awhile (got to lose the sugar), but I really believe it will be the best ‘medicine’ I could ever take to start getting well and get off all prescription medications.

I’ll keep you all up to date after my meeting next week.

Hey lily, unfortunately, I don't think I will feel better until I can 'starve' the bad bacteria in the gut with a 'detox and cleanse'. I, too, am wondering what I can eat for breakfast and will know more after next Wednesday. I am starting to 'wean off' sugar and sweeteners -- very difficult for me as a 'sugar junkie' all my life! As long as the 'bad bacteria' is being fed by sugars and carbohydrates, my condition will not change.

Have you had a consultation with a holistic practitioner? This is my LAST resort as there is really nothing left. She will put me on specific supplements to help me get off the PPI's with less misery, while I detox and cleanse with whole foods, mostly green organic. All the supplements and digestive enzymes in the world will not heal the gut without major dietary changes.

I will keep you all informed. Best to you all.

yes, lily, the nausea is the WORST and I do believe that ALL of my discomfort is because of the PPI's. When I eliminated 1 40mg Nexium in place of a 15mg Prevacid, I developed a rash on my left forearm. This happened for several months after I first started the Nexium a year ago. It actually left scars on my arm as I was scrathing my arm bloody in my sleep! TOXIC, TOXIC PPI'S!!!

I will be blending 'green' smoothies for the concentrated nutrition while I am on the 'detox/cleanse'. I don't start until next Wednesday so it will be awhile before I can report changes or improvements. This is my last resort; I will truly miss my fresh fruits but it isn't forever -- only to 'starve' the bad bacteria and kill it off. Will keep you informed.

Hang in there; I will share anything I think can help you and our other sufferers on this forum.

Hi Joogle, I have read all your posts. You seem to be really struggling as we all are on this forum. Yes, soda is a real No No when you have acid reflux. I can't really advise you at all but if you read some of the posts here Linda Sue is about to go to a naturalist and maybe will be able to give some advise after she goes. I am struggling with getting off this PPI that I have been on for 10 years. I have some good days and some bad. I have pains in my chest which scare me and I feel depressed on the bad days. I initially went to the doctor 10 years ago because of heart burn due to taking Aleve every day and it made me have inflammation. the GI doctor I went to said 'inflammation and mild Gerd - keep taking the Aciphex. Nobody ever told me to stop taking it and my family doctor just kept on writing prescriptions for me. I blame myself for not looking into it further and doing my research. It took me months on Aciphex to start to feel better so I was afraid to get off it at the time in case I got sick again. It has only been since February this year that I really started to research what was going on. I was then on Nexium 40mgs and started to have nausea and not feeling well. My GP told me that Nexium can cause the symptons it is trying to cure. That made me think a lot. However, he gave me Famotidine and said 'switch to this'. After 3 days I was so sick I went right back to the Nexium. then I tried to do nexium every other day - very sick again. Heart pounding, pain in the chest and nausea. I could not function. Went to a GI doctor. He sent me for a gallbladder test. Came back good. He said to try switching to Prilosec 20mgs. I did that 4 weeks ago and I am really having a very hard time trying to feel well. I have not been back to the GI doctor yet to have the endoscopy etc. Just can't face it right now. I have a couple of good days then revert back to feeling terrible. I am trying to be patient and hang in there with the withdrawal but it is so hard when I feel so sick. Today is a bad day with chest pain and tiredness. At least I don't have too much nausea for a change. I have read that after the PPI's the symptoms are worse than they were in the beginning so I think that is where you are. Have you tried PH test strips to check whether your body is very acidic. You will also have to change your diet and try to eat more alkaline foods. I don't think I have been much help to you but these boards are so comforting, everyone is struggling.

Joogle, I am still taking 20mgs of Prilosec from 40mgs Nexium so can't try the apple cider vinegar as yet but I do eat a lot of apples. I have been doing this for 4 weeks now and keep on getting these awful days and today is a really bad one with lots of chest pain which makes me feel terrible like I am going to pass out. I hope tomorrow is a better day. this is no life. I don't think my insurance will cover Acupuncture but thanks for the suggestion.

have any of you tried the Betaine HCl tablets? Based on the tons of info i've read, a good majority of folks find relieve using those tablets, even though i know it does produce acid in your stomachs.

Well I got my script for 20mg of Nexium, started it today and can already tell the difference of having the 40mg yesterday. I did okay with weaning before, doing every other day 40mg, it was when I switched to an OTC ppi that it became unbearable. So this time I'm going to wean more slowly and not skip days, my doctor it willing to prescribe lower doses to help my with this process if I am able to treat my (confirmed) GERD naturally. So we shall see, this time I will go very very slow, praying my body will adapt to the 20mg over time and then I will try to taper even more.