Doc wants me back on Nexium.. Do I have a choice?

Hi, I have been almost symptom free the last 6 months after quitting Nexium (used them for 2 years 40mg daily), but had to quit them because they introduced me to some rather horrible "IBS" like symptoms.. I felt like the Nexium messed up my digestion, and caused the IBS, so I have been struggling with these symptoms since I quitted Nexium, but they are WAY better now. Had some occasional heart-burn but nothing severe, until last week. My hearth is pounding, throat is burning, a constant lump in the throat, difficulties breathing and it's getting harder to swallow anything down my sore throat so I have to do something..

I went to my Doc, he found a spot just between where my ribs meet that was sore, and decided I need to get back on Nexium , I dont want to but I may have to because I cant keep going on like this, I want to be able to manage it with a diet, but I don't think a diet will be enough right now, I have to get rid of the inflammation down there. Do any of you have any input as to what I can do? A friend with Chrons recomended Prednisolone, for inflammation but everyone says it will only cause the heartburn to get worse. Has anyone tried Prednisolone for inflammation, to get the throat healed up? Or is this poison of a drug called Nexium, or any of it's relatives (PPI's) the only solution?

pantoprazole and nexium have ruined Mt life. I had to come off them cold turkey and still had gastritis
and i am in a special hell at the moment lol. That was almost 3 weeks ago, they were giving me lazy gallbladder pain and I had to quit everything. Somdont blame you for quoting and with PPI you must taper down slowly and then get onto H2 blocker. Prednisalone is a very bad idea.

With me rebound acid coming off ppi caused me gastritis to bounce back even after healing full. Now that you are off, get onto antacids like gaviscon and also try H2 blockers, there few of them, if things are not controllable. If you want to protect the inflamed areas of what i assume is osophagus then get then liquid sucralfate is very helpful and together with gaviscon it can see you out of this.


don't give up, unless your GERD is from loose oesophageal valve and food, diet is not working. Also just thought to mention rebound acid is not always immediate after stopping ppi and can vary from med to med and person to person. Pantoprazole was immediate horrid rebound where nexium was after 2-3 days it kicked in. Some even after 1 week and it can past 1-8 weeks and more depending on how long/dotage/person/duration2 you were on them.

good luck and don't give up

Hi there,

It really depends on the dosage of prednisone and how well you tolerate it, also it depends how bad the inflammation is and where it is. Prednisone is a cox2 blocker, its often described as selective blocker and was made to reduce the effect on prostaglandin production, but very roughly it blocks or seriously inhibits the production of prostaglandins that is required in the upkeep of mucosa production in the stomach and several other places, hence it can and does cause ulcers and gastritis. There is also some theory that it can relax the oesophageal valves but i have never seen such or evidence for it, neither have i researched it extensively.

I am by no means a qualified doctor but I have never seen it given for the type of inflammation you are complaining about. Its certainly possibly to try a shot 5-7 day course but i seriously, seriously doubt its benefits will be sufficient enough if any to impact your quality of life.

Liquid sucralfate and gaviscon will be much better alternative if you don't want to take ppi or you could even add a H2 blocker, which are more gentle than PPI and much easier to wean off. There is ranitidine, cimetadine and fomatadine to try. If your GERD is not controlled then you will be going round in circles, with constant burning of the oesophageal valve and oesophagus. The Sucralfate binds to the damaged area and helps form a protective barrier, the Galviscon is both antacids acid and alginate which is to form a barrier on top of food to prevent further reflux. The sucralfate is very useful and don't know why doctors don't prescribe it, its wonderful medication that is not metabolised by your body but excreted by your kidneys but this does not mean it is side effect free, those intolerant to aluminium should take with caution or doctors permission but its well tolerate. Its protective qualities of protecting the inflames areas by up to 8 hours is in my opinion just as important as the ppi in healing by reducing acid. In one large Italian study sucralfate was more effective than Zantac in curing gastritis or severely reducing it the the 8 week mark.
So a combination therapy in my opinion is more full proof. Some have very reactive stomach, any inflammation directly under or above the osapheageal valve can lead to it opening involuntary, certainly was in my case. When i took sucralfate it certainly did not seem to work, but after 1 week its effects were quite noticeable. Some with ulcers find ppi/H2 blockers more effective in pain reduction than sucralfate but its barrier forming qualities are very efficient in promoting the healing process.

Then main problem with it is fitting it into your schedule, must be taken 1 hour before meals and up to 4x a day, normal dose is 1g x 4 a day. with maximum dose of 8g a day. Please consult with your doctor but make sure you get the liquid version as its more effective for oesophageal damage by coating it.

You will fine the triple combination will being you quick relief, but please discuss with your doctor. Hope fully you can control your symptoms with just diet changes like before.

all the best if luck

Post Edited (James_a) : 7/30/2014 3:45:21 AM (GMT-6)

Hi

I t seems doctors sometimes lack common sense, here in uk sucralfate liquid is considered black listed and very hard to get, something to Do with cost reasons. Its strange that you have to wait for endoscopy before prescribing the medication, its a bad joke. Because doctors in European countries offering national health services to their citizens, ie free medical care, have a procedure they must follow depending on diagnosis involves PPI course for 8 weeks and further 8 weeks, before sending for testing. Its for cost reason, but what baffles me is the terrible excuse your doctor is giving you.

You might be able to get it from America or even India, turkey and few other countries but before taking anything please consult dosage duration with your doctor, don't ever take anything without telling them. IT is originally made for ulcers and quite effective for it and more than Zantac but it also very useful for gastritis and the liquid even better for the osophagus for some people and other not find it useful, for me it was great and i could feel it wear off and i would my gastritis flare up, also my gastritis cured much faster on it than off and this is something i felt my self but i can guarantee this for every one. I can't believe these doctors. Please see a GI and they can prescribe it for you, its worth a try at best, you never know might be great or might not even work but you will never know till you try.

Hope you get better soon, i wish you all the best and let me know how you get in with it.

She could go see private doctor and get a private prescription and get the medication off NHS. it might cost £70-£100 to see private doctor and another for £20 or so for the medication, unfortunately its prescription only after you they've exhausted other meds first and by GI only but it might be possible to get private prescription but really need to talk to doctors here, some can't be 100% certain.

good luck and all the best.

Hi, Gewarn you are looking for "Antepsin", the pharmacy said they had no doubt it should work protecting the esophagus, but I guess you have to see a GI specialist, to get a subscription.. my regular doctor was skeptical.

You can look it up in "Felleskatalogen" here .. (Norwegian)

Good luck to you

I'm still looking, I have changed to a new doc but I have seen over 27 different "interns" (turnus).. never get to see my actual doc, though had a visit to the specialists in Haugesund (the Hospital) and a local one in Arendal.

I do wonder if I'm going to go for Volvat, you have too pay but I'm sick of doctors blaming my psych. Let me hear if you get the Antepsin, and how it works for you.

I definitely understand how you feel. The doctors that has interns to take their place are the worst, I've been through them too. What tests have you done? If you ask for an endoscopy, swallow and 24 hour ph testing they should definitely them done for you, and you don't have to get them done at Volvat. I was in a dialoge with them regarding the nissen fundoplication, and was seriously considering to get it done there. It's about 100 000 NOK so I eventually said no. That was when I lived in Bergen. Since I've moved to Oslo I've been getting much better care.

So you've also been told it's your psyche huh? I wanted to scream to the doctors that blamed the psyche that I'm getting my psychological problems because of the constant hearthburn and not being able to live like a normal 22 year old should.

I got some other stomach problems related to my long term ppi use, and the public health system doesn't accept that as a serious condition, so they don't treat it. I eventually had to go to a private clinic here in Oslo to get tested and get treated for that.

Yes, I'm letting you know monday!

doctors lack intellect these days, they lack common sense, its quite obvious the clever ones are not doing medicine anymore. Entry requirements/exams are easing,g people are thinking less and so much legal tape that scare's the good ones from making correct judgement is just some of the nonsense that must be the cause. I can't help get the feeling that people are doing medicine for job security rather than actually caring and waiting to make a difference in peoples lives They seem to be scared to think outside the box, if they can't fit your symptoms in and find possible explanation then they explain everything by stress lol.

I kept telling doctors PPI are causing me nerve pain, nerve damage or some kind of weired damage just not listed on the manufacturers list, i has 2 consultants tell me not to come of PPI, i had consultant tell me its safe to stay on ppi long term, i had registrar tell me its impossible you have gastritis start again from coming of ppi and it was just visceral hypersensitivity and i proved them wrong in every account. I saved my life and came off PPI and all the host of stupid medicine they started giving me. I had so much damage from ppi and i know what hell acid reflux and gastritis does to your life, it makes you stressed, it makes you depressed and i zaps your energy. I did not want to talk to anyone, i lost friends and almost my job, fell behind in my life and lost almost 35KG+ in weight since last July when my gastritis really started but they miss diagnosed me and kept giving me steroids and thinking it was asthma.

there are good doctors out there but the majority are just average at best and that is me being kind to them. Do not pet them push you about and believe in yourself and body and be confident its a horrible disease. Specially mine as i could not sit for stand for more than 6 months because ppi, i was disabled even using toilet was hell.

Good luck guys and find a doctors that cares about your health and interested to
helping you rather than making up excuses.

good luck guys, its tough but there is light at the end of this tunnel.