Stopping nexium due to possible side effect

I am starting new thread to talk about my trying to stop nexium after two separate 4 wks treatment with two months between.
First 20mg, 4 wks, it got better but symptom came back after a while, so i had a endoscopy, confirmed gerd and gastritis. My stomach is not moving very well also, my doc said. That's why i can't eat much at a time.
Anyloo, i was hopeful since the endoscopic picture showed not very serious red area in my esophagus but healthy stomach. Biopsy was ok, too without the trace of h. Pirori.
The thing is, i started feeling nervous and heart racing on my 3rd week of 40 mg nexium. No reason to think it's in my head because i live very peaceful life, nothing to worry, no stress, and most of all, i was happy to have a good test result and optimistic about the whole thing.
Then this feeling started. I had read some people claimed that nexium induced depression here before and dismissed it(sorry) as a paranoia. But when i felt i couldn't go on anymore i read them again, and i realized that's what they were talking about!

It could be from heart racing. When i had omeprazole before, only 4 days made me have heart palpitation. It was before the test so i thought i worried too much, but i learned about ppi and magnesium deficient it could cause then. i stopped medicine right away and went to see the doctor and that's when she prescribed nexium.
It had worked without any side effect first time and this time until my end of 3 rd wk.( it was to be 8wks treatment when my doctor said it's 'mild' gastritis herself)
Anyway, i felt so miserable and depressed and hard to breath(not like heart problem way but you know, like when you have anxiety.) it came and went for no reason while i was there trying to read a book. Feeling ok and suddenly feeling so miserable and not knowing what to do about it. I started journal, thinking i could find the cause of this by follow my feeling with my menstrual cycle and stuff. Many said it's to do with pre-menopause and i happen to agree with it. I mean mood swing and stomach problem both.
But no, i couldn't find any relation with my mood and period! I just found whenever i felt bad my heart was racing. so i called my doc and she made sure it's not my heart itself and agreed with me to go off the nexium and go with two weeks of maximum does of zantac.

It's my 3 rd day. I didn't expect the heart racing go away that quickly but on my 2nd day i wasn't sighing and walking about trying to breathe already.
I feel ok now. Though a bit nervous about being off nexium, i swear it's different. Worrying and a little nervous wasn't it. I had no reason to then.
I am going to go with 75/150 this week just in case my esophagus is not completely healed, and off the morning does for a week and see what happens. I am not saying h2 blockers is good or even better but you don't have to keep taking them without knowing you don't need it or not, at least.
Also completely blocking stomach acid such a long period of time can't be good. There are reasons we have them in our body.we need all those minerals and vitamins that are absorbed through acid and acid kill germs in the food.
I understand people who have to take ppi. Btdt. This stomach problems are serious and real. Makes life miserable. But we should try to avoid long term usage as much as possible. This drug companies usually develop drugs that makes us to take it indefinitely to make more money naturally. That's why they don't develop antibiotics even though there are more and more drug resistant bugs. It's not that they can't. They don't want to put money on developing drugs that would cure people once and for all. It's not conspiracy theory. It's a known fact.
http://investorplace.com/2011/07/antibiotics-pharmaceuticals/
I digress.
Anyway, again i will keep posting how i get off my nexium. I am hopeful but very cautious. A bit nervous but not like when i was taking nexium.

WilltoCome,
You may want to consider the Fast Tract diet. It has been very effective for me in controlling heartburn. There is a thread her with more details. I only take a couple of TUMS daily now.

It's been a week officially since i got off the ppi.(taking 75/150 zantac instead)
I have had minor heartburn episode once, and ate too much dinner(though for most of the people it may not) yesterday -_-;; and had a hard time to digest but went through it with a help of one pill of enzyme.(i haven't taken this for decades but i felt my stomach was so full it could not move at all. I was afraid it might sit there for a long time with gas and the acid would eventually had to come up, burning my esophagus). It seemed to work. I didn't have a heartburn and i am fine in the morning.
I am going to watch what i eat more carefully measuring out ahead at all time.

For the record, i am taking zantac still because my ppi prescription was to be 8 weeks and i stopped at my 4th week. I am just careful to make sure my esophagus heals completely but wanted to get off the ppi due to the side effect.
Starting from tomorrow, i lower my Zantac dosage to 150 at night only. Eating small amount at a time i think I can do it but we will see.

And, OMG, The very reason i started my post, i forgot completely!!!! The side effect!!
Maybe that's the proof, i guess. This morning, i was seeing my husbund out for work and he stared me and said "you are happy again!" 'cause i was humming 'somewhere over the rainbow', in that Adam Sandler movie version. I feel good again.
So, that's the proof that i had that syptom as a side effect of the ppi, not from my imagination. At that time i didn't EXPECT it to happen, and after stopping the drug, i didn't EXPECT it to go away but simply gradually forgot it ever was there.
It was REAL that was just HAPPENED.

I will not go back to ppi. I will overcome!

Post Edited (Willovercome) : 3/16/2013 1:48:44 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Willovercome,

If you are humming Somewhere Over the Rainbow, that's definitely a positive sign . Search You Tube for Eva Cassidy to hear a really nice versions of the song. Actually, everything Eva does is great.

But back to the subject at hand, congratulations on getting off PPIs. Not everyone has such an easy transition. H2 blockers are much less disruptive of the digestive system, but still require supplementation with calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin d3 at a minimum, if taken for more than a few weeks. Digestive enzymes and a probiotic are also a good idea.

GERD and heartburn are such individually caused and experienced conditions that's it's difficult for any one system of treatment to work for everyone. Which is why we all tend to get so frustrated with our Doctors, who usually prescribe the exact same thing to everyone. In the end, after the diagnostic tests are done, we are mostly on our own to figure out what will work, which is why this forum is so valuable as a place to read about others experiences and search for things to try that hardly any doctor will recommend.

Good luck in beating it, and enjoy Eva.

By the way, where is the link to the Fast Trak Diet? Would love to look at that. Thanks.

I just spoke to Pfizer about Nexium and they said if you are experiencing any of the side effects that you should stop taking the medication. They also said to speak with your pharmacist to tell them of the side effects and what you can replace the medication with??? Interesting. I am going to see the doctor next week and am due for a mammogram. But I will stop the Nexium for now. Thanks