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New here...few question...sour stomach and nexium

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 4/10/2017 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
ok...so here we are. I recently went to my dr. complaining of "sour stomach" off and on for the last several months. I noticed it right around holidays and figured it was some sort of bug going around at that time. But then I noticed it again happening off and on. For days I would feel as I describe as "a yucky stomach"...but once I would eat something it would feel better or drinking ginger ale or 7-up would make me feel better.

She asks me "do you eat a lot of dairy and are you gassy?" I say no, but thinking more of gassy as passing gas and I don't pass a lot of gas but I do get burpy right after eating. She says I think I know what it is and give me some starter packs of nexium...take one every morning right before breakfast...sends me off for lab work, blood, urine and a stool sample and to come back in 8 weeks.

It wasn't till after I left and after googling nexium when i got back to work that I thought "well what does she think I have and what are they looking for in the tests and why am I taking the nexium and what does it do?"

All my tests came back fine...which is great even though I really dont know what they were looking for. I did ask the girl who called with results and she mentioned checking for H. pylori (sp?) and something about enzymes your gallbladder produces...but she said everything was fine.

so since then (2 weeks) I've been scared to start taking the nexium after reading some reviews, stories, side effects etc. I guess what I want to know is what is causing or could be causing the sour stomach, not just treating it.

Do I just take the nexium and see if works for me? I guess if I feel any immediate negative side effects, I just stop taking it. My boss started with nexium and he said it gave him headaches so he switched to Prilosec and that works for him. But he said he definately notices when he runs out and doesnt take if for a few days. But he had heartburn whereas Im not experiencing heartburn.

Any advice for me? I just called and left a message for the dr. office to call so I can ask the questions I didnt think to ask while I was there.
Posted 4/11/2017 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
I started with nexium years ago and it was like a sign from above, I felt awesome! After some time I quit taking it as I was not getting acid reflux anymore and was good for years and then 2 or 3 years ago I would get bad heartburn and reflux again so I went back to doc and he put me on Protonix! Another sign from above!

Try the medication and see how it does you. The worst case is you have to stop taking it and try something else. I would say to give it a shot.
Posted 4/11/2017 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hi hvwgirl

There is a withdrawal symptom from PPIs called "Acid rebound". Many people experience acid rebound even when slowly weaning off this medication. You might want to google acid rebound for more information...

Unless it is medically necessary, I would be cautious about starting PPIs. PPIs only treat symptoms and never get to the real problem...You can also enter acid rebound in the search field on the Healing well website above to see how people are managing weaning off PPIs.
Posted 4/11/2017 4:16 AM (GMT 0)
I have run out of my protonix and went months without it, so while it can cause "rebound acid" for some it never has for me.
Posted 4/11/2017 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hvwgirl:

Have you tried keeping a food diary and trying to pinpoint your food triggers? Since you've not had a conclusive diagnosis, you might also want to follow a strict GERD-friendly diet. Also, not everyone has the same side effects from drugs, and you won't experience any immediate relief from them. It takes time and they need to taken properly to be effective.
Posted 4/11/2017 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't started a food diary, but need to. I guess what confuses me is that I don't get a sour stomach after I eat, but wondering if food you eat one day will affect you the next day. Does that make sense? I am just a big weenie when it comes to taking medicine, even vitamins and reading about the acid getting worse when you go off ppi's didn't sound very fun. I'll google Gerd-friendly diet and check that out, thanks.

I did start taking probiotics every morning and haven't had any noticeable bad side effects. (30 billion live culture)

The dr's nurse did call me back this morning and I told her that I wanted to what was causing the acid instead of just throwing nexium at it. She's going to check back with the dr and then get back to me. I told her maybe I needed to see a GI. I had figured when I went in about the sour stomach she would tell me it time for a colonoscopy (I turn 50 this year) and send me to a GI. Then they could also check to see what's going on with the acid stomach and see if they can see anything causing it.
Posted 4/11/2017 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
One more question, does rebound happen even after going off a ppi if you are on it short period of time? Also, if nexium is supposed to be used for 14 days or whatever, what happens after that?
Posted 4/11/2017 9:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hi hvwgirl

If you are on a small dosage of PPI for maybe three weeks or longer, you could experience acid rebound when trying to wean off. It would be difficult to give an exact time frame...I can tell you both my mom and I went thru acid rebound trying to wean off PPIs, and it is something I wish to never experience again.

I was trying to wean off PPI medication because it caused delayed gastric emptying (food staying in the stomach too long) which caused severe digestive issues. Once I developed delayed gastric emptying from the PPI, I could barely eat. So I had no other choice then to wean off the PPI. My mother had developed the first stage of osteoporosis and believes it was due to her PPI, since she did not have this prior to taking this medication. She had been on the medication for many years... much longer than me. She also went thru acid rebound trying to wean off the PPI and still has not been successful at weaning off this medication due to acid rebound.

I realize there are people who say they have no side effects, and that is great for them. But I am sharing my story because I think it's important to hear both sides of the story.

Post Edited (CAGU) : 4/12/2017 12:15:19 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/12/2017 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Just a couple of notes:

Don't take Nexium, or any other PPI, "just before breakfast." PPIs need 45 minutes, more or less, to start working. They don't work directly on the inside of the stomach like Ranitidine and Tums do. They have to get metabolized and the metabolites need to get to the little "acid pumps" in the stomach wall. After that you must eat! This triggers the pumps so the PPI metabolites can shut them down.

Look up food diary or food journal in the search box at the top of the page. Finding if you have "trigger foods" is free and easy at home.
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