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gettin off nexium

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Posted 12/30/2005 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on nexium (this time) for around 3-4 months.  I have recently added all sorts of supplements as well and am doing GREAT!!  I want to get off the nexium and see if I can remain well without it.  Will it hurt me or will there be any kind of rebound effect if I just stop it?  Or should I try something like every other day, every third day, etc....until I am weaned off of it?  I don't want to mess up this good thing I got going on.  But the pills cost me around 4 bucks a day and if I don't need them, I don't have the money to waste.

Any advice will be appreciated.....Hearty

Posted 12/30/2005 1:53 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Hearty,

I would not stop the nexium without the consant of your Doctor Nexium is expensive it will cost me 65.00 a bottle every month and thats with health ins.. if its working great but you may have a rebound effect talk to your doctor to see if he/she can prescribe something comparable to nexium without the expense..

I have been on nexium for 3 weeks now and doing pretty well. but my doctor wants me on it for 6 months. it takes a while for the esophagus to heal as long as 6 months to a year. so even though you are feeling better I would not stop wait another 3 months or so. hope this helps.

good luck

yeah

Posted 12/30/2005 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
Yea, I wouldn't stop either......without consulting your doc. I stopped Protonix on my own will and I had a rebound effect after a month of being off of it and now I'm very ill. I have been on Prilosec, Prevacid, of course the protonix that I quit taking, and now I'm on Nexium. I have been on Nexium for almost 7 weeks and it's JUST NOW starting to kick in. I have been in sooo much pain for sooo long now, I will NEVER stop taking this Nexium without my doctor telling me I'm good to go. I had such a horrible rebound effect that my stomach is completely overproducing acid, now and none of the PPI's worked for me, anymore. I just had to keep with the Nexium until it kicked in.

Good Luck and I'm glad to hear you're doing better but do not stop taking it just because you feel better. I felt better......Until I stopped taking my med!!!

Michelle :)
Posted 12/30/2005 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, and about the money....I had to pay for another endoscopy to make sure I didn't give myself an ulcer from coming off the nexium on my own. So, in the long run, it's cheaper to stay on it until you're completely healed. I'm not saying you aren't....You might be all better, now. But, let the doc give you the go-ahead first, please!! I wouldn't want you to go through what I did in Nov. I was so sick, I couldn't eat anything. I lost 15 lbs in under a month.

Michelle :)
Posted 12/30/2005 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
Coming of the PPI's are difficult. You almost always get a rebound effect. I went cold turkey off the Nexium, but had a few rough days and ended up taking a max strength Pepsid a couple of times. Been over a month now, doing very well and on Dr Norm's low carb diet. That has helped quite a bit in my case. I feel better off the Nexium then when I was on it for 4 years. The PPI's will reduce your ability to absorb Vitamin B12 after a period of time, and you can become deficient in that vitamin due to the PPI's. If your dr has not addressed this, question him on it. Take a sublingual B12 every day to prevent any B12 problems as this B12 deficiency alone can cause GI upsets! It's a catch 22. The Nexium can do wonders, but the manufacturers do not recommend it for long term use. There is a reason for this.
Jamie:)
Posted 12/31/2005 3:24 AM (GMT 0)
So it would make sense to get off them as soon as possible.....4 months opposed to 4 years? I just wonder what people did before ppis.....I mean we never heard of acid reflux before....are we somehow doing this to ourselves?
Posted 12/31/2005 5:27 AM (GMT 0)

Great point, Hearty.  I was thinking along the same lines when I read this thread.  Unfortunately, it seems we who suffer from GERD are put in the position of becoming slaves to the PPI's, which only control part of the pain and discomfort, plus have long term side effects.  Who knows what such meds do to the body after 20 or 30 years of daily use?

Check out Logan's recent post.  If you haven't already seen one, why not consult a naturopath?  These practitioners try to get clients off of synthetic drugs by using homeopathic alternatives.  It's not a guarantee, but worth a try, especially if you're concerned about the drawbacks of going "cold turkey."

Laura

Posted 12/31/2005 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
I have already started going that route....I am on probiotics and drinking noni juice and I have ordered some multi vitamin powder. I get this funny feeling in my head sort of almost dizzy and I think it might be a side effect of the nexium. But that heartburn was SO BAD....I don't want to chance it coming back....catch 22!
Posted 7/2/2008 12:53 PM (GMT 0)

If anyone can get off Nexium please let me know.  I have had two surgeries for acid reflux and been taking Nexium/40mg. twice daily for the past 7 years.  It has caused me to have asthma and several other problems and I still have heartburn and am sleeping in a Recliner.  Any information would be helpful.  I want off this stuff bad but ALL the Doctor's want to do is give you more medicine.  Last time I went to my Dr.----last week---she gave me a prescription for Zantac--to take WITH the Nexium.  Needless to say I tore up the prescription.  HELP.

Posted 7/5/2010 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
byoung, your situation seems nearly identical with my wife's. Although she has not had surgery for acid reflux, she has been on omeprazole (Nexium, Prilosec) since 2003, seven years ago. Whenever she does not take it she has violent bouts with vomiting after lying in bed for about an hour. Doesn't matter if she has an empty stomach. Barrett's Esophagus (a pre-cancerous condition) is the #1 danger. The pain in her chest feels like a heart attack, although we know it is gerd. The effects of long-term usage of omeprazole are too frightening to mention, and the makers of the drugs do not seem to offer any solutions to the problem of not being able to get off of Nexium/Prilosec. In fact, no one offers any viable solution to cessation of omeprozole. Most websites mention that you should not take it for more than 3 weeks. What about SEVEN YEARS?? The medical profession refers to omeprozole as, "Purple Crack" for reasons clearly understood by those in the situation such as yours or my wife's. I cannot believe there has yet to be a class action lawsuit for this medication. If you find any solution, please post it here.
Thank you, and best of luck to you.
Posted 7/5/2010 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HealingWell. Thank you for your post, however you have posted to an old thread - 2 years old.



We ask that you take the time to introduce yourself in a new thread. This is easily done. Simply click on the "New Topic" button and the program will open a box for you to post your intro. This will help members see your first post and extend a hand to you. You are always welcome to post responses directly to members but please just avoid tagging on to old threads.



Again a warm welcome.



Kitt
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