HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

10 mg!

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/15/2006 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I am now down to 10 mg of Protonix and I will post here regularly to let you know what happens. To those unfamiliar with my novela, I am trying to get off the PPIs because I believe my damage five months ago was not extensive and also because I feel much better. In addition, according to a GI doctor who wrote an article on the subject, 60% of people can eat with caution and stay off the PPIs.

 

Posted 7/18/2006 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
It's my fifth day on the new dose. The first couple of days were scary, I did feel that stomach warmth, the bubbling and growling. I am now clearly more succeptible to reflux. To try this theory out, I ate about five potato chips and drank some diluted Gatorade at a ride two days ago, got instant reflux, luckily it didn't last long. Bigger meals feel bad too. These are things I tolerated at 20 mg. But it is clear this has been the pattern every time I reduce the dose: some initial discomfort, then things get predictable. The good news is that I am no longer constipated!! This is in line with the idea that more and more of my acid-producing pumps are active, therefore my digestion is approaching normalcy.
Posted 7/18/2006 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your post!!
I'm sure many here are keeping track of your progress and will find it useful.
Posted 7/18/2006 6:29 PM (GMT 0)
Unfortunately I had to take two omeprazole this morning. Had a lot of pain, gas etc, I am no longer taking them daily like a good robot. I am taking them of an as needed basis. Today I began my zantac regime also.

If you don't mind I would like to occasionally contribute my "reflective notes" to your novella.  Thank you for posting.

Post Edited (Joan Mack) : 7/18/2006 12:32:40 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/19/2006 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
I sent my doctor an e-mail update. Overall, I am feeling well, about the same as when I took 20 mg. Last night though, after a light meal of chicken, rice and salad, I had pain at the bottom of my esophagus. The good news is that one Tums helped. I was afraid of having to resort to Mylanta. Mylanta and I do not have a good history. During the day, and specially at lunch, it feels like I can eat anything. But of course I don't!
Posted 7/19/2006 8:44 PM (GMT 0)

I didn't notice until today. The bubbles are all but gone. The full feeling after a small meal is gone too. I hear noises immediately after eating or right after getting up in the morning, but nothing else. I am eating about six small meals a day. No chocolate, wine confused , coffee, red meat, citrus, condiments, fatty nuts, milk or cheese (I do take a supplement)

Lots of water, fruits, vegetables, organic juices from a juicer, leafy greens like kale, yogurt with live cultures, whole grains if I decide to eat starches at all, high quality protein (lean and fresh). I ate elk the other day but it was a bit much. I digested it ok, but it felt heavy. It was my first red meat after 5 months, and I think I will stay away from it for a while longer.

I am trining for a bike ride that requires 6,000 feet of climbing and I need to have energy. This is my next most urgent problem. Now that I have something close to a normal digestion, I can find out why do I bruise easily, have a low blood pressure and feel so wiped out. Is it anemia from a slight B12 deficiency? Stay tuned.

Posted 7/20/2006 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Bekster...some people have "thin skin" and bruise easily. It is not indicative of anything. I can't take the heat anymore. Am a Northeastern and I'm hiding today from the yuck. Yuck means heat plus humidity.

Congratulations on your progress.
Posted 7/20/2006 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
Joan, I have never bruised like this in my whole life. My legs are covered with bruises and i don't even know what caused them (certainly not cycling!). Een though everything seems to be going well, I will not consider myself out of the woods until have spent at least a year medication and pain free. But I appreciate the support. : )
Posted 7/25/2006 2:57 AM (GMT 0)

Okay, this week I will stop taking the PPI. My doctor knows. She left me a prescription refill for 40 mg for me to pick up to have available in case I get into another crisis. August is around the corner, and in my profession this is the most stressful month. Lots of stress always causes GERD for me, and this translates not into reflux (I never got reflux until after starting the Tagamet and Mylanta), but into excruciating abdominal pain.

I have also seen an herbalist to help me transition into the PPI-free world. She has given me slippery elm and arrowroot powder to mix with water and take should I feel too much acid corroding my stomach. I am also taking a much more complicated herbal potion with multiple anti-GERD purposes. I would have never gone to her had it not been for the fact that alternative medicine has been effective for me in the past. My doctor does not know yet about the herbalist, but I plan to tell her soon.

Posted 7/29/2006 5:14 AM (GMT 0)
So I had my first real indication of acid in my belly yesterday. But my dad was visiting and this is always stressful, so I have to say, I saw for the first time since I was diagnosed I saw how intimalety my stomach acid production is connected to stress levels. The mild pain started in the morning and did not subside until I went to sleep. Tums made it feel better, but the arrowroot and slippery elm mix did not. Food of course made it go away for a while. Drinking a lot of water didn't. Alkaline shakes (banana, yogurt, kale, papaya) felt good, but the effect did not last a long time. However, I do have to say this dicomfort was entirely bearable and did not extend into my sleep. I lost track of it as soon as I hit the pillow.

The good news is that it's gone now. Today I went to a restaurant and ate a grilled piece of salmon and some orzo (didn't drink water until two hrs later) and I feel fine. I was SO afraid this meal might give me reflux, but I didn't get any. While I was at this italian restaurant, I had a chance to look at the food I no longer eat. Of course I have mixed feelings about this, but overall I am so glad I am no longer up, sleepless, with a lump in my throat.

As a side note, I got my lab results today and my cholesterol is waaayyyyy down at 137. My good cholesterol (HDL) is 47, which is okay but could be better. I guess this is what happens on a very low fat diet. Seems like I've hit my weight loss plateau too, at 131 lbs (I measure 5'4"). Feel free to ask me any questions...
Posted 8/1/2006 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
It's been a few days since I last wrote. Nothing dramatic has happened. I am waiting until after my period to definitively drop the medication. I can feel a normal digestion after every meal I eat, so I think I'm ready. I still sleep on an incline, still avoid fatty meals, chocolate, carbonation, alcohol and citrus. I do not eat after six.
Posted 8/2/2006 8:17 PM (GMT 0)

Kaiser dropped my insurance due to a member services glitch and they allowed me to pay for my Protonix prescription out of pocket (they will reimburse me later). Guess what, each 20 mg pill cost me $6.50! I have to clarify I am refilling it in case I have an attack in the future. Yesterday I ate spicy chicken (meaning it had garlic and a little pepper) and today I ate sushi with no problems. I am going to stop medication in two more days. At 6.50 a pill, it's about time.

Posted 8/3/2006 2:58 AM (GMT 0)

Wow, good for you Bekstar!  May I ask, what kind of symptoms were you having that caused you to try and quit the PPI's?

Nancy

Posted 8/3/2006 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
The reason I am dropping them is because I do feel better. I know my esophagus and stomach tissues are no longer as irritated as when I had my crisis five months ago. I feel fine! I was cleared by my doctor, she said I could go ahead and try it, provided that I return to them if I had another attack. I am also ready to deal with the acid hypersecretion if any. But because I have slowly tapered off the dose, that is very unlikely to happen.

To answer your question, if I had to name one symptom I really hated from PPI use, it would be the dyspepsia. But understand that it was the PPIs what got me out of my GERD crisis. I could not eat or sleeep back then!
Posted 8/7/2006 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
:-)  hi berk, i am curious how you are doing as i have stopped my ppi for about 5 days now, oi am hanging in there okay tking an enzime called DGL to settle my stomach, we wii see, i cannot beleive you have not had other problems on protonix, i hated it!!! i am, or was taking prilosec.
Posted 8/7/2006 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Dreamgirl. As a matter of fact, I am having problems. I have been having migraine-like headaches almost since the time I quit the 10 mg. Can you spell withdrawal symptoms??? In other words, out of the last eight days, I have had headaches for six. Check my other, newer thread for the details.
Posted 8/7/2006 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
:-)  well, i hated the protonix, so far i am doing good, but i never exceeded the 10mg even though my doctor wanted me to. sorry you are still struggling, you are going to continue the good fight, right?
Posted 8/8/2006 12:23 AM (GMT 0)
Yep. I would LOVE to start a web site devoted to assisting those who want to to quit. Hopefully I'm done with the detox period....
Posted 8/10/2006 12:19 AM (GMT 0)

Ugh, the "detox period" seems to be almost over. It is the ninth day since I quit and the third day in a row I do not get a horrible withdrawal headache. I still have tenderness, but no disabling pain. I have been researching for info on these PPI withdrawal headaches all over the net with little luck. All I know is that they are validated by the medical literature.

Meanwhile, my stomach feels totally and completely normal. We are talking pre-attack period, when I was eating the typical american diet. So it is tempting to go back to it, but I do not yet know if I will be one of those people with a relapse (60%) or one of the lucky ones who do get healed. I have decided to boost my chances by keeping my alkaline diet, and avoiding irritants. I still do not drink coffee, alcohol, eat tomatoes, citrus, ice cream, pizza etc. I do not eat after 6:00 PM or eat big meals anymore. Not only do I feel better than five months ago, I look great!!! My BMI went from 26 to 22, without regular exercise. My cholesterol is 137. My blood pressure is normal.

This is what I ate today:

Morning:

Small bowl of oatmeal, and a shake made with three raw kale leaves, one banana, half a cup of yogurt with live cultures, half a cup of papaya, and a cup of rice milk. 1000 mg of Ester C, 500 mg of calcium citrate, and a folic acid pill. Three raw almonds.

Mid morning:

One nectarine, two slices of pineapple. One slice of whole wheat bread. Three raw almonds.

Lunch:

Half a cup of tuna on whole wheat bread, one pear. Three raw almonds.

Mid afternoon:

One apricot. Three raw almonds.

Dinner:

One turkey patty, one small potato, three cups of salad with a miso dressing. 500 mg of calcium citrate.

I drink a lot of water, but never right after a meal. At night I drink chamomile and ginger tea. I eat before parties and meetings, and pack my own food wherever I go. When in doubt, I don't eat it. I go to restaurants that serve grilled meats and salad, and I warn hosts that I will not eat after 6:00 PM. I hope this is helpful.

Posted 8/12/2006 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
My doctor does not think the headaches are from quitting Protonix, and what's more, she believes I should take Protonix again to protect my stomach from the NSAIDS I am having to use to stop the severe headaches. In fact, she even suggested coffee, with a lot of water afterwards, as a prophylactic measure. I'm telling you, the fun never stops. Men, be happy you do not have to go through menopause. scool
Posted 8/13/2006 9:31 PM (GMT 0)

Hi

bekster, well i broke down yesterday and went back on prilosec, i was hurting so bad i just had to. i am very disappointed but, hell, why suffer.  did your doctor say it was okay to take the ppi once in a while, i was under the impression you needed to take it all the time, i would like not to do that if i can, becasue of the hair loss. any scoop there?  your diet sounds like torture to me, i eat well, but what ever i want usually in small portions.  bye for now

Posted 8/14/2006 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
Opinions vary. This is my third doctor and she thinks I can take it on an as needed basis. I feel recovered from my original gastritis. She is going to do an endoscopy to ascertain no damage remains. In the meanwhile, she feels I can take it for the uses I described previusly. I am used to my diet by now. cool
Posted 8/14/2006 3:16 PM (GMT 0)

Bekster -

Do you have a favorite site/book for info on alkaline diets? I'm trying to eat more alkaline but am still having some symptoms. I'd like some additional resources to figure out the right alkaline mix to improve this.

Can't seem to get the GERD totally under control. I'm on Prevacid but would dearly love to get off of it.

Thanks!

Karen

Posted 8/14/2006 5:12 PM (GMT 0)

Bekster,

I don't believe your dr.  I do believe that withdrawing from these meds can cause physical symptoms.  You know I have been stopping the prilosec.  The acid rebound i am experiencing is a killer!!  Not to mention, I too have been having an increase of headaches.  I even see a chiropractor on a regular basis and I am having these headaches!

Im also getting the shakes a little too.  So, no dr can tell me there are no withdrawl effects from it-balogne.  Regardless, Im quitting them.  I read that long term use of PPI's can actually cause gastritis in some people.  You know I read this from the patient insert information for Nexium-hello??? 

So, can we maybe all support each other here in coming off this stuff?  Do you have a good website for alkaline diets?

Thanks.

Nancy

Posted 8/14/2006 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nancy,
Read this article and see why my 3rd doctor thinks this way: http://www.acponline.org/journals/news/jul-aug04/ppis.htm
This is the article that inspired me to try quitting Protonix.

I don't have any other books other than the ones recommended by this web site, which BTW have been really helpful. I did my alkaline diet following the lists of alkaline foods found by searching on the internet. I have definitely not read a book touting alkaline diets as a "cure" for GERD. However, I belong to other online GERD forums where this approach is more accepted as a way to alleviate the symptoms. I also have two friends who suffer from GERD who quit their PPI following an alkaline diet. They both told their doctors before they tried it and were cleared of any damage. They continue to check for problems every so often, which is what I will do too.

Good luck!!!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12