Should I alert my doctor's supervisor? (Spoiler alert: gross details)

Hey guys,

I'm still doing great! I follow a strict vegan diet and give myself 1 cheat day a week, which I usually don't use. I had a few sips of my first soda in 5 months today... tasted kind of gross after all these months of water and juice. Very happy to say I don't miss it (to be fair, I was never a big soda drinker/fan before). You reading this can do it too!! ;)

I've been thinking more and more about the plan my doctor laid out for me: take Nexium for 6 months and come back if it doesn't work. While thinking, I am also getting angrier and angrier about this "plan".

As most of us on this site know, going off of Nexium cold turkey is a pretty bad idea if you've been on it for any prolonged period of time. How could my doctor not know this?! I would have been in agony.

I tried going off Nexium once before and the symptoms returned with a vengeance at around day 10. Not only that, but the surge of acid gave me the most horrendous yeast infection of my life as well as terrible, intense urinary tract pain and very loose and fiery stools.

Not only is there plenty of personal experience, we have also cited sources (WebMD, studies from the University of Copenhagen), but I have also read that Nexium is WAY over prescribed. So if this doc is handing it out to people and not telling them the consequences/side effects of stopping it so suddenly and also not weaning patients off, is he doing his patients a great disservice?

I don't want to get the guy in trouble - I was thinking of probably sending a letter with the study findings and sources to his supervisor. More of an FYI than "hey this doc is messing up" thing, especially if it helps other patients. Does anyone have an opinion about this?

I hope everyone is feeling well!
Ashley

Thanks Kitt. Because of your long nursing history I was hoping you'd get back to me on this one. I appreciate your input!

Hi Ashley,

I get frustrated with the standard advice too, but that's just what it is - " standardised advice". Your doctor will be acting within normal guidelines and local or national policy. If he's wrong, then that's not a failure on his part, it's a failure of the guidelines to take into account the long term effects of ppis and the risk of acid rebound.

What we really need in each country is a patient experience forum whose findings are reported to the medical profession. The best way forward if you want to take up the cause is to try to find a doctor who agrees with you and who will highlight the findings in the mainstream medical press. You could also write to any newspaper or magazine that has a health column and highlight the issue there (without naming any particular doctor or clinic of course!).

I do agree with you that the current advice is lacking and the medical treatment available is a poor solution (I currently have very poor symptom control on Lansoprazole, to the point that it's hard to see a reason for taking it, except the fear of getting worse!). I think that there will be a big backlash some way into the future when people start to sue for osteoporosis and other issues they were not warned about. In the meantime, at least Healingwell allows us all to let off a bit of steam!!

MMM

Good Morning,

AstraZeneca manufactures Nexium. 

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch  or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

You can also call AstraZeneca direct to report adverse side effects: call the Information Center at AstraZeneca at 1-800-236-9933, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM ET.

I have call the Pharmaceutical Co direct to report a side effect from a medication I was on. 

Kindly,

Kitt