Getting off PPI meds would like advice

my history is a long story ill try to keep it as basic as possible

im 25 years old

in 2007 i had a bad reaction to a medicine that caused me anxiety so much that i stopped eating i lost 45 lbs in 2 months the drastic change in diet caused my stomach lining to get inflamed and was diagnosed with gastritis i had an endoscopy and colonoscopy at the time thats all it showed

i was prescribed nexium 40mg once a day i was still going through the anxiety and wasnt eating much so it got worse so i was then upped to 40mg twice a day

that didnt last long cause i just stopped it cause it wasnt making a difference so i went back to the once a day and thats how it was for 3-4 years

so i was on the nexium all that time to make sure my stomach didnt get more inflamed then around april of 09 i all the sudden started feeling this burning in my stomach constantly and also had burning diaherra at times

so i went back to the gi and was diagnosed with bile reflux with no cause known i was prescribed carafate pills..over the the next few months i also tried different ppis with no change carafate helped a little but not much mostly helped the bathroom problems

during this time i saw 3 different gi's all say bile reflux gastritis and none have a cause for me had like 4 endoscopys and one bravo capsule done..only difference is one dr found a small hiatal hernia

so i continued on in pain everyday and occasionally with really bad flare ups of painful bowel movements alternating loose and constipation burning and bloating

then around a year ago i found some research and posts online suggesting ppis can cause bile reflux while getting rid of acid reflux and also that due to no acid in the stomach digestion becomes a big problem with such symptoms as bloating and so on

heres some stuff i have found

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070212185309.htm

http://www.torrens.org.uk/Med/Ome.html

i brought it up to a few drs they all didnt really listen eventually i got a dr to prescribe me a lower dose of nexium so ive been on 20mg a day since then and i had no worsening in my symptoms and no improvement either

during all of this i tried several natural options such as dgl,fennel seed,digestive enzymes all helped very little

so during all of this i kept wanting to get off of it completely but i been scared for obvious reasons one being the rebound affect and the other being what if this isnt causing my problems so i have to face whats going on or not going on which worries me

im finally at the point where ive had enough and im attempting to do this..well due to insurance i am now on prilosec delayed release capsules 20mg once a day so im finally going to try to get off this stuff and see what happens


so heres my plan today was my first day not taking it for a week im going to go every other day without it on the days that im not taking it i am take zantac 150 twice a day

after a week i guess i will just stop it completely and continue with zantac everyday for maybe another week then maybe reduce that down for one more week then have nothing

during all of this weaning off i have several natural products i am taking2 mastic gum pills in the morning and 2 at night i am still using my dgl and will use digestive enzymes as well

i am going to take a probitoic 3-4 times a day and drink aloe vera juice 2oz 2 times a day and during this i will continue the carafate for now and ive tried fiber supplements and will use that if i i feel i need it


sorry for the long post hopefulyl people read it..and if you can give me some advice based off what i have planned that would be great

bcfromfl said...
A little bell went off when I read about your painful diarrhea, and cramps. This could be IBS. The reason it burns on the way out is that your bowels are moving too quickly through your system, and carrying with it digestive components that aren't normally present by the time they reach the rectum.

Keep in mind I'm not "diagnosing" you, but it's something you should consider. Untreated IBS will lead to weakness, weight loss, lost sleep, and other unrelated symptoms. If you have a mild to moderate case, you can manage it by avoiding insoluble fiber, and using Citrucel when you have a flare-up.

Check out these links for more info:

http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/fiber1.asp

http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/fiber2.asp

As far as stopping PPIs, some individuals are successful, and others are not. Be your own guide, and be careful as well. Also be aware that it is common to form a tolerance for H2 blockers, and they lose their effectiveness.

Best wishes!

-Bruce

thanks i do think i have some form of ibs but i think the symptoms that bother me the most are whatever is going on with the bile i think that is affecting my bm as well cause all of it started at the same time with the burning in the stomach

also to everyone i forgot to ask while getting off the prliosec any food recommendations specifically lunches and dinners or even some snacks what would be safe

aeshleyrose said...
Hi there,

Welcome to HealingWell.com. I'm sure you'll get lots of good advice here.

Sorry if this is a little personal, but if you're a woman, you might want to have some urinary relief tablets (such as Azo Standard, if you're in the states) and a yeast infection dose on hand. The flow of acid can sometimes cause painful urination as well as a yeast infection.

Also be advised that if you do take a urinary relief tablet, PLEASE take it with a full stomach. They can sometimes cause horrible nausea which will certainly not help you in your quest to kick PPI's.

Have you consulted your doctor on this at all? From my own experience, rebound kicks in at about day 10.

Good luck! Keep us posted.
Ashley

thanks..im a guy...every time ive brought this up to a dr they always say that it cant cause that and there not really for me getting off of it for that reason or any reason so i had to take it into my own hands since im fed up already and i just want to know if i will feel better if i can get off this medicine since it seems likely to be causing some of my problems if not most

I just spoke with a GI this past week, and "bile reflux" was part of the conversation. It is extremely rare.

You are noting painful bowel movements. This is what happens with IBS! It's a vicious cycle of cramping and strong peristalsis contractions that force food through your GI tract too quickly, causing undigested food...and bile...through the rectum. The irritation from bile and gas bubbles exacerbates the condition, causing more cramping and peristalsis. You need to slow things down with soluble fiber (rice, etc.) and perhaps Citrucel.

Consider with all this extra cramping going on if you are also experiencing reflux. Lower stomach contents could potentially be ejected up the esophagus as well. Try thinking about this a bit more holistically, instead of focusing on a single issue. It might help!

-Bruce

can acid rebound be constant last night was horrible didnt take the pill yesterday today i took it and still pretty bad whether i eat or no matter what i eat so cant this be a constant thing till it stabilizes?

i can deal with slight burning or it happening here and there but the last 24 hours has been miserable pretty much constant burning in my chest and half the time feeling it in my throat

yesterday i didnt take the pill and today i did

last night i read that prilosec comes in 10mg strength with prescription so i got my dr to give that to me today so im going to try to step down to that for a little bit see what happens