approaching full recovery

Last month it was bad: Back to PPI.
I started to recover slowly.

Medication regimen:
Week1 - Taking 40mg pantoprazole before breakfast, 150mg Zantac at bedtime. Stopped Zantac after 3 days after nocturnal symptoms cleared up.
Week2 - Taper down 40mg pantoprazole to 10mg rabeprazole after healing is achieved.
Week3 - Stopped PPI and started to manage the acid rebound. Started to take traditional Chinese herbs.
Week4 - Still managing acid rebound. Still taking TCM herbs.
Week5 - Acid rebound has stopped. Still taking TCM herbs.
I also used antacid/zantac/metochropramide 5mg (reglan) to manage acute heartburn that doesn't stop.

Natural path:
1. Meditation daily to control stress / anxiety
2. I ate less in the first four weeks. I practiced meal splitting. Low-fat diet. No gassy, acidic, spicy, hot, alcoholic, raw, cold, stimulative, gas-producing, hard-to-digest stuff. No supper.
3. sleep on a slanted wedge.
4. I took ACV only after esophagus has healed. It helped to improve digestion, gastric emptying and reduce acid rebound! It works for me! 1 tsp + honey + half glass of water AFTER meals.
5. I use Slippery Elm / Manuka Honey as my soothing herb. They ease irritation, but they generally don't stop heartburn.
6. Acupunture / Acupressure, Reduce tLESr, reduce bloating, pass gases, reduce heartburn, very significant effect on me.
7. Took probiotics only in the first two weeks when I had lower abdomen bloating. I stopped after it cleared up.
8. Eat an antioxidant-rich fruit - blueberries, grapes, strawberries to prevent Barrett.


Now I am researching on how to stop it from recurring. I have had enough of GERD.

I had high level of acid production before meals. Whenever I felt it coming, I had to start eating something immediately to calm my stomach down. There was once I was slow, then it developed into heartburn. Usually I experienced relief after meals.

You mentioned Zantac. I discovered Zantac can cause acid build up. When I took Zantac at bedtime, I had a good sleep, but the next morning I waked up to high acid level which wasn't so bad if I hadn't taken Zantac. I believe it is because while Zantac is working, our body tries to compensate for the low-acid, so it tries to produce more acid and Zantac blocks it, then when the effect of Zantac wears off, we have a hypersecretion.

The other time I felt high acid level was 3~4 hours after meals, due to indigestion. since I could not eat a meal again, I took some soothing herb and did some acupressure massage, I took antacid when it failed.

I know how hard it is to taper off a PPI. Take good care. I hope you can find out some way to do it.

This sounds so encouraging. I started PPI again for almost a month now, my second time around. The first time I was on them for about 6 months and because they were killing my hair I decided to stop. As my throat getting better I am so tempted to stop them again. I just have a question about the Chinese herb that you were taking. Were they in powder form or did you have to cook them?
Thanks.

Hi again,
I'm currently trying acupuncture, just started. I am already wheat and dairy free so don't feel I can cope with further dietary restriction - just too difficult with small children to cater for.

Did you do your step wise reductions regardless of whether you were feeling rebound or did you wait for a plateau each time? Very hard to tell what is rebound and what is just getting worse!

MMM

Thank you - useful guidelines!

I read a webpage written by someone who was wrongly prescribed ppis (never had GERD) and he described how he reduced the dose by 5 mg, taking the new dose on alternate days and then daily. I've got capsules however, so I can't taper it as finely as that (he was cutting tablets up!).

Will let you know how it goes........

MMM