endoscopy in 4 weeks, specialist says stop omeprazole now or he won't do test.

Specialist says I must stop omeprazole for 3-4 weeks before I can have my test otherwise it could hide issues. I have been on 40mg a day for 2 weeks. I will try a 20mg next two days in hopes I can rapidly wean myself off but fear without a long tapering off I will get rebound. I guess all I can do is hit the gaviscon and mylanta for the next month and hope I'm not completely miserable. Anyone had to stop meds for such a test? Gaviscon seems to work ok for me but is there anything even better that is a basic antacid? I might carefully try some ACV once I've been off omeprazole a few days.

Post Edited (beakernz) : 7/12/2012 6:43:25 PM (GMT-6)

Hi beakernz,

Welcome to Healing Well!  I have never heard of a specialist who requires 3-4 weeks without PPIs.  The standard time is generally 7 days.  Most of the time, the PPIs are the first things you go off, but you can take H2Blockers a little longer, and the last thing you can take are antacids/Tums, etc.  There are specific day markers.

Here is the Cleveland Clinic's information, including the medication protocol. 

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/esophageal_ph_test/hic_24-hour_esophageal_ph_test.aspx

Now I know that every specialist has the right to have their own requirements and restrictions, but Cleveland Clinic is always rated #1 or #2 for GI issues, and they don't require such a stringent protocol.

Pretty much any other GI doc or surgeon is going to follow a protocol closer to the one Cleveland Clinic does. 

Sorry you're struggling with this!

Good luck,

Denise

PS...and yes, there are docs who want to see what reflux is occuring while a patient is on PPIs, as Joy pointed out. 

Thanks guys, the nurse was pretty emphatic and this place is the only game in town really. I have gotten down to mild symptoms. My low acid diet is helping. Really finding a lot of daily throat relief with:

3x organic loose chamomile teas
2x slippery elm teas with black strap molasses added

Today I started on Himalayan salt which has 80+ trace elements. I am trying to ensure it's not some sort of vitamin or elemental deficiency causing a weak LES valve.

Tried plain organic yogurt today with a little manuka honey drizzled in it and I seem to have no trigger from that. I still have a lot of burping when I eat drink, or get up from sitting down. No pain or discomfort in chest or typical heart burn symptoms at the moment but something is definitely not right in my esophageal region. Like mentioned above maybe I damaged that region and it could take weeks for it to heal. Fingers crossed.

Hopefully all this stuff that is helping me now, will also help me when i stop the meds. Sleeping upright is helping too (raised bed up 7-8 inches). Will follow up with experiences.