How long has anyone been taking Nexium

I started taking Nexium 40mg twice a day 4 years ago and continued for twice a day for over a year.  Then, the insurace company said they would only pay for one a day and I changed (did not realize this was twice the recommended highest dose when prescribed to me).  Since, it's been once a day. At my last visit my Dr. said if I don't modify my diet and weight, I'd be on for life and wasn't sure about cancer issues later on.  I looked up Nexium when I got home and found that 100% of the mice taking Nexium for 2 years developed stomach cancer in the study!!!!  So, now I'm freaking out a bit.  I've tried cutting down to very small and frequent meals, but my throat still burns with reflux and I won't even mention bending over.  My physician tried changing me over to Prilosec 20mg for cheaper co-pay, but it's not working and I'd really rather be on nothing at all.  Has anyone else been taking Nexium for this amount of time?  Thanks.

Thanks. I'll check postings and try Google now for the DGL licorice. You say the high blood pressure part has been 'taken out'? I do have high blood pressure that is sensitive to salt and stress - currently I take no meds for it.

I usually have more problems on my left side while sleeping, but I do sleep extremely elevated. If not, I literally wake up choking sometimes, because my mouth will fill with yuk and I accidently breath it in before it wakes me up. Not very fun.

Thanks again for the reply. I just really needed to know if anyone else had been on Nexium 40mg for so long or taken two of the 40's a day. More reassuring to know there are others and are OK.

I have had some bad reflux and heartburn. I went on large doses of enzymes (for the stomach), probiotics (for the gut) and some pills for Yeast control, Aloe Vera Juice/DGL to heal the esophogus, and some other small things. I have tried various things for about 7 months now. Slowly, but surely I have, thank God, had my acid reflux gone completely, my heartburn to almost nothing, my IBS is about gone, and the only thing is some stomach and esophogus pain. I didn't radically change my diet, I still drink coffee everyday, and I didn't even exercise more.

However, now, just recently on top of it all I am going to the gym more, eating more fruits and Veggies. Less meats and cheese. Additionally, I only drinking/eating organic dairy products and organic meats. I think the way food has been processed and how it is kept preserved has slowly been reaking havok on those of us who are susceptable to the damage.

Please people read up on this stuff. Read up on drugs they give you. Don't take this stuff more than 4 months or less if possible. Look at healthy alternatives. What works for some may not work for everyone. It is a trial and error process. Everyone's body Chemistry is different. Give healthy alternatives time to work. We have damaged our bodies over a long period of time. They take time to heal. Take care of yourselves. God Bless.

From what I've read, only a small percentage of the lab rats developed the stomach tumors; it wasn't 100%. If you read the inserts that come with the meds, this issue is discussed. And, it seemed to be higher in some of the PPI's than in others. As I recall, Protonix was the worst but it still only produced the tumors in less than 5% of the lab rats AND, the doses they were taking were much higher than the standard doses taken by humans. Anyway, this is my recollection.

But, I still wouldn't want to take this stuff any longer than is necessary. Heck, I wouldn't want to take ANY pill any longer than necessary.

Tummytuck

I reread it again. The nexium study did show that all rats taking .7 (which is less than 1 recommended dose) and 57 times the recommended dose all developed gastric ECL hyperplasia. They said only 2% developed adenocarcinoma in that 2 year study. My concern is that even below the lowest dose, hyperplasia occured and I had been on twice the highest dose for over 1 yr and then the highest daily dose for 3yrs. Hyperplasia does cause cancer. My husband has had quite a few pre-cancerous 'hyperplasia' sections of skin removed (he worked outside many years) and polyps, which develop in to colon cancer are also considered hyperplasia.
I just needed to know if there are more people out there that's been on the med for an extended period and have had the endoscopy done ( I haven't except for initially since starting) and that any biopsies taken were OK. Thanks so much for all of the info givin so far. It's a very awkward subject to bring up and I don't know anyone taking this type of med.

Cathe...did you think how small a rat is and your body is 100's of times bigger so of course you have to take more and it would take much more of the drug to affect you. Am just being logical though I freak out too about the meds.

I've been taking nexium for a while. I will not take 40 mgs because of the side effects. My doc seems to believe in it but I will only take 20 mgs a day. By the way, I take mine at night. It has a 24 hour life. When I get up in the morning I drink coffee and eat first thing so waiting a half hour before starting my day would be very inconvenient for me. A druggist gave me this tip and it was confirmed on MerckSource to take it at night.

Also I made the switch to eating earlier in the day and cut down on my coffee considerably. I will be looking to lose weight. GERD is not a killer but it has to be managed. Find a good doc and I send good wishes to you.

Lilly,

I would be happy to. about 7 months ago I started to have IBS symptoms along with what started out as a little heartburn. After a few months the heartburn got worse and I started to feel some acid reflux. I started to do research right away and looked into the current medication and the natural alternatives to GERD. I went and got some enzymes that I started taking occassionally. It really helped it seemed that my GERD and heartburn went away right away. So I stopped taking the enzymes. After a few months the GERD came back with a vengence. It hit me hard the enzymes I was taking occassionally I started to take more consistently and I looked into better enzymes. Along with this my IBS got worse. At the peak my GERD symptoms was acid reflux most of the day off and on. It burned my throat and esophogus. I felt a large lump in my throat. It was really hard for me to swallow anything. However, I am thankful it never hit me when I was asleep. However, during the day it was crazy. So after time and trial and error I found a consistency that has limited to eliminated many of my GERD symptoms and my IBS is just about gone. Right now I am dealing with some stomach problems, but it is really limited, some heartburn sometimes, NO acid reflux, and a little IBS symptoms here and there.

From what I have heard when someone goes off of the PPI's there is a bad moment because you have been holding back acid for so long that it comes rushing in. So it tends to be bad for those who have been on it for a while, but from what I heard is that it levels off. What it seems like people are doing is that first they get GERD because of lack of enzymes due to bad eating habits. This lack of enzymes causes more acid to be released to deal with the excess food. However, once you turn off that acid what is dealing with the food in the stomach? I think the food just kinda sits there longer and the acid sits on it and eventually starts to push up like GERD symptoms again. That is why I think many people on PPI only have relief for a time and then have to take more to deal with the little acid that is there to begin with on top of the food not being broke down. This unbroken food leads to the IBS IMO and others opinion. So there is this sick cycle.

I think people are afraid of going off the PPIs and I don't blame them. That acid feel SUXS!!! And they want the quick relief. However, healing takes time and I'm sorry it also takes pain. These are two words, time and pain, that impatient Americans do not want to hear or go through. They want it now and they want it their way. I'm not saying that is you Lilly, but I'm saying that is all of us including me. Had I not gone through bad doctors with bad advice and medications with my past Anxiety Attacks, Carpel Tunnel, and Plantar Fasciitis (foot problems), then I would be where you are or heading in that direction. Large doctor bills, large medication bills even with the co-pay.

Now Enzymes and probiotics are not cheap either. Especially the good ones, but if I'm going to be paying money I would rather it be for my long term health, not my short term comfort which is not helping me health wise. Just my 2 cents. My specific regiment is not for everyone. SOme just take some DGL and it's all good. Some do other things. I'm saying try it and give it a chance. Give it 6 months. Ween yourself off of the PPI. Doesn't mean you have to do it cold turkey. Hope it works out.

I've read some about acid rebound. It seems to be fairly common among people who have been taking ppi's for a long time. From what I've read, it could take 1 to 2 months for stomach acid levels to return to normal. So, it looks as if most people actually become dependent on ppi's. I am taking Nexium 20 mgs. twice a day now. I am going to have an endoscopy a week from today and, of course, am nervous about it. But, I know all of you have said that it's not a bad test so I am counting on that. Anyway, once I find out what is wrong in my gut, I plan on trying some of the alternative methods and dealing with the acid rebound, depending upon what they find. If, like sillylilly, I have a very loose flap or a large hiatal hernia, well then, I might not have much of a choice and will have to stay on the ppi's or consider surgery. If they don't find any physiological probems, then I think I will tough it out and give the natural methods a try.

Tummytuck

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum. I was just prescribed Nexium. I went to see my doctor about my symtoms and she prescribed this to me. I have been afraid to take it because of the side effects mentioned. Are the side effect really bad. I have been experiencing fluttering in the chest. Is this related to GERD?

Bobby,

How did you cause the LPRD, might I ask? Since you mention binge drinking, I assume it involved violent vomiting?

Tummytuck

Bobby,

I am wondering how one night of binge drinking could give you a lifetime of heartburn??  Please don't think I am questioning your call on this . . . I am just curious as to what could have happened.  The reason I asked about the vomiting is I was wondering if perhaps the drinking caused you to throw up violently and then caused a hiatal hernia which would explain the constant heartburn.  Have you ever had an endoscopy to see what might be going on in there?

Tummytuck

You know, you think if they found the cause they might be able to help stop it. The gastro that did my scope just told me I had a small hiatal hernia and to continue with the meds. That's it. I didn't feel as if I got much help from him either.

I don't have actual heartburn either and have also made the assumption that I have LPRD. I have the burning in my throat though I don't think I can actually taste the acid but sometimes it's bad enough to make me hoarse and to cause my lips to chap. I get lots of thick mucous as well. I tested negative for hpylori - definitely worth looking into if you haven't.
I take 20 mgs of Nexium twice a day. I think I would benefit from a larger dose but I can't tolerate the side effects.

Hang in there. The good news about GERD is that so many people have it that they are continuously coming up with new treatments. I'm hoping that within the next year or two we'll hear about a breakthrough.

Tummytuck

Hi, I'm a new member and I have also recently been diagnosed with grade 2 esophagitis. I would like to give a quick summary of my condition because I am very, very depressed and I hope someone can help me. The biopsy revealed no H pylori. Accordingly, I'm taking only 40 mg Nexium daily. I am also taking symbicort for asthma (although I hope to be taken off this medication after my next meeting with my chest specialist). The positive for me is that the endoscopy cleared me of cancer (I lost 12 kilos in 8 weeks!). The downside is that everything I enjoy in life has been taken from me. The lifestyle changes have hit me hard. I love coffee and used to like having a glass or 2 of Australian red wine at night with my meal. My wife who is Vietnamese is a great cook, but she is also used to working with spices, chilli, garlic, onions, lemongrass. All of this has gone and the cultural differences as well as the strict diet regime is beginning to strain my marriage. The Nexium which I have been taking for 3 1/2 weeks is probably reducing my reflux, although I still have very bad attacks (particularly at night). I also have to be very careful about how I exercise. I used to cycle everyday, but all I can do now is go for a morning walk. When I cycle, the pressure forces floods of vile liquid up into my mouth. [Actually, my reflux has not been characterized by heartburn, but rather watermouth.] This is important for me because cycling is my sport. Finally, my breath is terrible and I cannot find anything to really help me that won't upset my reflux.

I would appreciate any comments that might help me as well as advice about antacid relief that is safe to take with Nexium. I don't see my gastro specialist until July at which time he will do a follow up endoscopy. He told me that there was a lot of acid in the first endoscopy.

Sorry to be so negative. I also want to help others if posible. Below is a link which points out some of the psychological considerations of living with GERD: http://www.jabfm.org/cgi/content/full/18/5/393
I look forward to hearing from other members.