GERD, ouch!! Trying to get off PPI, Omeprazole, is not easy

Digestive health
1

Oh my, PPI are addictive.

I have been off and on PPI for 2 years never realizing they had a rebound effect. It seems when the body begins producing acid after stopping them it over shoots.

I took PPI ( omeprazole ) again, this time, for 11 days after being off for a few months. After 11 days my symptoms were improved so I thought I could come off of them and do healthy suggestions for healing my reflux which I didn't do before. I took my last 20mg of omeprazole on Saturday morning and today Wednesday my symptoms returned.

Coming off may have worked, however, I went to the doctor on Monday for urinary incontinience and was diagnosis with a urinary tract infection then placed on 5 days of antibiotics. Bad timing, right?

I was placed on Cipro 250mg twice a day for 5 days which will end on Saturday evening.  Cipro gives directions to take antacids 6 hours before  or 2 hours after taking it. What a mess. Also take Cipro on on an empty stomach. I attempted to take Rantidine 150mg once a day since stopping Omeprazole, but when? I am having to write down when to eat, take Cipro and all my healthly stuff to do. I tell you, what a mess right now and until Saturday evenin when this ends. Givine thanks 2 days are done and only 3 to go.

So as I am sleeping tonight I feel the acid coming up my throat. I tried Gavison earlier. It helped a little around 1030pm, but at 3am when it woke me up, I grabbed the Omeprazole 20mg and took one.I truly desire to breath easliy and the acid does accumulate in my chest oppose to the throat like most of you describe, however I can see looking at myself where my throat on the right side is sunken in  probably from having reflux for 20 years, coughing, and didn't know it.  I also have lung invlovement probably secondary from this prolonged acid exposure.When the acid gets begins to come up I can tell before I cough and bring up phelgm due to the promixisty of the organs.

   

I am alive and can live at my current capacity of lung involvement and be happy, so that's not an issue, even though I am somewhat compremised, I also know how important the HCL for the nutrients to be absorbed.

Guess it will behoove me to try to ween off of omeprazole after antibiotic treatment ends on Sunday. As it stands now, 6 hours since my last omeprazole will be at 9am, so that puts me on a 9am and 9pm schedule for my

I am thinking back at my mother who always had heartburn, lived to be 79 years old treating her heartburn with tum. She never knew GERD. As she got older the heartburn was better. When she died tums where under her walker. She never complained of heartburn or showed ant signs. She knew when to take tums to keep it under control. I am willing to do the same. Wished I had never ever started this cylce of PPI, but I cant live life backward. Right?

What I have read is that low HCL is what caused the reflux in the beginning. It happens with age. It was when my mother was about 45 she began having this what she called gas.

I am wondering if when stopping Omeprazole, which I will attempt next week, if  replacing the HCL with meals counter act how much HCL the body produces on it on?

I did read a study where giving patients HCL cured the acid reflux. The researchers started giving them a small dosage and worked upward. It was sited that to get the acid relux under controll took large does for some. 70 something %, not sure of the exact number, were cured. 

How does one fool the body to product it's orginal amount of HCL before Omeprazole? Is the question.

So we had a few bouts of heartburn that we did not know how to treat in a healthy manner that got us, me, here in the situation of PPI, right?

There has to be a way out and a healthy way of treating heartburn which has been renamed acid reflux and given the disease status.

Maybe I do have a valve that opens, or did open at one time. Does that mean will always be open and  can't be healed? Something triggered it to be open. Maybe the cause can be eliminated? What you think?

I don't, we don't like discomfort and will do Anything to get relief.

Thus, that why PPI are among the top sellng prescription.

 

I am grateful to medicines, especially PPI, so there is no hating coming from me, however, I do beleive the body can and will remember it's orginial function if given the right directions.

Antibioctics,  I have taken so many over my life time which is partly what has me in this situation, not to mention, I have been coughing off and on chroincally for the past 18 years, but not as much now.

So coughing and the pressure would definitely cause reflux, but forever?

I am appreciating the time and skills of doctors have in treating me/us. However, they really are not allowed the time with each patient to treat this condition or any others condition naturally. To make money they have to see a volume of patient. They only have a few minutes to talk and Iittle time to counsel or teach.

I welcome your comments

Some familiar names from previous discussun are definitely welcomed.

I really appreciate this forum and all your comments.

This forum has informed me about DGL, cabbage juice, bone broth, manuka honey, digestive enzymes, small meals, propping when I sleep, alkaline water, Pepzin GI, and many more tips.

Help!!!! Yes, I asked the creator of us all and the planet for help too.

Surely, with all the big problems going on around me/us in the world, this acid production problem is easy :-)

Dreaming

2

Dreaming,

My gerd started 6 weeks after my appendectomy where I was given strong antibiotics. I suspect that the antibiotics had wiped off all the bacteria needed for my digestion. With that came indigestion and gas. Gas pressured my les to open and reflux started. With reflux, came esophagitis. With esophagitis, (from what I read) peope tend to swallow more air, so more gas in the stomach. Plus ppi, low acid, more indigestion, more gas, more reflux. Too many reflux episodes, came hypersensitivity, or even worse barret's etc. It's like a vicious circle.

If you have taken many antibiotics before, your "original story" might be the same as mine.

As to solve the problem, I myself don't know what to do. 

If your endoscopy is clear and no physical problem e.g. hernia, gastritis, ulcer etc then I think we might have to ditch the ppi 1st, but has to be done slowly or the rebound will trigger the gerd to come back. Diet is important.

3

Thanks for your comment Vickie.

You will see I just answered a comment you made on another discusson 

So maybe treating or building healthy bacteria in the gut is the first thing we should do.

I haven't taken any probiotics while taking antibiotic, however, even though I haven eaten dairy in a while, I am considering gettin yogurt or Kefir.

This antibiotic treament has 3 more days to go, then it is back to building healthy bacteria in my gut.

What are you doing to build healthy bacteria in your gut?

I dont know about you but its hard to sleep with the acid burning in the throat. Plus the acid is in my throat and makes my nose run in my right nostril.

On my!!!  What a pickle, but I am not a quitter, I will do whatever it takes to heal.

 

4

I had acid reflux and a regular gut wreching cough for one year or so.

Omeprazole was recommended by Dr and Hospital. I was on it for about three month at this time. Dr sent me to hospital for a further throat examination and the hospital Dr....a TWIT at best.... told me to stay on Omeprazole although I told him they were having NO affect. He said stay on them. I gave him a black look a banged the door on the way out.

However as we need to mend ourselves these day I started taking CIDER vinegar once or twice a day. As strong a mix with water that I could take without gagging!

Believe me after three days everything disappeared. This was 6 months ago and nothing has returned. I stopped the vineger months ago.

This may or may not help you

Watch carefully what Doctors tell you....cynical is best. The Dr could easily have said to me try CIDER vinegar it is known to work. No they have their hands in the drug manufacturers till helping themselves to backhanders rather than saving NHS the cost of drugs. Promote drugs is their strap line....yummy they say, money money.

Cynical ME?!

J

5

J,

You story is encouraging.

I knew of another friend who told Omeprazole 40mg for 4 months but also took the apple cider vinegar as well.

She stopped taking Omeprazole with no problems.

I am adding your suggestion to my list.

I tried it once and add burning Nd never tried it again.

My timing was probably wrong.

What has happened for me is I just around from one thing to another without discipline.

This round I am writing down what to do and even having my phone to remind me when so I can monitor what is working and be able to share with others has you have with me.

I am so pleased for you and soon will be celebrating for myself.

6

Dreaming give it up! Use garlic and ginger tea all day ..hot or cold as water no sugar this will stop the acid reflux no need for ppi..This is natural..cut up a garlic clove and a finger length of ginger and boil them together and drink it. Dont use beans, cabbage, broccoli, raw onions as they produce acid and gas and bloating. Try charcoal tablets also for gas and bloating. Do you know that simple pepto bizmul also stops gas and bloating..get a digestive enzyme and some probiotics these will help your stomach with better digestion. No beers and pizza...Do not use ppi because they will eventually stop all acid production and then you will be worst off than you are now.. trust me...been there done that

7

Thanks Sexy,

I have both garlic and ginger in the kitchen.

I was doing a tea with both last year during the cold weather and stopped.

So far so good without PPI every day.

I went 4 days without them then had an acid attack that evening and took one.

Now it has been 48 hour without ANY antacids are PPI.

This forum has been so helpful.

I and doing DGL, probiotic, Pepzin GI, eating frequently small meals, drinking my largest volume of water first thing in the morning and only 6-8 ounces between meals. I also added bone broth yesterday.

I am doing prunes every day to make sure my bowels move.

I believe part of the acid reflux that I am experiencing is due to slow movemt and back up.

I also avoid process food, wheat dairy and only eat salmon 2-3 times a week.

8

Sounds great and you dont have to limit yourself to salmon you can eat chicken , turkey and a little red meat. Whats not good and hard on the digestion is pork..no raw cabbage.. raw vegetable causes gas and bloating. Keep up the good work and stay well.

9

Thank you

Likewise.

The ginger and garlic tea is smelling good.

10

Im smelling it.. lol...I drink it hot sometimes but i like it cold out of the fridge like water.. remember to drink it without sugar for best results...Enjoy

11

I know that many of these posts were written a couple of years ago but,hopefully,those affected by overuse of PPIs will still be interested. I have GORD as part of Systemic Sclerosis and have,as a result of this,been on 40mgs of Omeprazole daily for 7years. A chance conversation with our local pharmacist has led to my stopping their usage immediately. Increasing data shows that prolonged usage of PPIs can increase the chances of the user having a heart attack by 20%.

I did my own research through further reading and her information is spot-on.

My decision to cut them out 'cold turkey' isn't the wisest but that's my choice.