I started taking Lansoprazole at the age of 27 and have ...

Treatment and medication
1

I started taking Lansoprazole at the age of 27 and have been using it daily for five years. I used to get these terrible throbbing pains in my upper stomach, which would spread upwards into my food pipe. The pain would get worse and worse, and go right through to my back. When it first happened I thought I was having a heart attack! The Lansoprazole is very effective. I started on 30mg for about two years, then went down to 15mg for about 6-months, but then the pains came back, at times so badly that I had to walk out of work meetings and go home as it was impossible for me sit there and disguide the pain I was in. I'm now back up to 30mg daily. My doctor says the government recommends 15mg but that doesn't work for everyone. Apparently the government want to make it only avaialble over the counter which worries me, as it costs about £10 for 6 tablets, but at the moment I get a three month prescription for about £7. I have had a gastroscopy (tube down my throat, into my stomach) and all they saw was a little inflammation, I also had treatment for H. Pylori bacteria but that didn't do anything, I suspect because I wasn't infected in the first place. The doctor was at a loss and admitted he was treating my by a process of elimination. It is frustrating to live with this without a clear diagnosis and worries me about long term effects on my health, but most of the time the medication does its job and life goes on as normal. Last night I had a rare, but prolonged attack that kept me awake for two hours, and I tried swallowing air and burping it back out - it seemed to work bizarrely enough! If anyone wants to get in touch re. this please do as I could do with sharing this sometimes with other sufferers instead of feeling like a freak with an exotic disease at the doctors! Thanks.

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2

My daughter had an endoscopy as well as hundreds of other tests in late January this year as she had suffered with SEVERE abdominal pains for 25 years and was always dismissed with the usual, flavour of the year, diagnosis. She also suffered with radiating back pain and used a hot water bottle to alleviate this. She could only get comfort from lying on her left side, among other things. However,after being off work for 6 weeks in January/February this year she finally went down the private sector route again and with the greatest luck, found the most FANTASTIC Consultant Radiologist who saw something so slight on the ultrasound, he decided to investigate further. To cut a long story short, she was diagnosed with an obstruction secondary to congenital midgut malrotation volvulus - which, apparently, has not been diagnosed in anyone else in this country, ever. That's not to say there aren't people who are suffering but they just have been fobbed off like my daughter. What I would say to you is: Persevere. We all know our own bodies and if you don't feel right, then something is Not right. Just because the doctors come up with the usual diagnosis you don't have to accept it. Tell them to look outside of the Text Book stuff. Good luck.

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3

I have had the same symptoms for the last two years and rather than seeing anyone was just eating Zantac everyday. I dread eating and have to force myself to eat as, like the person above, I feel sick pretty much all the time. It seems to take over my life and its become hard to concentrate on anything else apart from feeling sick.

Finally I went to the doctors a couple of months ago as I could not longer stand the pain from the acid and I was sent for some tests and given Lansoprazole to "try for a month" ...and it did help. The first week or so I had dodgy side-effects (swollen tongue/heart palpitations) but after I got over those I felt the best I had for a long time.

My test came back positive for H.Pylori and I was put on the treatment for that for a week. I finished that treatment a week ago and a few days after finishing the treatment, the acid is back. Being on the proton pump inhibitors for 5 weeks made me forget just how bad the acid is. Last night I had a bad attack and it made me sick.. causing the acid to make my throat sore. So I went back to the doctors today and have been given two months supply of Omeprazole to try... wish me luck.

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4

I am a week into 30mg a day of Lansap' my acid in the day is better, however hugely bloated! At around 5pm my symptoms begin to get worse, lots of pain, bubbling etc.. I am supplementing with gaviscon advance which was recommended by my doctor and review the stomach lining in a few weeks. The one question I am desperate to have clarified is I have a blinding headcache since day two of taking the 'Lans', I'm really fightened that this is a symptom of taking the drug. Does anyone else suffer with a terrible head when on this?

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5

DON'T WORRY. lANSOPROZOLE DOES CAUSE HEADACHES AMONGST OTHER SIDE EFFECTS. IF YOU ARE STILL WORRIED, HOWEVER, GO BACK TO YOUR G.P. THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES AND THE STRESS OF WORRYING ABOUT YOUR HEADACHES COULD BE GIVING YOU HEADACHES.

FEEL BETTER.

aNNIE

6

[quote:f8335ae6fe=\"SPYMAMMA\"]DON'T WORRY. lANSOPROZOLE DOES CAUSE HEADACHES AMONGST OTHER SIDE EFFECTS. IF YOU ARE STILL WORRIED, HOWEVER, GO BACK TO YOUR G.P. THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES AND THE STRESS OF WORRYING ABOUT YOUR HEADACHES COULD BE GIVING YOU HEADACHES.

FEEL BETTER.

aNNIE i have been on omer for 5 years now i was so scared of that cam down my throat so i never went wat a mistake im getting awfull pain went bk 2 see my doctor he now givn me lansoprazole and kolanticon gel but im still waking in pain and as they message said before i am getting awfull headaches i so thought this might just me highB/P i have tried every thing pain in my chest my back and tummy pls help

7

hi i was taking omerpraze dont know if that is spelt right...i was on 20g once a day they never worked so doctor told me to take 2 a day which was 40g..that stopped working as well so i went back and now he given me 30g of lansoprazole...im still in a lot of pain so yesterday i called my docotr he said take another one so i did and if that does not work we are going to have 2 admit you in..as i could not do that i just stayed in pain...i took pain killers nothing is helping i wake up every morning with pain and awfull heartburn i have not eaten anything spicy i have tried everything still nothing works... its making me very moody at times as i cant relive the pain does any 1 have any advice for me :-( so fed up now

8

hi, i am 31 years old, been suffering from heartburn regularly for a few years now, never thought anything of it until recently, my father died last week aged 57, he died from osophagus cancer, he sufferd from heartburn when he was my age, he then found out he had hiatus hernia, he had a doctor who always ignored his concerns, he lost 5 stone in weight over 4 months, he changed his doctor, he go it diagnosed with the cancer of the gullet in february and died in march, he told me not to ignore my heartburn, im now on lansoprazole, hopefully this will stop any acid burning my insides, so please dont just go to one doctor, cause this is a rare cancer, im sorry if i have alarmed anyone, i just want to let people know.

9

I am 34 and have been taking Lans for 3 yrs, diagnosed with Gall stones, but doc doesnt think this is the main cause of the pain, as my pain is on my left side under my ribs, apparently the usuall side is the right. What side is your pain.

10

Very interesting! I have very similar symptoms right down to the pain radiating to the middle of my back and having to get up and leave meetings because of the pain intensity.

I found that standing upright and erect, with my shoulders pushed back, and purposefully pushing my stomach out, relieved the symptoms dramatically.

Turns out I have a Hiatus Hernia along with Gastritis. The Lansoprazole helped significantly with the gastritis but does nothing for the hiatus hernia and now is giving me headaches, nausea, light-headedness, disorientation, fatigue, etc. Gonna stop taking it and see what happens.

11

I was diagnosed with a swollen gullet over 2 years ago, originally given Omeprozole which did alleviate the pain but came back after the course.

2 years on im still feeling discomfort in my lower and upper windpipe and my new GP has prescibed me Lansoprazole which after taking only 2 days worth of tablets a I had unbelievably painful trapped wind in my side and became constipated, just wondered if anyone else had similar side effects.

Obviously ive not taken any more and will be visiting my GP again shortly.

12

The trapped wind seems very common, i have had some awful pain from wind since starting omp hopefuly its worth it in the long run??????

13

I've suffered from reflux for years. Had an endoscopy about 10 years ago but nothing was found. Also had middle back pains over the years. Whilst I have never been \"seriously\" overweight I do seem to yo-yo a bit and have to say that these symtoms are only really evident when I'm overweight. Not feeling good now and am just over 14 stone but should probably be 12 to 12 and a half stone. Got a pain across my chest about 6 weeks ago which has got progressively worse, not agony but uncomfortable and a bit of a worry. Also reflux come back so went to doctors. Doctor said chest pain is \"muscular - skeletal\" (?!?!?!?) and nothing to do with the reflux and prescribed Lansoprazole 30mg. I took it for 5 days and stopped on saturday because the reflux and more significantly the chest pain got almost unbearable. It's now monday and I'm feeling better. The Lansoprazole must have aggravated both conditions. My own guess (with the help of google which the GP says is dangerous) is that I have a hiatus hernia. I'll let you know what the next diagnosis is.

14

What a problem the stomach can become eh?! I had my endoscopy just before xmas 2009 and I recommend others to have this done if feeling like any of the above. (Although I recommend general anaestetic) I have a Hiatal Hernia and erosions/ulcers.

Lansoprazole has done a great job, but not being able to take those pills for 2 weeks prior to Endoscopy, the acid came back to irritate the hernia with a vengeance!

I found out how to beat it! GAVISCON.

I am back on Lansoprazole now, but Gaviscon seriously helps when it gets bad. The whistling in my head and light headedness is driving me crazy (Side effect from lansoprazole)

Every time you feel really bad, with the feeling of death, confusion, dizziness, take a spoon of that and go back to sleep.

Gaviscon is really expensive, but an older relative gets it for free on the NHS.............you didnt hear that from me........ask your older relatives, wink wink.

Good luck everyone, I hope free Gavis...I mean expensive Gaviscon helps you.

15

Laurence B

I noticed you had a general anaesthetic. Did you feel anything at all during the procedure? I will probably need an endoscopy at sometime because of reflux. I was diagnosed with an Hiatus Hernia, a long time ago with a barium meal and have been taking Lansoprazole, for about 6/7years.

I dread having an endoscopy and would prefer to be put out altogether.

M

16

Hi Merell

Ask for a sedative. I have had two lengthy endoscopies this year and both times I was aware of what was happening but didn't give a damn! Couldn't drive for 24 hours afterwards, but my memories of the procedure is blissfully hazy.

Suze

17

Laurence B

I will probably need an endoscopy at sometime because of reflux. I was diagnosed with an Hiatus Hernia, a long time ago with a barium meal and have been taking Lansoprazole, for about 6/7years.

I dread having an endoscopy and would prefer to be put out altogether.

I had one last month and I too was dreading it. They administered a drug into a canula in my hand and the next thing I knew was the nurse saying 'it's all over now'. It was a doddle. Small hiatus hernia diagnosed and 30mg Lansoprazole prescribed for 3 wks. It worked a treat and I'm now waiting to see the doc again when he gets back from a skiing holiday!

18

Hi I have a condition called Haemochromatosis which is a genetic condition that causes your body to build up excessive iron. The symptoms include problems with the digestive system, from excess acid and trapped wind, through to IBS. Other symptoms include pain in lower back and right hand side –i.e. liver – headaches. fatigue and arthritis among many others. I have suffered with gastric problems for years and been taking Gaviscon and Zantac for just as long. Recently I was prescribed the anti-inflammatory Celebrex for arthritis, and, as this can itself cause stomach troubles, they prescribed Lansoprazole too. Since taking these my digestive system seems to have settled down a lot and i haven’t noticed any new side effects, so i’m a happy bunny.

However i wonder if there are any other people writing here that have symptoms due to high iron? It may be worth checking out the web sites of the haemochromatosis society uk and the Canadian haemochromatosis society to compare symptoms.

cheers

chris

19

hi,

I take Lasoprazole as have Gastritus and a small Hiatus Hernia from being Bullimic and before that Anorexic due to being in the modelling world....nobody gets told what these bad habits can do long term to young girls/women-they just mention you could die which people think well that shall not happen to me as I will eat a bit so shall not die but there are long terms effects too and I have not been bullimic for two years but with stress also I am on Lasprazole daily for two years then shall be reviewed.

Can cause headaches and being very dizzy but stomach acid has nearly gone which is great.

camomille and cabbage juice or eating cabbage really really help....do that daily as many times as it helps you but boy does cabbage work...better then Lasoprazole as had before taking it.

exercise is good...cut down on your stress....yoga....breathing exercises...not eating after 18h00 and even better eating every two hrs..little amounts ie eat six times a day instead of 3....I work full time,long hours and do it no problem....it improves the situation.

drink warm water too and plenty of water throughout the day.

relax in a warm bath.

no juices or anything with tomato sauce or tomatoes in .

vegetarian diet is even better for you as less hard to digest for the stomach.

good luck.......control it so it does not control you!!!!!

no citrus/spicy things...they are your enemy...oh or anything with garlic in...so check all food and drink labels...oh and cut out alcohol!!!!

I never ever take medecine as do not really agree with it as i feel it covers up problems but Lansoprazole helps right now so am taking it and will stop at next review hopefully!!!!!

change your job/your partner/your life to the better so less stress and you shall feel better.relaxation cd s help also at night befor ebed oh and always sleep with two pillows.

pray too if you believe in God!

love,

maria

x

20

I can't believe I've only just come across this forum! A lot of what everyone is saying applies to me!

It's not been mentioned on here I don't think, but I was prescribed Lansoprazole for Eosinphilic Oesophagitis. I went to see my GP because I occasionally had trouble swallowing food (dysphagia). Basically it's caused by a build up of acid-loving cells in oesophagus which cause it to have ridges - a bit like the stretchy pipes on a vacuum cleaner - rather than being smooth. This was diagnosed by having a gastroscopy. I was prescribed Lansoprazole 30mg. I haven't had any problems swallowing since. Problem solved.

But... around 6 months later I started getting these episodes of pretty severe stomach pains in the middle of the night. It would eventually pass after between 1.5-4 hours, often quite suddenly. One minute agony, the next nothing at all. Initially these episodes coincided with eating rich food, booze, caffeine, etc. The GP just advised me to be careful what I eat and prescribed Co-codamol for the pain, just in case. It happened a few more times so the GP advised I double my Lansoprazole dose to 60mg - 30 in the morning, 30 in the evening. Again I was fine for a couple of months.

Then it started happening regularly - every 2-3 days - for about 3 or 4 weeks. Finally on one occasion it was so bad I was admitted to hospital by an out of hours GP as it was so severe. I was writhing around in pain, barely able to stand. This episode lasted around 12 hours! They took x-rays and bloods and did an ultrasound but could find nothing wrong so they sent me home. I was feeling better by this time anyway.

3 days later the same happened again - excruciating pain. This time my own GP sent me to A&E for emergency admission. I spent about 14 or 15 hours that day in agony, barely conscious or coherent at times, on a drip with intravenous pain killers which seemed to have no effect. I was kept in for 2 nights after that. All the same tests were done and still no sign of any answers. I was sent home with codeine and tramadol(!) this time (neither of which really help).

Almost as an afterthought one of the doctors, a surgeon, said to try a low-fat diet as my gall bladder was slightly larger than normal, although wasn't the cause of the pain. With this in mind I started eating an extremely low fat diet which, intentionally or not, stop the stomach pains. I had no more problems at all for months, but I lost 3 stone! 1 stone in the first week alone. I'll admit that the weight loss is an attractive side effect - I haven't been this slim since I was 18 - but it's an extremely limiting diet. Fear and pain are great motivators, as any dictator or despot will testify.

Now, however I'm getting the stomach pains regularly again. 2 or 3 times a week. And this is on a low fat diet. I'm getting to the end of my tether. The last time I had a gastroscopy they said my symptoms were \"consistent with acid reflux\". No sh*t Sherlock!

60mg of Lansoprazole doesn't help, neither does Gaviscon. Paracetamol, Codeine and Tramadol combined have no effect on the pain.

I'm can't handle this any more. I’m 2 months overdue for a consultant appointment and they don’t really seem to have any idea what the problem is anyway. Can anyone shed some light on what might be causing this?