I think I mentioned this before but my insurance paid for two PPIs, twice a day. The diagnosis that got me the drugs was laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). You won't get that diagnosis from a gastro, but you should be able to from an ENT. From my experience, ENT's are more sophisticated in diagnosing and treating GERD than Gastro's.
Jim
I, too, got a prescription for 40 mg Omeprazole, one a day for reflux. Your GP should be able to get that for you if it is included in your prescription coverage. A complaint for heartburn should be all you need.
But a ENT can't do gastroscopy. It did confirm the Gerd and barretts. Biopsy to confirm barretts as well. To much acid in my stomach even after a 13 hour fast. I even took a Omeprazole 6 hours before the procedure. He had to Google all the way to beginning of small intestine looking for ulcers as well. Been to ENT 4 times. Also to a ENT/ neurotologist 2 times. Getting old sucks. Have doc apps of some kind almost every week.
I need it for 2 a day.
1 a days not enough. Hiatal hernia is letting to much acid into esophagus . It starts to change the cells in your esophagus into the cells your stomach is made from. Aka Barrett's. It then has to be monitored as it can become cancerous. After 40 years of trying to control it, it's winning. Malox used to work. Then they decided to flavor it. Can't take it. Tums have calcium. Besides being to hard to chew, calcium gives me kidney stones. Lol.
Dalebf,
You need twice that for a bad case of LPR/ Reflux.
Jim
Guess mine isn't so bad. One a day does the job.
I have woke up gasping for air choking on acid. My wife freaked out.
I know what you mean about the calcium. I take it for osteopenya because I'm not about to get started on Fosamax or any of these bone loss pills. Calcium, for me, has stopped my bone loss. My last two bone density tests showed no progression. But, the downside is kidney stones. As terrible as they are I am willing to contend with one every couple of years so as to not bust a hip and need a replacement.
My worst symptoms are heartburn and burping. One Omeprazole a day stops that. Guess we caught mine before it became a real problem for me.
Couple years? I wish. Every couple weeks. Lol.
I was put on Maalox when I was 13 or 14. It got bad when I was about 45 or so. Never had spicey or hot food either. Just have it. Could have something to do with the Clorox I drank when I was 4 or so. Lol. Who knows.
Ya think??
The biggest criteria as I see it is if you have a family history of prostate cancer. Does anyone in your family had prostate cancer. My brother had it so my urologist tested me yearly. I was 76 years old when my PSA spiked, doubled within an year, although it was less than 4, my Uro took a biopsy and found cancer in three lobes. I forgot what Gleason it was but one was very high. I recommend tha simple test yearly because even your level is low cancer still is evident. I am cancer free 8 years later but get my PSA tested yearly today
My father and both of his brothers had prostate cancer. One of the brothers died from this quite quickly. My cousin,about five yrs younger than me also died from PC. I am 67. Developing symptoms of nocturia I saw my Gp who did a DRE finding my prostate enlarged and with a lump on one side. Following a biopsy no PC was found however some abnormal tissue was located ( but not cancerous) as a result have regular PSA to keep a check. suffering pain in my pubic area and low back pain regularly am more than happy to be tested. have tried tamsulosin for my nocturia but found the side effects worse than disturbed nights.
I saw my uro last Thursday for a follow up on another bladder condition, when diagnosing that one my PSA was 8.8 so I had an MRI which was negative for PCa. That uro oncologist then recommended 6 monthly PSA tests saying a 20% increase would mean a Trus & prostate biopsy. My PSA has dropped to 2.0-3.0 for all readings since (3 yrs) and the uro last Thursday said to move to 12-18 monthly PSA tests with an annual DRE. His view was under 60 a PSA of anything less than 3.9 on UK NHS is considered normal and PSA should not be done more frequently unless over the age boundary.
You may need to contact your state insurance commissioner if you are in the states.
Neal
First they said my request didn't meet the manufacturers recommended dosage guidelines. Which they sent me a copy of. One of which was trying 1 a day, and I did that and it d
Didn't help. Another was confirming a condition such as Barrett's. Which was confirmed by the endoscopy. Docs office says there is absolutely no reason for them to be still denying it. We have met 2 conditions. Only 1 is needed.
dalebf,
Right now I only take one OTC Prilosec and only some days. But several years ago when it was bad I needed 4 times that amount.
Jim