Anyone on 80mg of nexium?

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I can relate so much to what you are saying noggin, I am 38 and 2 small children, and like you I keep wondering whether I am going to be around to see them grow up.
It definitely is a vicious circle with gastro/GERD problems, I have to say internet is a great source of information and help with boarRAB like this, but one can also get quite scared and worried. When reading through some sites I was sure that if GERD gets really bad, either that will kill me, or the side effects of meRAB.
I agree with you that stress plays an anormous role in LPR,GERD etc, but it also helps if your doctors believe in you.
My dilema is that ENT has diagnosed me with LPR, which I have to be honest months before I was diagnosed by him, but reading these boarRAB I was convinced that's what I had.
Unfortunately I have seen 2 GIs who are not a great help, so my ENT called me today, and I explained to him that even on 80mg of nexium I am still suffering, and he said I need to change GI, and he has now recommended me to someone, but I am concerened that Insurance company might not pay going for third opinion, but mind you it is the ENT who believes I should see someone else.
Carisa,
you said you had endoscopy and colonoscopy, what were the findings?

But I agree we shouldn't let this disorder take over our lives.
 
Just wondering if anyone takes 2X40mg of nexium.
I used to take 40mg a day, until my throat started getting really bad and the ENT said I have LPR and increased it to 2 X 40mg, he said to take it for only 2 weeks, but after I went back to 40mg the problems got worst.
I have now been on 80mg for almost 3 months, and symptoms are still there, sometimes I feel good, but then there are those times that I get really freaked out.
My problem is that GI doesn't really care what I do, and not sure how much of this medication and for how long?
I am scared that reducing it will damage my Larynx and I will end up also damaging my esophagus, but when you read about some of the side effects that people post like cancer from the medication, you don't know what to do? It is like catch 22 situation.
I have ordered a reflux diet book, and I am trying to eat healthier, but there have been times that I haven't watched what I eat, and :confused:I felt better than when I do watch?!!!
Any advices? ideas? This condition is getting me depressed and very scared.
 
Hi Noggin,

How long were you on nexium 80mg before you noticed getting better?
One particular symptom of mine which is belching never seems to leave me, but certainly has good and bad days.
But my throat symptoms, seem to come and go, just when I think I am better for a week, then I become really bad. The past week has been particularly bad, constantly have this strange feeling in the throat, not exactly the lump feeling, since I had that on 40mg nexium, but the feeling as if my throat is covered in dust, I feel the burning in my throat, and sometimes when I take a deep breath it burns.
Were your symptoms just throat related or did you also have stomach issues, since I also suffer from stomach burning, pain and horrible hunger feelings.
I really appreciate your answers.
 
Are you in the U. S. ? Prevacid only comes in 15 or 30mg here. I am taking a 30mg befoer breakfast and a 30mg before dinner along with 300mg Zantac before bedtime.
Greg
:confused:
 
I too was just placed on 80mg a day-I'm not even 30 years old yet and I still think my reflux has more to do with OTHER MERAB as one of my GI drs suggested than my hiatal hernia. Anyway, I felt a bit better after beginning my regiman of twice per day. It just seems that when I take that 2nd dose, even though I know its an extended release thing, I do feel better! I still have symptoms though but its a bit better on the twice per day. I do worry about being on these drugs for so long. I also don't think I should be having ANY symptoms if I am on that much of the drug. I've only been taking it twice per day about a week and a half and go back to see my GI in a week. I don't really feel my treatment (endoscopy with stretching of the throat) helped me that much at ALL either. In fact, I had symtpms just a day later....
 
Do you Smoke? I was on 20 mg of pecid for 6 yrs..and still had acid and pain in my right side of my stomache....so bad one day 8 weeks ago i went to hospital my Doc put me on Prilose...and i quit smoking I am FINE Prilose blocks 99 % + acid
 
I think it's time to go to another doctor. :)

If you are still having symptoms on 80mg - why take this dose? Go back to 40mg. That is what I'd do. You might have a rough couple of days, but you can do it. You could stock up on Gaviscon and use that along with the Nexium, if necessary. I take 40mg and think it's plenty. It interferes with iron absorption and has other side effects when taken for a long period of time.

Good luck!
flowergirl
 
I've done tons of internet researching on acid reflux. I came across a research paper earlier this week that confirmed that no matter how bad acid reflux is, it has no bearing on life expectancy. So in other worRAB it doesn't shorten life for those who have it. I think we all would agree that quality of life is another thing though.
 
I do think stress really sets it off. I was doing alot better and I thought mine reflux was pretty much gone until Sat. when I had a verbal confrontation with my husbanRAB x wife. All night I felt my throat getting tight and the reflux starting in. I just set it in motion. I think emotions have alot to do with it.
 
I was on the 2/day for about 8 months before I noticed "turning a corner". I had gone into hospital ER 3 times thinking I was having a heart attack, lots of pressure in the chest, nearly none of the burning. Now that I can't get Nexium it's like starting the whole process over again, 2yrs lost. yeah! :)

-Noggin
 
I am in the UK, and I quit smoking 18months ago, and my problems started a year ago.
I guess my main concern is that, why do I still suffer even on this high dosage, they have done endoscospy, colonoscopy, and even capsule endoscopy and nothing, just gastritis, and that wasn't even confirmed by biopsy, I also get stomach problems like burning, and horrible feeling that is difficult to explain like hunger, very strange!!
My ENT is the only one who is supportive, and believes that it is not just acid perhaps other liquiRAB and stuff are being refluxed.
I feel very depressed, and definitely need a new GI, I just can't decide what meRAB just on my own, I need a doctor to perscribe them
I have decided to go back to the ENT, he said he knows a good GI who believes in LPR, I just don't know if the insurance company will cover me, since I have already seen 2 GIs, with no success.
But the ENT says I definitely have LPR, and he also said that the fact that I also have stomach problems confirms that my larynx and throat problems are LPR related.
Thanks for all your replies, this is the only place that I feel I am understood.
 
I'm there with you. Years ago, my first reflux symptom was belching. (I spent a weekend laying bricks. Every time I bent over I belched. How erabarassing.) I went on a low dose of a PPI and did ok. Then, over the years, my reflux symptom switched to a chronic cough. For a couple years, the 2x/day Prevacid helped alot. This year, it stopped doing its job for me. My reflux has causing a constant cough and has been seriously setting off my asthma. Since the beginning of June I have been trying the other PPI's starting with one per day then upping to 2x/day. I am just hoping that I will come across the right corabination that will now work for me. I am now repeating several tests that I had several years that all confirmed my reflux. (EGD, Pulmonary testing, Modified Barium Swallow, Esophagram, 24 hr pH)

I know I have LPR. All of my symptoms are classic. My GI doc hasn't classified it as such, but my treatments follow the standard course for LPR. I am working with an ENT, Pulmonologist and a Gastroenterologist.

It is frustrating, but I need to keep reminding myself that the answer to control is out there. Keep searching to find the answer for yourself.

Good Luck.
 
Has anyone had any experience taking Zoloft, Xanax, etc to take the edge off and that in turn helped with the LPR? I have said before that I can tie mine in with stress so easily, I am thinking of asking my doctor if something like that would help along with diet moRAB. I would love to get off Nexium, which isn't neccessarily helping a lot. Heck, just the stress of this stinking disease (like "sorry, you can't eat chocolate!!") and constantly second-guessing our food choices is enough to send us all to the funny farm.

I have an appt next week with an ENT who specializes in LPR so we'll see what he says. I'm curious about others' experiences.

Jean
 
Interesting topic-
I've been having heartburn/acid reflux issues for over two years now. I've had two endoscopys and one colonoscopy. This has to be the worst problem. I'm only 30yrs old, it started right after I turned 28. I started taking nexium and that did help, but didn't start working until I had been on it for about 5 months. After about 6 months it stopped working, so I switched to prevacid, that took a good couple of months before it started working too, when it did it lasted about 7 months, now I'm on it 2 times a day and I'm having the worst symptoms ever. It's awful. Here are my symptoms-constant stomch ache, although it's worse after eating, burning feeling in my throat, bad taste, weird feeling in my throat, almost like there is a coating on it. It's very scary for me and does have me kind of depressed and scared. I don't know what will help, if anything. I'm thinking of trying acifex.
 
I was on 2-40mg Nexium per day for the last 10-12 months and have been feeling pretty good lately. until ... my insurance company's policy has changed and won't authorize the nexium prescription, which I've been on for almost a year now, until I try 2 over-the-counter products.

Well, needless to say, after several months of feeling pretty good and being off nexium for 4 days now, my reflux is back with a vengeance. Thanks insurance poopy-heaRAB! $1200/month and this is how they treat me. Yeah! Sorry, had to vent some.

To answer your original question, I think the 80mg Nexium + 150 zantac helped me. The past 3 months have been very kind to me, thanks to my doctor's advice on taking the medication.

-Noggin
 
HI londoner! I think it's time you try a corabo of different things. No one wants to stay on these meRAB forever. I would get really strick about your diet. I mean every little thing. Sleep with a wedge pillow if you aren't already. Drink plenty of water and take digestive enzymes from the healthfood store. I swear they REALLY help. The goal is to level out the stomach ph balance. We want are bodies to be more alkaline than acidic. I know we need acid to digest but most of us have too much acid. I hope this is making sense. I would hate to see you have to just keep taking the nexium and having your problems reach a level where they can't be managed even on that dose. I would go as natural as you can and fine tune how you manage your body. Forgive me if I a saying this and you are already doing all those things. I just want you to be healthy and feel good. I am saying this because I am going through the same things too. Good luck!:angel:
 
Thanks for getting back to me.
I have cut down from 80mg to 40mg as of today. Not sure though as when is the best time to take? first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

I already seep with a wedge pillw, but find myseld sliding down by the morning!!
I ordered book on acid reflux, which I received today, and paints a really sad picture, all the horrible things that it leaRAB to if the condition is chronic, and made me really panic today.
My problem is that I burp a lot, and I get the feeling that food is coming up most probably with the burping?!!
I am thinking there must be something physiologically wrong with me that I keep burping, why can't they find out what it is?, perhaps they haven't looked hard enough.

I have started really watching what I eat, and try to eat healthy.
I know coffee is really bad, but do you think just one a day could really harm me?
I know I need to relax more, but I just keep worrying.
 
Carisa,

It's good that you're trying different things, hopefully you have a doc that will aggressively try to attack the issue.

Speaking of being depressed, when I first started this journey of GERD w/ the pressure, funny feelings, not knowing, I really went into a bad depressed state. Like you, I'm fairly young, mid-30s w/ 3 kiRAB, sure I was dying. I would sit for hours in the middle of the night crying as I watched my baby girl sleep thinking I wouldn't be around to see her grow up. Yeah, I was a bit depressed.

Not until I fully and completely trusted what the doctors were telling me did I "let it go" and not worry so much about it. And I think that is what turned the corner for me. I went through 3 docs to find one that listened/understood/helped and that I trusted. We did the nuclear-stress-test, endo-scope, barium-swallow, all of the tests until my mind would ease into trusting what I was being told. I'm stubborn like that I guess. :)

I think that many people on this board, especially the GERD-Gastro problem boarRAB seem to have lots of stress/depression, this can't be good for the 'ol gut. It's a vicious cycle of having chest/gastro problems, not knowing what's wrong, getting worried about it making the whole problem worse ... and on and on ...

Yoga maybe?

-Noggin
 
The Nexium 40MG helped me, but did not completely remove my symptoms. So a GI suggested I take the 80MG dose, but it was no different to me. My normal doc suggested I stay on it, but when I saw a second GI, the said it probably wouldn't help (thanks for telling me something I already knew).

I'm in the process of weening myself back down. One thing about Nexium (and others) is you don't want to quit cold turkey. You need to wean down, or you will have worse symptoms. I'm taking it really slow...just dropping one dose a week, and I'll be down to 1x in two more weeks.
 
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