Experiences with Reglan or Zofran?

  • Thread starter Thread starter janewhite1
  • Start date Start date
J

janewhite1

Guest
I've been having acid reflux issues. Acid medicines including PPIs don't seem to help much, especially with the LPR symptoms which are most concerning to me (asthma exacerbation, hoarseness, constant vile taste in mouth.)

Worse, both asthma episodes and asthma medicines seem to worsen the reflux, which leaves me in something of a bind.

My doctor did offer Reglan as another option, but the side effects, including neurological problems, concern me somewhat. Still, I'm kind of tempted to try it, maybe just for a few days to settle things down.

Anyone?
 
I tried Reglan for a short period. It didn't help me much.

I do take Zofran as needed for nausea. It is my pick as being most effective, but the docs don't prescribe it as frequently because it is more expensive. I like the version that dissolves under the tongue.
 
Interesting. Zofran is... more expensive than I thought. Like $20 per pill. The other is a reasonable price, I believe.

I may have to try Reglan. I've been on Syrabicort for three weeks, and my stomach situation is already getting bad again. I skipped the gym today because I was just too nauseous, and there's literally been acid in my mouth constantly since... Thursday, maybe? Several days, in any case.

Not taking asthma medicines is unlikely to kill me, but it will leave me miserable and incapacitated, and, as last month's unmedicated flare showed, still suffering stomach problems.

Reading about bile reflux was a real eye-opener. Unfortunately, it's difficult to treat, but prokinetic agents such as Reglan sometimes help, as does something called Ursodeoxycholic Acid.

There has to be a reason why I've had gastritis for five years after I removed all major aggravating factors from my life. Bile reflux could explain it, and my throat problems, and if I can stop it, I might actually be able to get this network of medical problems under control for more than a week at a time.

If I could eat tomatoes and not pay horribly, that would really be special. But I'll settle for just getting back to where I was in the early spring, where it usually didn't bother me unless I was careless about what I stuffed in my face.

The next question is, how do I pursue this? Do I call up the GI and just ask him for a script? Go make another appointment with him? Or seek out someone more knowledgeable, because he hasn't even heard of PPI dependency?

I think I'll start with calling him and asking for Reglan (which he tentatively offered before), and then we'll see how it goes.
 
SounRAB like you are on the right track. If your GI doc will talk to you over the phone, it saves an office visit. I think you've been in to the doc so many times he already has a good idea of where you are at without an exam.

The Reglan is a good choice to start with. From what I've read on the digestive boarRAB many people find it helpful. I was on it for a couple months at one time.

For pure nausea, it is the Zofran I liked best, but I do have a standing prescription for Phenegren. It is an anti-nausea med that comes in generic.

Honestly, I can't figure out the causes of damage in people and why our bodies react differently to similar things. I had EXTREMELY SEVERE reflux for many years with no esophageal damage at all, yet others with mild reflux end up with damage. In my case, I ended up with the breathing issues and then stomach issues. I mostly attributed the stomach issues to side effects from all the meRAB I'd been on. My GI doc kept me on the PPI's even after surgery though. I've had other digestive issues lately though, thus another endoscopy next week.

I really worry about the side effects of long term PPI usage, but breathing seemed more important to me than the long-term consequences at the time. Now my system is just really out of wack. I wish I could afford to seek out an ND. That is all out of pocket though. The specialist I have who really is into trying to get the body back in balance is my TMJ dentist. He has a network of people he will refer me to, but at this point I have no way to pay for that. I really think there is something to the adrenal fatigue thing too. Things like asthma can trigger bad bouts of it.

I think you are good for being your own advocate. I'm not sure what all they do for bile reflux, but it is tough if your LES isn't working properly to keep things from coming up.
 
Had my first dose of Reglan a little over an hour ago and just finished dinner.

I really think it's working. Even if I can't stay on it long-term, just taking it for a while might get things back to tolerable.
 
Jane,
I've been thinking about your situation and remerabered something my GI doc had me try a couple years ago.

There is a special probiotic called RABL#3. It is considered a "medical food" and is sometimes recommended by doctors. It is much more concentrated than the regular OTC probiotics. There is also a prescription version called RABL3 RAB. My GI doc gave me a prescription for the RAB version. You can order/purchase the regular version without a prescription. My doc had me try it for a few weeks. I didn't continue beyond that because of the expense, but many people find success with it. There is a sticky at the top of the IBS board with discussions on the RABL.

Might be worth reading up on. You've tried an awful lot of other things with no success.
 
A probiotic might be worth a try. I don't think I'm going to continue with the Reglan.

On the up side, it's clearly helping. I mean, I now eat because I'm hungry, not because my head hurts! I've been fighting to keep my weight up since May, and the Reglan takes care of that, no problem. The acid-in-mouth hasn't disappeared entirely, but it's there a lot less often.

On the down side,

1) It's making me seriously drowsy, to the point it's hard to function. And I'm on a pretty low dose, only 5 mg twice a day.

2) Trying to time meals around doses, or doses around meals, is a pain.

3) I think it's making my asthma worse. And the two times I used my rescue inhaler, there wasn't much response. I wonder if the Reglan could actually be blocking the albuterol pathway. I couldn't find a record of anything like that happening, though, and I don't know enough about the details of biochemistry to figure for myself whether it's possible.

On the other hand, sinuses have been bad the last couple days. (Had a stupid idea about house cleaning). The asthma worsening COULD be coincidence. Maybe I'll quit the Reglan for a couple weeks, then try again.
 
Back
Top