Getting off PPI's and Acid Rebound-What has worked for me- Four months later

  • Thread starter Thread starter rosebloom
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Would love to hear about your herbal cocktail. I am always trying to learn from what others here try and post.

Rose
 
Still going strong and still not taking PPI's. The rebound is pretty bad and the symptoms tolerable once you are past the rebound phase (about three months for me), but I must confess that I am not symptom free, and I have not found any magic bullets, and I have tried many, many remedies so far.

Some work, some work for a while, some are probably placebos. I have tried to not center my life around heartburn which is why I don't post as much here anymore. I just treat the heartburn with something when I have it and try to go on with whatever I was doing and not let it get me down.

I still use DGL to soothe my throat and Zantac as needed. It has been hard for me to stay on the ACV faithfully. It just does not taste good and it has not been the miracle cure for me either.

I wish I had been able to find something to cure this problem but have yet to find a remedy. But I can have pretty good days with little discomfort, and look forward to those.

Rose
 
I am taking Zantec 75 for breakfast, lunch, a 150 for dinner and another 75 before bed. I got the tightness bad today. I dont know what to do. I may have to try another PPI as zantec isnt working all they way. Man I dont want to go back on those PPI's. I am doing everything I can to try to manage this.

I read thyroid can cause globus feeling. This is just such a nightmare.

I am wondering if we have a upper and lower sphincter and I am refluxing from the top one, how can the ppi make any difference?
 
I want to say that I am very grateful for this thread and the time you have invested in it, rosebloom. It has been very informative and inspiring and I enjoyed all the feedback that you got from it. I admit that I only seek out GERD message boarRAB when I am going through a rough period with GERD symptoms so it's admirable that you kept coming back to check in here and make notes and comments about your progress. I think it's just as important to check in once in a while even when you are feeling better, because it gives the ones still suffering hope.

I went off the PPI I was on in Aug and I found my journey has been quite similar to yours. My main side effect and a very annoying one at that, after coming off the PPI was Nausea, something I hadn't experienced before. I was determined to stay off PPI's however so hung in with it, using AC vinegar with my main meal, ginger tea and Gaviscon at bedtime, as well as sleeping with two pillows and elevating the bed. Oh, and drinking lots of water of course and avoiding my trigger fooRAB. I laughed at your posts about the scones because I love those too, and occasionally still indulge but I agree with you that going off the wagon and getting symptoms is somewhat of an incentive to "be good." I don't do fried fooRAB, I don't eat citrus or tomatoes, I eat lots of fresh vegetables and lean meat but I am still hanging on to my one coffee a day. I am considering easing off of that however, since I know it is not good for me. It's probably the one thing I will miss the most, lol I adore coffee...never lied tea but omg my coffee!

A few days ago I felt like I was fighting a flu or something (diarrhea, stomach pain and nausea on the first day, then swollen lymph glanRAB and a sore throat on the second day, then GERD symptoms since then.) So here I am again, going through these pains that I thought I had gotten away from. I have been eating bland fooRAB (toast, mashed potatoes) and being extra cautious about everything but I feel rotten that I can't fully shake whatever this is. Sometimes I get pain after eating, but I also get some pain if I don't eat. Arggh, it's so frustrating! I feel guilty complaining because after reading some of the other posters symptoms I feel I don't suffer as much, but it's still irritating and worrying, you know? Well, I think I am just rarabling so I will just say that I just wanted to let you know that your thread helped me very much. Many thanks to you for the good work you put in here!
 
Still fairly symptom free with the aid of ACV, chewing gum, my supplements and, by now, periodic use of DGL. I chew sugarless gum after meals which I think greatly helps my digestion and still eat fairly early and no later than 6:00 P.M. or so.

I have not used any Zantac or "rescue" medication for over three weeks now.

Rose
 
EagleRiverDee, ACV might work by reducing levels of gastrin, which tell your acid pumps in your stomach to produce more acid. More gastrin = more acid. More gastrin is produced when the PH in your stomach drops.

My sister said drinking pickle juice helped her out alot, and it's similar to ACV (apple cider vinegar). For myself, I seem like a nice Italian dressing with my salad with dinner.
 
I started Melatonin on Septeraber 1st. Can't tell if it helps at this point and it's probably too soon to tell. I read somewhere that it takes at least 40 days and somewhere else it said 90. I'm going to keep taking it though.
 
Thank you all for your support and replies.

As for the ACV, I think the first time I tried it, I took it with cold water and it tasted awful. Then, the PPI offer came about, and taking one little pill once a day was oh so tempting and hard to pass up. I did not need anything else as long as I took the Aciphex. But using ACV has helped me this time around. I took it three times per day the first week and I am now taking two times per day. It is not a big deal nor does it taste bad when you take it with tepid or room temperature water. Other people have also written about taking it with juice and honey, but I don't even need to do that. It is very easy for me to just throw the two tablespoons in a glass of water and drink it through a straw. I wish I understood how and why it works so I could pass that information along, but it is definitely helping to balance things down there.

I don't think the ACV would work if I had not also made drastic lifestyle changes. I had some decaf coffee today with breakfast and seem to have done OK. I have no discomfort and it is a bit past one right now. But I don't drink regular coffee daily on an empty stomach and really look into what I put into my mouth. I count my carbs and try to stay below fifty or sixty carbs per day. Some low carb diets go as low as 20 carb units per day, but I can't do that. That would amount to a piece of toast or a glass of milk.

As for the calcium absorption, time will tell. I will not have another Dexa scan until early next year. I am hoping I can stay at the same level or improve. I will not take Boniva or Actonel to treat the osteopenia. I don't know if it can be reversed or not. I am now taking calcium citrate and vitamin D3 along with magnesium and hope that corabination is more easily absorbed and used by my body. I am also taking it, as I have written before, in liquid form.

It seems like it is possible to get off PPI's, but it is a long process and it takes months, not days or weeks to go through rebound. Therefore, others may give up too quickly if not informed of how the process unfolRAB and how long it takes.

I don't want to be down on PPI's. They are wonderful and effective drugs, but I am convinced they are not supposed to be for long term use. Doctors also need to tell their patients of the potential side effects and rebound phenomenon so that patients can make a more informed decision regarding whether or not the symptoms are "worth" the remedy and its potential side effects.

Ultimately, I have to take responsibility for not having informed myself better before I started to take the Aciphex. It is a mistake I will never again make unless I am incapacitated and unable to read up on a medication before I take it.

Being off a PPI, as Rose4Me writes, is not perfect. We have to be ready and prepared for good and not so good days. I had mild heartburn yesterday which I treated with a little Briosch (bicarbonate of soda) and water and then went on to have a pretty decent rest of the day. That is what I now consider a pretty good day.

I don't think my GERD is curable. In my case, it is a chronic condition that will need to be monitored and treated one way or another for the rest of my life. I am OK with that as long as I am not creating more potential health problems with medicines I am using to treat it (unless, of course, I absolutely have to).

Laconstantine: Don't worry too much about getting off your PPI too quickly. You are very young and I am sure you will at some point. Make sure all your symptoms have been resolved first as much as possible, and then you can talk to your doctor about very slowly weaning yourself off. Be prepared for rebound and how to deal with it. Talk to your doctors and nicely educate them.

Rose
 
Rosebloom, I stopped taking Prilosec since I know there is more serious side effect if taken too long. I only took it when I had palpitation and anxiety attacks and when I got pregnant. Now, I check what I eat and sleep with many pillows under my head. I still eat chocolates and pasta occasionally.I also use apple cider vinegar but mix it on my dishes. I tried taking it with water, though it worked for me but I got geographic tongue after.I have not resume my mg/ca/zinc tablet and the probiotics and aloe vera stuRAB because I'm still breastfeeding. And speaking of breastfeeding, everytime my baby use my left breast, I can feel those nerves to my stomach and esophagus and gives me relief. I heard there are some researches that breastfeeding can benefit the mom as well and cure those underlying diseases esp prevents you from breast cancer. By the way, I have GERD, silent reflux, used to have left upper back pain and neck pain.
 
You said you are off from the ppis for a while now.How many months is it?
For me it will be 3 months off ppis on 28th of this month.I still have a burning stomach.
Does the VSL probiotic help you?

Anu
 
Thanks for taking the time Rose. I tried the acv yesterday, like you i diluted in a glass of water, yuk! I took it twice, once in the morning and once early evening, and a little while later ran to the pharmacist asking for help, she was so nice she renewed my prescription for two weeks, so i ran home and took a prevacid. While i was there i asked her for her advice and she recommended that i try going from 30mg a day to 15mg a day, then taking one pill every two days until i can manage to get off them completely.
I think for me her advice sounRAB reasonable, so that is what i will be trying. No more acv for me until i do my own research, though i am really glad that it works for you.
Thanks again
fufu
BTW what is DGL?????
 
I had horrible gas and bloating for several weeks after stopped Aciphex. It then went away. My main symptom now is back to heartburn and ocassional throat soreness.
 
I have had burning in my nose and up into my eyes. I am not sure if it was from the acid reducers or the acid reflux. I've also had a sort of "cool" sensation on the right side of my throat which I think is from the meRAB. Right now I have a bit of sore throat which I did not have while on the PPI's but have gone to the Tagament H2 blocker. I am unsure what that is from. During the night, sleep on your left side to prevent acid from emptying from your stomach into the esophagus. If you have not seen a G.I. doctor, you really should. I am not a big fan of Dr's any more and medicine but it does have its place. As nasty as acid reducers can be, they can be important for healing. One just neeRAB to determine for themselves when to get off of them since the medical community does not like taking us off themselves. Acid reflux is very serious as it can lead to cancer. I have a relative that ignored it thinking it was just indigestion. Untreated it turned to cancer. They are lucky to be alive after emergency surgery.
 
I saw on another reflux board, People are taking Mastic Gum to help with the acid rebound. Anyone else try this?
 
To Rosebloom - Thank you so much for posting your experience. I quit Prilosec cold turkey 8 weeks ago and still suffering although I never suffered before the doc put me on Prilosec 2 years ago. Your posts have kept me going through the rebound and give me hope. Otherwise, I probably would have started back on the Prilosec. I won't give up though and will try the Apple Cider Vinegar. I already have Aloe Vera juice but doesn't seem to help. Again, thanks for all the information and encouragement.
 
I believe that Mastic gum is used to treat H-Pylori or the bacteria that can cause ulcers and heartburn in some people. I don't think it helps unless you suffer from H-Pylori.

Slippery elm capsules, on the other hand, are supposed to coat the esophagus and protect it from the acid. So is Aloe vera juice or in capsules as well as DGL.

I don't know if others have information on Mastic gum.

Rose
 
Hi Rosebloom, I am new here....and read your post and updates, I want to say good luck with that...you were smart to research that med and attempt a different path, even if just to test the waters....sometimes we have to do that...

I wondered if you could mention what the acronym of the supplement w/magnesium in it...some of the acronyms on here are confusing as I am just starting on my journey to find information on relux

I also posted a question about the vinegar that is being used for reflux....is this a product purchased from a specialty store?

I noticed that they blocked the place you ordered one of your products from....I suppose this is an internet site that sells homeopathic products?

I hope you are still having good days with your new treatment trials....

good luck...thanks for any info
 
COOL!! :cool:

Great to hear you're still doing well. Just started my journey down the path to being PPI-Free since I got a clear EGD result a few weeks back. I'm weaning off the Aciphex slowly. I came up with my own plan. I went from one 20mg every 24 hrs to one every 36 hrs for the past week and probably for another week. Then, go to one every other day and so on. I have to see how it goes. I don't want to split the pills because they are enteric coated and you're not supposed to split them....I don't want to irritate my stomach. I am using DGL which works pretty good. I bought the ACV (Braggs pure and unfiltered organic) but haven't used it yet. My carbs (complex) are at a bare minimum and my sugar intake (not counting fruits) is almost non-existent (except for honey).

I do plan on starting a thread on my progress so far but I'd like to wait a week or two and see how it goes first.

Keep up the good work!
 
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