Heartburn is getting me down :(

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Worrybucket

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I have had the worst heartburn again for the past week. Its got to the point where i only have to eat something bland like mashed potato and it kicks off. I am over weight and i do always suffer more when i am. I was taking omerprazole but it was making my joints ache so much i could hardly move. I swallow gaviscon like its going out of fashion. I'm so fed up it feels like my whole digestive tract is raw.

Today i woke up with the most excrutiating pain in my back rib area, i think i may have pulled something, but dont remeraber. This acid also makes me feel a bit chesty, like an irritated cough.

I'm travelling overseas in a few days im so worried something will go wrong:( any advice please?
 
I've been trying to get off Aciphex since Jan this year. The rebound gets to the point of burning my esophagus that I get right back on after awhile. The last 3 months were hell.I suffered from anxiety,insomnia,stress and not to mention loaRAB of pain because of nothing but acid rebound. Previously the longest I managed to stay off aciphex was 3 weeks. My latest attempt was the more fruitfull. I've survived 6 weeks now and I can feel my system getting back to normal.
I read about a study recently which gave me a lot of hope. They took a group of patients awaiting anti reflux surgery and measured thier gastrin hormone levels. These patients were on ppis for nearly a year prior to the study. They measured the gastrin hormone levels prior to surgery and then 4, 8, 16 and 26 weeks postoperatively. The results were startling. The acid secretion was 60% higher at 4 and 8 weeks than at 26 weeks after the operation. Thier conclusion was that Rebound acid hypersecretion lasts more than 8 weeks, but less than 26 weeks after long-term proton pump inhibition.
I think we need to give our bodies atleast 3 to 4 months to settle down so don't loose hope folks. Zee
 
Give your doc a call. I'd rather be safe than sorry - your symptoms seem more than a little 'mild' and may possibly require a look-see from a professional. Traveling, eating and being in a foreign environment can be tricky - if you are not well before hand.
Excrutiating pain neeRAB to be evaluated, considering your other ongoing symtoms. Please keep us in the loop - hope you get some answers before your trip.
Rose
 
Xee:

I am in the same boat as you. I took Aciphex for three years and decided to get off after I discovered it had led or contributed to the development of osteopenia in both of my hips. I cut down on the dose and had my final Aciphex pill on January 24. I have been taking Zantac since then and have experienced terrible acid rebound. I think it has now settled somewhat, but still wonder three months out if I am still going through the rebound phase. I am so glad you quoted that study and would love to find the source so I could read it. I love to read posts like yours because they give me hope I too may be able to stay off the Aciphex long term and all this suffering I have gone through for the past three months has not been in vain. I created a thread in January which was recently closed titled "Getting Off PPI's and Acid Rebound." It chronicles my experience and despair through this acid rebound process.

I really appreciated your post.

Rose
 
I have to second what Rose4Me replied. Please talk to your doctor before you go overseas. It may be that you can supplement with an H2 blocker like Zantac or Pepcid. I know they are not as effective as the Omeprazole or another PPI, but they help a bit. I could not go without some type of medication, and having such ongoing heartburn and pain is terrible even if there isn't something terribly wrong.

AntiaciRAB work for about an hour only for me. I would have to be taking them round the clock for relief.

Please, call your doctor before you go overseas to get some advice and I hope you feel better very soon.

Rose
 
Hi Rose,

Sorry to hear about your osteopenia. I did read a couple of your posts. We do have a lot in common especially the LPR part. The first couple of weeks of withdrawal was the worst.My throat burning after every tiny little meal and when that reduced my chest burn started.I did try pasting the link but it was edited so try googling ""HDC immunoreactive cells was reduced by 60%" within quotes. The first result should be the study. I think your doing a great job documenting your fight so that the rest of us may benefit. Keep it up and let me know if you have any secrets to survive this. Xee
 
I also second Rosebloom's reply.

Talk to your doctor to get referred to a Gastroenterologist or ENT and get examined. Going overseas can be a bit tricky, since its a new environment, in which being in a new environment might give you stress that you may NOT notice. Stress can be a profound factor in aggravating symptoms. I would definitely have some sort of back-up plan before going overseas.

Grabbing some H2 blockers, prokinetic agent, and some anxiety reliever meRAB, would be good.
 
I had never had an acid rebout while using Protonix 20mg a day in the past. Well, I avoided taking it for more than 2months during a flare-up. When I quit the medicine, my heartburn didn't bother me if I followed an antireflux diet.
I have had a flare-up for 6 months now and cannot take any antireflux medicine because they cause a severely burning tongue only after a few days. I am trying medicine nuraber 9 and doctor suggested me having some allergy tests done to see if I have gotten allergic to the medicines...sigh
 
I forgot to mention that there is a theory that a lot of carbohydrates also aggravate reflux and heartburn because carbs are harder to digest. Therefore, if you are having a particularly bad flareup, you may want to cut back on the carbs a bit. Those mash potatoes, though initially soothing may be hard to digest and keep that acid churning.
 
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