Just starting my 5th PPI - Prevacid......afraid it won't work:(

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Crystal,

Have you tried supplementing with Gaviscon? That is what my GI doctor recommenRAB instead of Zantac. It foams when you chew it up. It is supposed to help create a sort of barrier in your stomach as well. I use it after meals frequently. (A bit of advice, never try the strawberry smoothie flavor if you do try the Gaviscon. The plain or cherry are better.)

My symptoms are a different than yours. It is amazing how having the same thing wrong with regarRAB to reflux can cause so many differing symptoms in people. Years ago, I had a problem with belching. MeRAB quickly controlled that though. Now, I have a chronic cough with my reflux--it's been that way for nearing 4 years. I have times when I can't catch a breath or even vomit because of the severity of the coughing. I asperate the acid or have it trigger my asthma. When I got the results of my most recent pH test my GI doc told me I must have a 'cast iron' stomach and esophagus because the EGD shows no damage, yet my reflux is extremely severe.

Because the severity of my reflux causing constant breathing problems, I am moving forward with surgery. I HAVE TO get my breathing under control. My Pulmonologist told me last spring that my asthma would never be under control until my reflux was also under control. I go in for surgery on October 2. From what I have researched on the internet, the surgery is typically 95% effective, but for breathing problems it has about 80% effectiveness. I have read that people with 'atypical' reflux symptoms are often recommended for surgery when other interventions have failed to work. My surgeon is extremely confident that this surgery will be successful for me though.
 
MountainReader,

I have tried gaviscon, I actually just ate a couple right now. You're right, the strawberry flavor is really gross. I think that it help a little, but not completely. Today is my 5th day taking Prevacid and it's helping, but still not all the way effective. I just want it to work like PPIs used to work for me. They used to take away all of the heartburn and I would never feel it and would be able to eat anything I wanted. It's frustrating me so bad!

I really hope that you get the relief you need from surgery! Even if I wanted to get it, right now isn't the best time as my insurance probably wouldn't cover most of it. I'm just going to keep experimenting I guess. Please keep me updated on how you feel post-surgery. I'm wishing you well! Take care!

Crystal
 
Crystal,
The Gaviscon works to give me a bit of relief, but doesn't take care of things completely for me either. I completely understand wanting to have things the way they were with the PPI's. I've been wanting that all summer. I didn't know how lucky I was for the years they were working.

I'm curious. What form of Prevacid are you taking? I'm back to taking Prevacid Solutabs 30mg 2x/day. I seem to have more luck taking the solutabs. (They dissolve in my mouth before I swallow.) Makes me wonder if the delivery method makes a difference depending on the type of reflux symptoms a person has.

Even though I know the Prevacid is no longer working as effective as it should, I went back to taking it because I felt better on it than I did on any of the other PPI's.

The ironic thing now is that my reflux cough has been almost completely gone this week. This after 4 months of non-stop coughing. Must be Murphy's Law...making me question the surgery. I know the reflux isn't gone even when I am feeling better though. I found that out when I had a my Barium tests and pH test on 'good' days.

I will certainly keep you posted on my surgery and progress. I'm planning on recouperating with family who live in your neck of the wooRAB. My surgeon said I could go 2 weeks before follow-up instead of 1 so it wouldn't be a problem to take an extended trip out of town. I'm coming back a few days before the follow-up though because I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy. In addition to all of the coughing I have had this summer from my reflux, I developed a 4 month case of chronic diarrhea. My GI doc did testing and everything came back negative. He just assumed I was having a side effect from the various PPI's I was on all summer. I took myself off of all PPI's several weeks ago since none of them were really effective and the diarrhea continued regardless. I called my GI doc again at the beginnng of the month when things were really bad and he just said "take Immodium". I went in again last week and got mad at him and told him he neeRAB to find the cause of this and not just keep treating the symptoms. Hence, the new exam. Boy am I tired of paying for all of the doctor's visits this year.

I understand the insurance thing. Unlucky for me, I found out last week that my insurance deductables and co-pays are going up again. October 1, one day before my surgery. I have to cough up several hundred more for my out of pocket because my surgery is scheduled in October instead of Septeraber.

Thanks for your well wishes. I hope the Prevacid starts working better for you.
 
I've taken almost all the PPIs now and today I'm starting to take the last of them, Prevacid. I took Prilosec and Nexium for years and they provided great relief. It wasn't until Prilosec stopped working as well for me back in January. Since then I went back to Nexium (only gave it 10 days, but wasn't really working), Protonix (gave 2 months), and Aciphex (gave 1 month), all with minimum relief. Now I'm afraid that Prevacid won't work for me. I took it about 8 hours ago and so far it seems to be helping a little bit, but I still have reflux:( I know I need to give it some time so I'm hoping it will work better in the next couple days. Has anyone else had this same problem with PPIs? Thanks!

Crystal
 
i take prevacid it seem to work a little but it usally takes up to 3 weeks before you get the full effect of the prevacid. but i still get really bad stomach spasms with it i dont know if its my stomach or its my gallbladder. but i going to ask the doctor if i can take two prevacid once in the morning and once in the evening hoping that it helps. good luck with it. i hope it help this is only my second type of stomach medicine i go for a hida scan next month
 
Hi MountainReader,

I'm taking the Prevacid pills. Today is day 8 and they seems to be helping more than the other PPIs at this time. I'm sort of relieved that it's helping me somewhat. I'm still getting a little breakthrough heartburn, but not as bad as before. I'm glad to hear that your cough is almost gone. I don't really have a cough. Hmmm, I wonder what the diarrhea is from. Do you have IBS? I have that and it alternates from constipation to diarrhea. I get so frustrated with the insurance problems! It's always money, money. Please keep me updated on your progress! Good luck with your surgery!

Crystal
 
Thanks for your response! I guess I will need to give it some time to work. What does a stomach spasm feel like? I don't think I have those. My stomach burns and I get hunger pains a lot. You should ask about taking it twice a day, that may help you. I hope you find relief as well!

Crystal
 
please try apple cider 2-3 spoon and beaking soda 1/2 tea spoon in a glass of water and try. after each meal. try it should work for you. good luck.
 
I've run the gammit with PPI's as well. The Prevacid Solutabs 2x/day worked GREAT for me for 3 years. There is another PPI out there. Have you tried Zegrid yet? I believe it is the newest of the PPI's. It has the same active medication in Prilosec, but it has an additional medication as well to help with the effectiveness of the active medication. It worked OK for me, but wasn't covered by insurance at all.

My GI doc preferred that I tried each PPI for at least one month. Preferrably longer to see if it would really work before moving on to trying the next one. I would say to try giving it more than a day to see how it does for you. Also, I had more luck with the double dosages of the PPI's.

For me it was Prilosec, Protonix (for a couple years), Prevacid (3 years), Nexium (one extremely miserable month), Aciphex (one month), Zegrid (one month of samples- not covered by insurance), recently went off PPI's for several weeks but that didn't go well, put myself back onto Prevacid (not really effective according to my Barium tests, but I feel best on it). I understand your fears though. I'm at the point that I am out of other options. My reflux is causing my asthma to be frequently out of control. I literally need to get it under better control in order to keep breathing. I had some scary asthma episodes this past year.
 
Hi MountainReader!

I believe we messaged each other before on this issue. I was first on Prilosec for about 3-4 years, then Nexium for about 3 years, than back to Prilosec for 2-3 years (worked the second time around), then I thought that Nexium might work a second time and only tried it for 10 days before giving up on it. Then Protonix for 2 months and Aciphex for a month. I would always take one dose of each of them (except Aciphex, took it twice a day), but it would almost be the maximum dose in one day. This is my second day on Prevacid and I can honestly say that I think it's helping me already. I didn't need to take Zantac today, only a few rolaiRAB. I'm still having a little bit of reflux, but not nearly as much, and my stomach doesn't really hurt. My throat is still burning though, without reflux, which is kind of weird. Anyhow, I hope that I can continue to get relief for a while with this drug. I'm so sick of these PPIs. I don't understand how they worked for years and then all of a sudden they don't work as well. I guess my condition worsened. I feel I'm too young for all of this (I'm 27). Are you going to consider surgery?

Crystal
 
please try apple cider 2-3 spoon and beaking soda 1/2 tea spoon in a glass of water and try. after each meal. try it should work for you. good luck.
 
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