B
Bad Karma21
Guest
Hey everyone,
I've been reading and exploring these boarRAB for a little while, and I just decided to sign up and post my story for the good of the community, and for continuing support.
I was a relatively healthy 21 year-old when my situation decided to take a turn for the worse. It all began simply with some stubborn acne that I couldn't get rid of. I have never been one to run to the doctor and around this point I was just beginning to learn how to swallow pills, but when my mom suggested I see a dermatologist, I naively accepted. She saw me for about ten minutes, took one look at me, and prescribed me an antibiotic Minocycline. I had never taken a medication in my life but I trusted my highly educated doctor. I took the Minocycline twice a day for about six months and it worked for my acne but it gave me a facial flushing problem that I still battle with to this day.
The facial flushing was so bad that I scoured the internet for possible solutions. One lead was that it was possibly caused by a bacteria, H. Pylori. I had had a lot of stomach aches growing up so I thought it might have been a cause. At the time, my only real GERD symptom was what I called "hiccup burps" that occurred after a meal, and I recalled having a minor sore throat that lasted about a month a year prior. I demanded that I see a gastro, and I got over my fear of needles and hospitals to have an endoscopy done. My new gastro declined to even see me before I had an endoscopy performed. I woke up in the recovery room with him standing over me, telling me I had an inflamed stomach and esophagus. I was put on 1 Prilosec daily and told to see him in a month.
The following month I returned to his office and told him my findings. I had told him about my experience with Minocycline and the flushing, and the Prilosec seemed to help my morning flushes but it would ween over time. By night, I was flushing just as bad and I still seeked relief. I don't know why, but he decided to increase my dose from 1 a day, to 3 a day, 1 before every meal. Again, I took him to be an all-knowing source and I took my pills religiously. I didn't often even eat 3 meals a day, waking up late and just eating lunch and dinner. I would take one before I went to bed and pray for an eventual full recovery.
I started taking PPIs in February of my 21st year, and by summer I was regularly taking 3 Omeprazole 20mg a day. Things seemed to be going well, although I still had my hiccup burps but the flushing started to dissipate. About a year later some serious changes started to occur. I distinctly remeraber waking up one morning to my pillow covered in my hair. That morning I didn't even have the energy to rise out of bed before noon. I brushed it off as the flu and continued my regimen. My energy started to decline thereafter, and it was accompanied by a severe pain in my upper back. The pain got so bad and was so prevelant that I almost even dropped out of school for fear that this backpain would prevent me from performing in my future career (court reporter). This doubt pushed me into a deep depression, where all I did was focus on the mistakes of my past, and I spent hours scouring the internet looking for a solution to my regret.
In my searching I came upon a website that had all entries from people regarding the meRAB they took and their side effects. I found reports of people with all my symptoms - upper back pain, hair loss, and depression. I never thought my guaranteed safe medication could be causing all this. I immediately called my gastro and scheduled an appointment. He switched me to Aciphex twice a day and I took that for a few months until that gave me incredible anxiety. That was the final straw and that August, 3 months after my 22nd birthday and a year and a half after starting PPIs, I swore them off forever.
I have tried everything else, from homeopothy to DGL Licorice and Aloe, to digestive enzymes. I have been on a bland diet since my first gastro put me on it when I was 21. I switched gastros and I saw him once, in the fear of the reflux leading to Barretts. He did an endoscopy and amazingly my throat was fine but I still had some gastritis. I did a short-term course of Zantac twice a day and felt better for quite some time. Just recently I've had some other symptoms of it's reoccurance, like shortness of breath when I'm working out and I get a dry throat a lot. I still worry about it from time to time, but I promise myself I will never put myself through that again. I hate myself for allowing it to get that bad because I am smarter then that. Here I am, now 25, with a bald spot where my hair didn't fully recover and a ruddy complexion from all the flushing. I think everything happens for a reason and mentally I am strong as Iron, but I'm scared that my health will take another spiral. It wasn't even that bad to begin with, and I am left wondering how to get my body back to the way it used to be.
I'm sorry it was so long and I applaud you if you read the whole thing. If you have anything to offer, from your story, to support, to tips and tricks that have worked for you, I would love to hear them. If anybody knows what it would take for my body to return to normal, that too would be greatly appreciated. I know I sound a little :dizzy: but I think anybody would that had to go through this at my age.
I've been reading and exploring these boarRAB for a little while, and I just decided to sign up and post my story for the good of the community, and for continuing support.
I was a relatively healthy 21 year-old when my situation decided to take a turn for the worse. It all began simply with some stubborn acne that I couldn't get rid of. I have never been one to run to the doctor and around this point I was just beginning to learn how to swallow pills, but when my mom suggested I see a dermatologist, I naively accepted. She saw me for about ten minutes, took one look at me, and prescribed me an antibiotic Minocycline. I had never taken a medication in my life but I trusted my highly educated doctor. I took the Minocycline twice a day for about six months and it worked for my acne but it gave me a facial flushing problem that I still battle with to this day.
The facial flushing was so bad that I scoured the internet for possible solutions. One lead was that it was possibly caused by a bacteria, H. Pylori. I had had a lot of stomach aches growing up so I thought it might have been a cause. At the time, my only real GERD symptom was what I called "hiccup burps" that occurred after a meal, and I recalled having a minor sore throat that lasted about a month a year prior. I demanded that I see a gastro, and I got over my fear of needles and hospitals to have an endoscopy done. My new gastro declined to even see me before I had an endoscopy performed. I woke up in the recovery room with him standing over me, telling me I had an inflamed stomach and esophagus. I was put on 1 Prilosec daily and told to see him in a month.
The following month I returned to his office and told him my findings. I had told him about my experience with Minocycline and the flushing, and the Prilosec seemed to help my morning flushes but it would ween over time. By night, I was flushing just as bad and I still seeked relief. I don't know why, but he decided to increase my dose from 1 a day, to 3 a day, 1 before every meal. Again, I took him to be an all-knowing source and I took my pills religiously. I didn't often even eat 3 meals a day, waking up late and just eating lunch and dinner. I would take one before I went to bed and pray for an eventual full recovery.
I started taking PPIs in February of my 21st year, and by summer I was regularly taking 3 Omeprazole 20mg a day. Things seemed to be going well, although I still had my hiccup burps but the flushing started to dissipate. About a year later some serious changes started to occur. I distinctly remeraber waking up one morning to my pillow covered in my hair. That morning I didn't even have the energy to rise out of bed before noon. I brushed it off as the flu and continued my regimen. My energy started to decline thereafter, and it was accompanied by a severe pain in my upper back. The pain got so bad and was so prevelant that I almost even dropped out of school for fear that this backpain would prevent me from performing in my future career (court reporter). This doubt pushed me into a deep depression, where all I did was focus on the mistakes of my past, and I spent hours scouring the internet looking for a solution to my regret.
In my searching I came upon a website that had all entries from people regarding the meRAB they took and their side effects. I found reports of people with all my symptoms - upper back pain, hair loss, and depression. I never thought my guaranteed safe medication could be causing all this. I immediately called my gastro and scheduled an appointment. He switched me to Aciphex twice a day and I took that for a few months until that gave me incredible anxiety. That was the final straw and that August, 3 months after my 22nd birthday and a year and a half after starting PPIs, I swore them off forever.
I have tried everything else, from homeopothy to DGL Licorice and Aloe, to digestive enzymes. I have been on a bland diet since my first gastro put me on it when I was 21. I switched gastros and I saw him once, in the fear of the reflux leading to Barretts. He did an endoscopy and amazingly my throat was fine but I still had some gastritis. I did a short-term course of Zantac twice a day and felt better for quite some time. Just recently I've had some other symptoms of it's reoccurance, like shortness of breath when I'm working out and I get a dry throat a lot. I still worry about it from time to time, but I promise myself I will never put myself through that again. I hate myself for allowing it to get that bad because I am smarter then that. Here I am, now 25, with a bald spot where my hair didn't fully recover and a ruddy complexion from all the flushing. I think everything happens for a reason and mentally I am strong as Iron, but I'm scared that my health will take another spiral. It wasn't even that bad to begin with, and I am left wondering how to get my body back to the way it used to be.
I'm sorry it was so long and I applaud you if you read the whole thing. If you have anything to offer, from your story, to support, to tips and tricks that have worked for you, I would love to hear them. If anybody knows what it would take for my body to return to normal, that too would be greatly appreciated. I know I sound a little :dizzy: but I think anybody would that had to go through this at my age.