Proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux.

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MONKEY
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09 Nov 2012, 6:22 pm

Has anyone ever taken proton pump inhibitors and/or H2-receptor antagonists to treat digestive troubles? If so how did it go? (I love the sci-fi names btw.)
Antacids never work for me and I only take them out of habit as a psychological thing. But I need something physical too.

My insides are constantly playing up and stomach aches, acid reflux and sicky feelings are too common place. They have been all through my teen years, especially this past 3 years.


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cathylynn
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09 Nov 2012, 6:31 pm

my husband takes PPI's. he gets good results.



eric76
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09 Nov 2012, 8:04 pm

I used to have regular problems with this and another issue -- I had a diarrhea about 6 days a week on average for several years. At the suggestion of a Chinese woman I knew, I became a vegetarian for a couple of years because of the second issue. After two years, I gradually started eating meat again and the daily diarrhea never returned. Surprisingly, the reflux never returned either in spite of eating spicier foods than I did previously.



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09 Nov 2012, 8:06 pm

They're also used to treat gout.


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LKL
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09 Nov 2012, 10:07 pm

I take prilosec on occasion for evening heartburn; it works pretty well. The first time I took it for about 7 days, and it helped for a long time; since then I've had occasional flare-ups, and take it for 2 or 3 days, and it helps for a while. I think the side-effects are smaller than taking enough tums to stop the heartburn.



MONKEY
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10 Nov 2012, 12:02 pm

Thanks for your replies so far. Can they be bought from most pharmacies or are they better off being prescribed?


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LKL
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11 Nov 2012, 6:29 pm

You can buy prilosec off the shelf at a pharmacy here in California; I'd be surprised if it was more difficult to get in other places.



techstepgenr8tion
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14 Nov 2012, 9:45 pm

I ended up with a sliding hiatal hernia at 24. Had to see several doctors, ended up chewing tums for a long time until it both got ridiculous and until my lungs were clenched as I felt like I was breathing ammonia. Prevacid didn't work, Zantac didn't work, the only thing I found for a long time that would work was Nexium.

Eventually my insurer dropped Nexium though and I had to go back out on the hunt. Thankfully Prilosec OTC does work for me, its the only over the counter that's done a thing.



Betzalel
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15 Nov 2012, 12:34 pm

I used to go through a whole bottle of tums in under a month my acid reflux was so bad. I had tried prilosec back when it was a new drug before you could get it over the counter and it didn't sit well with my system..

however fast forward about a decade later I have health insurance again and they give me this wonderful proton pump inhibitor called protonix and that damn pill works like a miracle. I saw results immediately. and haven't hardly touched the antacids since.

I even do well when I forget to take it for a day or so (although things start to go back to the old normal slowly)

I would highly recommend protonix (or it's generic version which is a lot harder to spell)

it's probably the first medication I've ever took that seems to do just what it says on the tin and do it well. you have to make sure you take it and then have some food about 30 minutes later though. I hope this helps someone.



Last edited by Betzalel on 15 Nov 2012, 7:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

xmh
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15 Nov 2012, 5:56 pm

MONKEY wrote:
Can they be bought from most pharmacies or are they better off being prescribed?


H2-receptor antagonists can be bought off the shelf in supermarkets Rantidine is the common ingredient found in them. The major supermarket sell 12 tablets for £1 (Price comparison link, other shops Boots, Superdrug etc will also sell them.

I have used the Rantidine based medicines and they seem to work better than antacids (although they give less immediate relief), I have no experience of PPIs. Given the low cost (and ease of purchace) Rantidine type drugs would be a good start.



Darialan
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15 Nov 2012, 7:59 pm

I've had acid problems for a long time and they had me on aciphex, dropped, because medicaid wouldn't pay and went on prilosec otc two at a time. Got a scope, got on prevacid, then back on aciphex (crazy medicaid). Then I start having chest pain and later back pain, so i complain to a gastro doctor and he gives me 2 protonix, which are pretty heavy compared to the other drugs and this is after yet another scope saying I have esophogitis causing the pain.

The meds work, but the pain is still there. It seems there's another culprit to my pain, though. A gall stone, which he said shouldn't cause much trouble where it is, but I assume it moves.

So be very aware of your heartburn and if your med isn't doing much good as you'd expect, see a doctor. Heartburn can be a pretty bad thing, if left alone.



MONKEY
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18 Nov 2012, 7:08 am

xmh wrote:
MONKEY wrote:
Can they be bought from most pharmacies or are they better off being prescribed?


H2-receptor antagonists can be bought off the shelf in supermarkets Rantidine is the common ingredient found in them. The major supermarket sell 12 tablets for £1 (Price comparison link, other shops Boots, Superdrug etc will also sell them.

I have used the Rantidine based medicines and they seem to work better than antacids (although they give less immediate relief), I have no experience of PPIs. Given the low cost (and ease of purchace) Rantidine type drugs would be a good start.


I'm going to town tomorrow so I shall pick up a packet of those.
If they don't work after a couple of weeks I shall ask the doc for something a bit more hardcore.


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MONKEY
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19 Nov 2012, 2:53 pm

I went to the doctors today and he suggested I get tested for something called a Helicobacter, some sort of bacteria that lives in some peoples' guts and causes ulcers and stuff. I need to take in a stool sample in a spoon in a test tube. :lol:


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Robbie
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29 Dec 2012, 11:41 am

Some people seam to think reflux and tummy troubles can also be caused by too little stomach acid rather than too much so you may want to research this also. I believe there is some logic to this theory.

Please note that I am not Medical in any way.



LKL
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30 Dec 2012, 5:30 am

MONKEY wrote:
I went to the doctors today and he suggested I get tested for something called a Helicobacter, some sort of bacteria that lives in some peoples' guts and causes ulcers and stuff. I need to take in a stool sample in a spoon in a test tube. :lol:

Helicobacter pylori, yes. It's a reasonable rule-out for the doctor to do. It's probably not the most common cause of that acid feeling, but it's curable by antibiotics if you have it.