Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Get Off Those Prescription Acid-Reducing Drugs

Molly! *crazily waving across the Atlantic*

Well, I read more about this and it seems there was a study done recently where they gave a bunch of healthy people a PPI for 3-4 months and then took them off it and their gut pumps went CRAZY and produced way too much acid. Thus rendering them dependent on the product to now control the acid. Seems the pumps get hyperactive after getting off the medicine. They said you have to wean off it slowly and to discuss it with your doctor I wish I would have bookmarked the website, I could have/should have posted it - sorry...

You're right!

Hugs
Jewelz

my old gastro doc (married to my old rheumy) told me I had Barrett's Esophagus (pre-cancerous condition) and even though nothing would reverse it, he was putting me on Nexium, probably for life, in his terms. I took the purple pill, it was expensive, I had tried over the counter meds with success so stopped Nexium and still felt good. I then changed all my docs due to job/insurance change, and my new gastro doc did an upper endoscopy...and said he found no signs of Barrett's cells. He would not say anything negative like, that doc was wrong...you were misdiagnosed, should not be on Nexium.

Imagine that...an acid reducing drug that caused more acidity when you stopped taking it....so you keep taking it.....kinda like when I was younger and had allergies and used a nose spray to unblock my sinuses....but then when it wore off...major blocked breathing...so I squirted some more up my nose to breathe through the night, and needed to buy more of the product.

Although Mercola sells his own vitamins and ultimately wants people to buy from him...I have read articles there that I've also encountered through other media...

Peace, my two cents
Linc

I hear that these ppi's are not good for you in the long run but short term for me it is a quality of life thingy. I need it or else i lay down to go to sleep at night and wake up choaking from acid backup even if i dont eat past 4-5 pm.
i go to sleep at say 10-11 pm and i would be up coughing and choaking with the backup reaching as far up as my nose.
not good, cant give it up.
Also i understand ppi's are supposed to be protective of the kidneys anyways.
besides i take omerperzaole generic of priolsec, and my ins pays for it medicare part d.

Hi Jewelz - dock in at St Malo an I'll come pick ya up: look out for a sort of red head being hauled around by a large red hound...!!

Yes. Saw that article. The longer one is hooked the more you need to use those PPIs. Dammned if you do and dammned if you don't syndrome Have to come off of em very slowly. Not good. Remember one lass posting to a forum that she came off cold turkey and it was several months afore her guts shook down to normalcy! I'll see if I can find the site - did think to post it but it 'seemed' (to me) that this would have been a tad like stuffing people at the information... Should have followed my initial thoughths and posted Will try to relocate the info.

Must say that my regime is working a treat. Basically no problems. Just the occasional slip, but that is down to me when/IF I eat bread/cake late at night or eat heavily or drink two glasses of wine. Seems one glass sipped VERY slowly is OK with me, but more than that...ho-hum. Not such a happy bunny 'smile'.

Jewelz, hope you can get the nasty reflux under control. Did find that it helps some to chew food well.

Molly C (France)
Keeping on Keeping on

Donnette - have heard from others that Celebrex 'can' have this side effect. A chum of mine basically had to come off the Celebrex. Fortunately for me, I did not have this side effect (well, now, I wonder! Will have to think back to pick up a pattern...am now off Celebrex entirely as GP said could NOT mix with Sulfasalazine, and I have been good with the reflux. Interesting?) Though did have reflux basically under control with my enzymes and Gavascon whilst ON the Celebrex, but still unable to eat bread/cake drink wine. Hmmmmmm. Looks a tangle to me

Haven't had to take Gavascon for several days now, but still keep my enzymes up and of course the yog. Yep. We could pool a lot of information here ya know.

Molly C (France)
Keeping on Keeping on

bbtoo - that is exactly what happens. The PPIs supress the acid. patient comes off of em, cold turkey. Up comes the acid threefold as the stomach goes into overdrive! Must find that article on it.

To come off and to get back to normalcy you'd have to comne off VERY SLOWLY and also at the same time have summat to help you over the hump. Would suggest trying Gavascon and upping the enzymes. But got to take small steps in order to achieve the correct Ph balance AGAIN

Yes, I 'used' to wake up throwing up myself (decidely **horrible ) until I got a handle on matters. You 'might' also find that dairy 'could' play a part? Dunno.

Will now go look for that article.

Molly C (France)
Keeping on Keeping on

Linc - Exactly. Read the **exact same scenario re the nose sprays elsewhere!! Quote: "Imagine that...an acid reducing drug that caused more acidity when you stopped taking it....so you keep taking it.....kinda like when I was younger and had allergies and used a nose spray to unblock my sinuses....but then when it wore off...major blocked breathing...so I squirted some more up my nose to breathe through the night, and needed to buy more of the product."

Quite true: you use; use causes dependancy and bingo, gotta take em or else. Takes a determination to come off the darn things.

I WILL find that article that covers just this very scenario. And yes, Mercola does flog his own stuff but think his 'stuff' is OK and have always picked up his cautions elsewhere in medical literature, media. So tend to have a reasonable trust in the man. (But, **never blind trust, ohhhhhh no. Not for **anyone )

Molly C (France)
Keeping on Keeping on (zealously...haha)

Here is a link to information about the study:
http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=7371

"Treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for eight weeks induces acid-related symptoms like heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia once treatment is withdrawn in healthy individuals, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

“The observation that more than 40 percent of healthy volunteers, who have never been bothered by heartburn, acid regurgitation or dyspepsia, develop such symptoms in the weeks after cessation of PPIs is remarkable and has potentially important clinical and economic implications,” said Christina Reimer, MD, of Copenhagen University and lead author of the study. “This study indicates unrecognized aspects of PPI withdrawal and is a very strong indication of a clinically significant acid rebound phenomenon that needs to be investigated in proper patient populations.”"



I'm in the process of attempting to wean myself from PPIs. I realize that some people really need to take them long-term, but I don't have a long history of GERD or gastritis symptoms, nor do I have a family history thereof, so I'm hoping I only needed a short course (5 months) of the medications.

I'm getting off of the PPI slowly. I've gone from 40 mg to 20 mg Prilosec with no rebound symptoms. I'll stay at 20 mg for a few weeks and then try 20 mg every other day. After a couple of weeks at that level, I'll switch to Tegamet and then wean myself from that slowly. That is how it was recommended I attempt to discontinue the PPIs.

I'm also taking a good probiotic, plus cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and garlic. Prior to reducing the PPI, I took limonene on an empty stomach every other day for three weeks.

I don't take NSAIDs regularly, so I don't need to protect my stomach from them.

I realize that someone who uses NSAIDs regularly or a person with severe GERD or gastritis may need the PPIs long-term.

Karen

Hey you guys, can you turn and wave toward Wyoming!??