Acid Reflux? | Arthritis Information

For the last year I have had worsening acid reflux. It is so unpleasant it keeps me awake, and even in the morning I still feel "urpy"

Prilosec works for a month or two and then it comes back. Anyone have any other ideas to deal with this? I have to take meds before bed that require food, but I just eat a craker or few swallow of milk when I take those.

Laker

Laker, are you taking a prescription stomach medication? Prescription strength Prilosec or Nexium or Protonix? They usually work, but you have to take your pill first thing in the morning, and do not eat anything for 1 hour.

I survive on Nexium and lots of Maalox in order to keep taking my Mobic.

Ellie

Laker,

Are you taking the Prilosec every day or did you just take it for the 14 days recommended on the package and then stop?

I take Prevacid every day. I have terrible acid reflux and this helps keep it under control. I still have a day/night here and there that causes me problems, but nothing like I had before taking Prevacid.

I too live on Nexium. If I miss one dose I have severe reflux. I find it does a marvelous job. Once in a blue moon I will have a bad night (its always worse at night when I'm laying down) but a few Tums (or equivalent) does the trick.

I have dreadul GERD.

I am on aciphex twice daily after taking prilosec, nexium, prevacid and protonix.

I have found giving up soda, and strictly limiting coffee had the best effect. I havent had soda in 25 years. I cut the coffee by 3/4 six months ago. Chocolate makes me dreadfully sick at nightm, as does cinnamon.

Do all the usual stuff :elevate the head of your bed, dont wear tight clothes to bed, lose weight..even 8 pounds made a difference. If it continues see a gastro.

I take Prevacid, 30mg. If I'm not taking Prevacid, I get wicked heartburn if I eat greasy food or chocolate. Spicy food and citrus never causes a problem. If I've been taking the Prevacid regularly, I can skip a day or two here or there and not suffer any heartburn. I don't intentionally skip it, but sometimes I forget to refill the script or I forget to take it.

I have taken the 14 day OTC prilosec 3x over the last 7 months, but nothing daily. It sounds like most of you are on a prescription med. My dr told me when I asked once about this to try prilosec OTC, maybe I should give a call and see if she wants me to try something else, she doesn't know I keep having to go back on it. I had noticed pop makes it worse, but didn't know about coffee, sigh, that one will be hard to give up. Finally losing weight so maybe that will help too.

Thanks for the info!

Laker

I take Nexium 40 mg. in the morning, then Reglan 10 mg. before dinner and once again before going to bed. The Nexium alone wasn't cutting it, but since my GI doc added the Reglan, my reflux is completely controlled.Have you tried eliminating anything from your diet? You'll have to do a lot of trial and error, but you know I thought I had terrible acid reflux as well. But as soon as I cut out the dairy products and some other bothersome foods I only have to deal with it maybe once a week. Where as before, it was a daily event.

There's no guarantees that food is what's causing it, but there's a good chance. See if you can figure out a link of when you're having it, and what you've recently eaten.
OTC Prilosec is a 20mg tablet of omeprazole. Omeprazole is a mixture of two molecules which are mirror images of each other ("enantiomers"). S-omeprazole is the active one; R-omeprazole doesn't do much of anything. It doesn't cause problems either, so there is no reason to remove it (that would just add cost to the manufacturing process). AstraZeneca got the bright idea to separate the enantiomers, and market the active one (S-omeprazole) as a "new" drug. They've named it esomeprazole. It offers no benefit over omeprazole. Keep in mind, however, that a 20-mg dose of Nexium (esomeprazole) has 20mg of the active enantiomer. A 20-mg dose of Prilosec only has 10mg of the active enantiomer. Therefore, Nexium seems twice as strong, but mg for mg of the active ingredient, it's just the same.

Personally, I find this idea of patenting separated enantiomers of an existing drug to be deceptive (especially given that the inactive enantiomer doesn't do anything and causes no harm), and I don't know why such patents are issued. If they want to separate the two, fine. But it certainly isn't a new drug. People have been taking it, in the form of Prilosec, for years.

Alright, I'll stop ranting now.

I take Aciphex at night. I would be miserable if I did not. I also had allergy testing done and am allergic to most meats and most other stuff. I have to rotate my diet with a couple of staples.

I reacted to all of the Prilosect...etc. so Aciphex is it for me.