I've been on MTX for almost a year, now, and prednisone & NSAIDs & then Arava. So, I'm on a substantial cocktail. I've had GERD for years & was on Prilosec. It stopped working, and the doctor put me on Protonix 4 months ago. It worked great. This past week, the heartburn started again. It's killing me. Does this mean the end othe MTX? It's definitely worst the night after I take it. I don't see the RD again for another month & a half, but I don't think I can wait that long.
It's waking me up several times a night. Any suggestions?
I have never had heartburn and after my first MTX injection last tuesday I have had it every day and yesterday I had it so bad I thought I was dying and had my ra dr paged begging for help!!! I felt like my chest was being crushed, couldn't breath. throwing up and the burning....she called me within 5 mins of being paged and told me to get the the drug store quick and told me what I needed to get and she thinks its one of my many side effects from the MTX.
They'll probably just switch you to a new stomach med. Call them, they can phone in the new Rx to your pharmacy, you won't even have to go into the office. I've been on Tagamet, Zantac, Prilosec, Propulsid, Nexium, Protonix and, after all this time, I've ended up on simple ol' Pepcid.
Info from a non-profit research group: http://www.aboutgerd.org/
Online support group/forums: http://www.livingwithreflux.org/
I'm guessing by now you've done all the lifestyle changes? Raised head of the bed, avoid trigger foods, no lying down three hours after eating (when acid production is at it's highest).
Have you ever had an upper endoscopy?
Hello Fiona,
I know what you're going through when you're having a heartburn attack. I was diagnosed with GERD last year after I had an attack so severe that I was rushed to hospital and given morphine.
I'm now controlling the GERD with 40mg Pantaloc, once daily. My drs. call Pantaloc the cadillac version of GERD meds.
I'm also on MTX plus an NSAID... I've had a wee bit of heartburn every so often, but nothing like the ones I was getting before Pantaloc. Before I started MTX, my rheumie was going to prescribe a med to protect my stomach lining. When I told her I was on Pantaloc, she said that I was well protected.
Check with your dr. to see if Pantaloc might be right for your GERD problem.
Hi Fiona - I have found bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp in a 1/2 glass of warm water works instantly. It is apparently not recommended for people with high blood pressure & I am not sure about whether it reacts to MTX
Hi Pat,
Thank goodness I organized my med files yesterday... for once I'm not scrambling to find things.
Here's the info you need:
Pantoprazole (pan-TOE- pra-zole): It's a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used to treat ulcers, GERD, erosive esophagitis or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
It's definitely worth a try... I take one pill in the morning and that's it. Just once, I had to take a second dose... that was when my husband bought me a huge mochachino ... I should have known better, but it tasted sooo good.... the whipped cream and the cocoa sprinkled on top probably didn't help either.
Judy
Thanks for the different suggestions. I take the Protonix once a day, but it's 40 mg. The prilosec was 20 mg. twice a day. I talked with my pharmacist today - she's a great lady & very helpful. She said to take the Pepcid with the Protonix and it should help - and it did! She said they work differently. But she said it will only last another week or two, and I need to try something different.