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Acid reflux

Posted , 5 users are following.

Julesb47
Julesb47

Hi everyone

Does anyone suffer with this and if so what do you take to ease or stop it? 

Xx

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • barb1206
    barb1206 Julesb47

    Posted

    For years I was on Omeprazole and Nexium (both PPIs) but after learning that they increase the risk of developing pneumonia I now use only papaya enzymes. I got mine from Amazon but they are also available at Walmart and GNC. I take 2-4 at the first hint of heartburn and they work every time.

    Blessings to you!

    • steve62514
      steve62514 barb1206

      Posted

      Do you have a source for this assertion that Omeprazole increases the risk of developing pneumonia barb?

      I occasionally take it (maybe once a month at most as it has been prescribed by both my Thai pulmonologist and the Papworth lung defence team - the team pharmacist even visited me in bed to discuss the meds I was being discharged with. The drug leaflets I got (one of which I copied onto my computer so have just rechecked it) does not mention any such concern.

      This is not a confrontational challenge even if it sounds like it. Just obviously interested to know if I should be dropping it out of my collection! Luckily acid reflux is not a big issue with me - actually my occasional use is more linked to an occasional adverse side effect of sildenafil (viagra like drugs) than anything to do with bronchX :-) 

    • aitarg35939
      aitarg35939 steve62514

      Posted

      I'm with you, Steve. I've heard of kidney problems with omeprazole, pantaprazole, nexium, etc., especially here in the States where millions of us have taken them daily for up to 20 years, since prilosec first came out. (Heaven forfend we Americans should improve our eating habits, lol.) If there's a lung issue, we all need to know.

    • barb1206
      barb1206 steve62514

      Posted

      I'm happy to share my "research"...  :=) If you google on "do PPIs increase the risk of pneumonia", you'll find several articles. When I mentioned my findings to my primary care physician she confirmed the risk and encouraged me to cut back on the PPIs if possible.  I was thrilled to stumble on the papaya enzymes which take care of any acid reflux without the use of any drugs.

  • aitarg35939
    aitarg35939 Julesb47

    Posted

    Long before BX i adjusted my diet and eating patterns, & sleeping position, & was fortunate that that resolved most of my issues. Those changes don't help everyone. I could not tolerate nexium, pantoprazole, etc., on a regular basis because they gave me horrific migraines.

    Now if I have a twinge I eat some fresh parsley or basil, or make myself a cup of basil tea. Or I take a pepcid, which my pulmo would like me to take every day -- not gonna happen!

  • Julesb47
    Julesb47

    Posted

    thank you everyone for your input.

    Before i was told i had bronchiectasis my doctor prescribed me with omeprazole for my cough saying that it was tiny partials coming up from my stomach and hitting my esophagus ,,,so the omeprazole would cure it.

    It did seem to , but didn't stop me getting any infections which resulted in the bronchiectasis.

    i read somewhere that it did cause excess bruising which I did suffer from, so thought i'm gonna stop taking this , so started to wean myself off it.

    After about 6 weeks i had stopped and started to get acid burning in my throat which was terrible.

    I've been using gaviscon chewable tablets since , but they just dont have much affect , plus i've been taking a probiotic for about 2months as well to try and bring my gut acid under control.

    So I didn't know if acid reflux was something related to my bronchiectasis or just one of those things, and whether I should go back to using the omeprazole again?

    I'm 50 and had been taking them for at least 2 years 20mg per day .

    sad

     

  • steve62514
    steve62514 Julesb47

    Posted

    BonchX is definitely linked with acid reflux for some people Jules. They say that some people develop bronchX because of acid reflux - the acid leaks down the tubes in to lung bronchioles a triggers the deformities that we all know and don't love! Can't recall having seen it stated the other way around - that bronchX creates acid reflux, but I might have missed something - after all I was asked by the pharmacist whether I suffered acid reflux and I told her yes a bit and why (as indicated above) so maybe there is a two way linkage.

  • Julesb47
    Julesb47

    Posted

    Thx for your input Steve, maybe i had something going on with acid before the bronchx then??

    but other than a cough i didn't have any other symptoms sad

    ive been to the docs today and got some more Omeprazole becasue i cant stand living like this any more sad

    XX

    • aitarg35939
      aitarg35939 Julesb47

      Posted

      Steve's correct according to my pulmo: GERD issues can cause BX or at the least aggravate it. My doc says that many of his patients get their "BX" cleared by a small surgery on a hiatal hernia. Can't recall the name of the condition. I just haven't been able to face a gastroenterologist again yet. I tend to overlook what lung doc said, preferring to pretend that my anatomy has remained exactly as it was 20 years ago when there was a small HH; one open-eyed look in the mirror reveals that none of my outer anatomy is the same so why would the inner remain the same?

      If it's been a while since your last endoscopy, think about asking for another.

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