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Anybody been on Ranitidine long-term for HH?

Posted , 9 users are following.

rose43979
rose43979

Hi fellow sufferers. Believe me, you all deserve a medal for what you have to put up with. Sometimes I think a hiatus hernia could drive people to suicide, it can get so depressing.

Anyway my question is as above. I've tried to heal an esophageal ulcer without any medication but I've lost too much weight and I can see I'm not getting anywhere, so I started taking Zantac on Monday, 2x150mg daily. I wasn't actually getting acid reflux anymore. Got over that 2 months ago, but I have ulceration and the problems arise when I bend forwards or crouch down to get something out of a cupboard, especially if I've just drunk a glass of water. Everything is pushed back up my gullet and I get another 'burn' although the acid content of my stomach is much lower now than it was. This, of course, flares the ulcer up again. I sometimes have to take an antacid after meals also.

My concern is the safety of taking ranitidine long term and wondered if anybody here has been doing so. It's possible that in time (after the heart bypass maybe) lol, I'll have a Nissen fundoplication, but it looks like medication in the meantime.

Also another question is: Should the stomach acid be reduced to the point where I can eat more even though I still have the ulcer. I'm not eating anywhere near enough in order to keep food off the ulcer, but I can see me losing even more weight before this heals, especially being on Ranitidine or a PPI which I'd rather avoid.

Any advice would be welcome! smile

2 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • donclaudio
    donclaudio rose43979

    Posted

    Rose,

    I hope this helps...

    I've an HH for the past 30 years...no reflux..no ulcer..no HP and No Meds.

    I too experienced Acid for the first time while bending down to pick up somthing...yuk.(was profanity)...anyway...I've kept my HH in checkmate by

    "what I eat...when I eat...and how much I eat"...and don't do stupid stuff after a meal..only a light walk maybe.

    My dear sister in law..different story...she had No HH...No HP...No Reflux but had a peptic ulcer....ppi...didn't work..H2ra...didn't work one year later...she started a diet similar to mine, weened the ppi, replacing it with bismuth tablets, a Japanese herbal,with DGL...6 weeks...healed...hasn't ever showed it's ugly head again...she fears HP with a passion..so tests annually.

    Hope this helps...I know finding the right protocol  isn't easy but it can be done...jst takes good effort...and you will Heal....hope you heal first before surgery (fundupulatiion) ...just read the post from cheetapie07....she had the surgery in May, and now all of ther problems have returned....sad...Claudio

    • rose43979
      rose43979 donclaudio

      Posted

      Hi donclaudio

      Thanks for replying. Firstly I wouldn't be able to take bismuth tablets as I have salicylate sensitivity, but I am expecting an order of DGL in the mail any day now. I would prefer to only take a PPI or Ranitidine until the ulcer is healed and then go without. How do you prevent acid rushing up your throat? Taking antacids is even worse than a PPI as they neutralize stomach acid completely, hence more weight loss. I am getting quite worried as I look anorexic, don't know where to go for help or what to do. Doctors don't seem much use as far as I can see. Can't even ingest small amounts of olive oil as that seems to irritate the ulcer also. No idea of where to go from here.

    • stella19032
      stella19032 rose43979

      Posted

      Have you considered a short course of ppis to heal your ulcer? They're much more effective at cutting stomach acid than ranitidine. That did nothing for me. Also if you have an ulcer you could maybe ask your doctor about sucralfate/carafate which acts like a plaster to help it heal away from the acid. 

      I think you have to take strong measures at first in order to get things under control and then wean off and try the natural stuff. I'm just waiting for a surgery date as I don't want meds long term but I can't survive without them. 

    • Grammar
      Grammar donclaudio

      Posted

      Can you be more specific on what you eat? I know it can differ with each individual but some things are basic. So, thank you in advance. 
    • rabiya27671
      rabiya27671 donclaudio

      Posted

      i follow good diet plan but my gerd becomes worse if i stop ppi..it causes so puch pain..i have a hiatal hernia..tried all dietary changes like baked food, yogurt ,not drinking water between meals or after meals,no spicy foods..the reflux causes pain like needles..i also sleep with head raised..any suggestions?
  • donclaudio
    donclaudio rose43979

    Posted

    It's diffucult to heal ulcers in an acid envirnment. Your options

    are limited. Water becomes your best aid. Sister in law's

    herbal was RIKKUNSHI TO. unlike supplements here in the US ,

    Japan has strict regulations. Suggest you verify its potential use for your condition. DGL will help along with water. But they will not work well if they are impaired by an unhealthy diet. I nor wife and sister in law had reflux. Suspect it was controlled via diet,

    water and "positions". claudio

    • donclaudio
      donclaudio

      Posted

      as promised Rose....

      Rikkunshito,

      As a start...try: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2915625/

      And if you are sensitive to salicylates you must know what foods to avoid at all costs?  

      Fresh poultry without skin, fish, eggs, celery, WATER, all gluten free foods, amaranth and buckwheat...are your FRIENDS...if you are not sensitive to any "one" of them.....

      Claudio

  • stomachgirl
    stomachgirl rose43979

    Posted

    Well I've been taking pepsid ac long term, and just switched over to the zantac, so you can always switch around between tagament, zantac and pepsid, but my pharmasist said not to switch daily, but to take one for at least a couple of weeks before switching.  I can't take ppis.  I have aweful reactions to them.  I don't have a hh, but gastritis and h.pylori.  But I do know what you mean about bending forward.  At the height of my flareup, it was terrible to do so.  Here's what I'm doing now, and maybe this can helop you heal--I'm taking liquid peptobismol-8 doses(half the medicine cup that comes with it) a day.  That's what my dr. put me on.  Also, before at the height of the flare up, he had me on sucralfate(sp?), which lines the whole passage way.  Do tons of research though, because I've learned that most of these doctors don't know what the heck they are talking about.  There are things you can take to help you heal faster too, like bone broth, gelatin, and L-Glutamine.
    • donclaudio
      donclaudio stomachgirl

      Posted

      I agree with your Pharmacist...ask for the safe duration of your salicyclates...I think 6 weeks at most?..Pharmacists are exceptionally keen with safety...And should you experience constipation ask about psyllum husk powder 1/4 teaspoon only? It's also a good prebiotic. claudio
  • rose43979
    rose43979

    Posted

    Thanks to everybody for your help! I've learnt something from everybody. I've decided to keep taking the Ranitidine for 6 weeks or however long it takes to heal the ulcer, then I'm going off them. I am on a very careful diet...nothing acidic, nothing fried, no tea, chocolate etc. Don't eat chocolate anyway. I've been on a gluten free diet for about 5 years now but I suspect that it was gluten that started my acid reflux problems 15 years ago. Unfortunately I didn't know about the relationship between food intolerances and illness back then. Am sure that had I gone gluten free then, I wouldn't have been on Losec for 8 years and wouldn't now be in this position. We live and learn. I am taking DGL licorice, blackstrap molasses and NZ manuka honey daily. Thanks donclaudio for the link. I'm going there right now! Thanks again to you all. smile
    • donclaudio
      donclaudio rose43979

      Posted

      Hi Rose, seems the Japan Scientific Abstract that I've cut and pasted may have a "hitch"??...therefore in moderation...or its's a weekend ...nonethe less...if scientific papers from Leeds or our National Institutes of Health (Pub Med) continue to be "questioned"...I intend to exit the forum.I don't know if the manuka honey and DGL work synergistically against each other? perhaps take at different times..with maybe an hour or so between...just a guess...Claudio
    • donclaudio
      donclaudio

      Posted

      missed an "or"....synergistically or against each other...sorry..claudio
  • donclaudio
    donclaudio rose43979

    Posted

    oops..re link...its ok but this is the one...intended...

    Effects of Kampo on functional gastrointestinal disorders.

    IMO a pyloric ulcer causes inflammation at the pylorus...thus..can slow gastric emptying....it may take some time after ulcer healing for the muscle to return to its normal state. Any inflammation at the PS...can cause gastroparesis ...which is a further insult...I think this is a good read...from a historical personal view I prefer the Japanese Kampo vs the Chinese but....have no evidence to support my preference.

    the usual ending statements are "hints" for further grant $$.(in this case specific...other Kampo herbals"......i.e. need further studies ....etc...practiced world wide.

    Kampo...may not be readily available...but if it is......why not?

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3906900/

    Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the article extract that was pasted in here as it could breach copyright. I have substituted a link to the article in NIH.

    • donclaudio
      donclaudio

      Posted

      a stretch? ..but comprehend "fair use" in copywright law..should have referenced the "author's" to avoid the fine line...and thanks for posting the link...an informative abstract..IMO...claudio
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