HEARTBURN AND HIATUS HERNIA Medication problem

Posted , 3 users are following.

Hi All, I hope someone out there can help with this.

I was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia and acid reflux about 9 years ago. I have been taking the medication Ranitidine for years and found it controlled this problem. I now find this medication has been withdrawn for the present and can no longer obtain it.

I have tried PPIs and they make me feel terrible so need an alternative.

I am trying the natural Mastika tablets, wondering if anyone has found them useful?

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Anne, it seems to belong to the group of H2-blockers. There seem to be others: cimetidine, famotidine or nizatidine. I actually don't have any experience in taking those. I only tried PPIs which I think cause bloating in my case ...

    • Posted

      Hiya, All H2-blockers have been removed from the market for the moment, hence my problem. Yes Omprazole make me feel awful, bloated and dizzy, tried for 7 days then had to stop them. Looking for an alternative.

      I would try another H2 blocker but none available at present.

      Thanks for your input. What do you take at the moment?

    • Posted

      Alright interesting. Right now I give probiotics a shot. Maybe you heard of onnibiotic. It's really expensive but maybe it helps. It's natural so it won't harm ... Moreover I tried apple cider vinegar. But drinking it burns badly. I don't think I'll do that again.

  • Posted

    Which PPI did you try and how long did you try it for? Gavisc0n double action are quite good.

    I tried those mastika tablets they bloated me really bad and actually made me vomit twice, these herbal tablets are not put through the tests that regular medicines are and can have bad side effects, also you won't know if it may gave interactions with other medications you may need. Have you tried a low gi diet cutting out things like sugar, alcohol and caffeine? Have you also tried a low acid diet?

    Also if you are overweight, losing weight can help symptoms a lot.

    • Posted

      Hiya, tried Omprazole for a week, felt awful, dizzy, had to stop. I get what you are saying about Mastika and interactions of other meds with them. I will look into low acid diet as not overweight. Not many options at the moment. Thanks for your input

  • Posted

    Hi Anne, I was on omeprazole for 4 weeks and it was awful (dizziness, more acid reflux symptoms than previously, night time regurgitation etc). My doctor is currently having me trial 20mg day & night of Famotidine and so far it's working better than omeprazole did - I'm currently on week 3 of taking it and my acid reflux is much more manageable. It's still not 100% the right fit for me so will be going back to try something else, but its definitely worth a shot! Wish I could have tried ranitidine, heard it was incredible.

    • Posted

      Hi there, Thanks for your reply. yes omeprazole has awful effects on me and did nothing for the reflux. It is good to know there is something else out there I can try, was despairing of having to put up with the symptoms of the reflux or putting up with the side effects.

      Ranitidine is an excellent drug but due to it's withdrawal I am faced with this problem after 9 years of having no symptoms. Did your doctor never offer you it?

    • Posted

      Definitely worth a shot, I would say try a couple of the different H2 blockers until you find one that works best for you. For some reason H2 blockers work better for me than PPIs - go figure!

      I've only been dealing with GERD for the past 6 months so missed out on trying Ranitidine as it was recalled in our country in Jan. I hope they create a similar kind soon because I would love to try it. Good luck!

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