I started taking Lansoprazole at the age of 27 and have ...

Hi - I've posted on here before and decided it's time to put in an update after seeing the new posts come in. I came off Lansoprazole several months ago, and have been trying various remedies and cures ever since. I've tried the following:

- Flat Coca Cola. This does seem to provide a little relief but I really don't like Coke very much, and keep forgetting to leave it to go flat so I don't use this as much as I might.

- Good diet/losing weight. Definitely some improvement but not completely got rid of the symptoms.

- Mastic gum. This was recommended by my chiropractor, and as a natural product I don't mind taking it. It's quite expensive though (£21 for a month's supply from H&B) but it does seem to help enough for me to keep taking it. Again not a cure but a way of helping reduce the intensity of the symptoms.

- Honegar. Apple-cidar vinegar also available from H&B. I've only used this recently, a colleague of mine swears by it, and again it does seem to help. Need to try it a bit more regularly and for longer, so will report back on this again in the future.

- Cutting out spicy food. Definitely helps, the symptoms are really aggravated when I indulge in a yummy curry so I don't do that very often any more.

At the moment I find generally I really feel the pain about 10-20 minutes after getting up in the morning. Once I've had breakfast, and sometimes a dose of Gaviscon then it usually subsides pretty quickly. With lots of drinking water, small amounts of food regularly and eating healthily I'm in a reasonably good place - better than when I was on the Lansoprazole or Omeprazole. The acid does irritate my throat still, so I get frequent sore throats but I can live with that. Stress definitely makes it worse though, so with a full time job & 2 young children that's one I can't escape from.

Good luck all. If anyone comes across the miracle cure please be sure to post!!

Hi all

update from me , i had the endoscopy in august , and they took a biopsy at the same to test for hyro poli (sp?) which came back negative...but i expeceted it o , after all they prescribe lansoprozole for it , so being as i am already on it...?!

Anyway , found minimal barrets 2cm star shaped and minimal gastirits , and the consultant said carry on with lansoprozole and happy to see again if required......

this is the bit where i think others suffer as well , because it feels ike your cast aside forever condemned to pills , with no alternatives offered , i suppose to be fait , there may not BE any alterantives but now you face the never ending question of how to come off them , or if to etc , i was feeling rough with flu over christmas and felt bloared and just `not right` , i went to the doc and he said try pantoporolze (sp) instead , to be honest , i started to feel a bit better straight away , and i darent swop tablets , when essentially they do the same thing...

anyway , try top keep fit , try not to eat too much white bread , that sort of thing , and will see how i go...

take care al

hi everyone

I have just found this forum and thought I would share with you my VERY recent investigation results concerning Lansoprazole (Zoton). I had been on these tablets for just over 9 years due to acid reflux and a hiatus hernia. All symptoms sounding the same as everyone else who has posted and thought I had found a "wonder drug".....oh boy how wrong can you be.

I was having really bad heart palpitations, bad foot and leg cramps, night sweats and just generally feeling so unwell. My doctor sent me to the hospital for tests and I was told that my heart was fine and they couldn't understand why I was having the palpitations, nor could my doctor understand my other symptoms, then I started getting really bad acid reflux, which really confused me as I thought that was why I was on the tablets. I decided this called for action as I couldn't go on like this and so I started to investigate lansoprazole.

The information I gathered is very extensive so I will just outline it. Basically all my sympton were due to the tablets, apparently they stop the absorbtion of magnesium, which in turn is needed for calcium absorbtion and lack of magnesium......causes problems with muscles, of which the heart is one!! It also means that if you fall you are more likely to break a bone because of calcium deficiency. The situation is becoming so serious that the Drugs watchdogs in both UK and USA are advising doctors to stop prescribing the drug unless it is absoluteley necessary. So I had a trip to my doctor who informed me that yes, this is the case and he had been advised 6 months ago and they were trying to cut the amount that they issued.

I stopped taking them immediately........boy is it bad but I am trying to ride it out and as already mentioned by some, I am watching my diet. I went to see a herbalist who told me of different things to try, for instance, I have found that proper ginger tea ie. grated fresh ginger boiled for 5 minutes with a dash of cinnamon helps as does taking ground licorice root before meals, I also keep Aloe Vera juice which helps when it is bad as it coats the stomach lining. Gaviscon does work but causes bad constipation so I try to avoid it if possibe. On the plus side, I am feeling so much better and the cramps, palpitations, nights sweats etc have all stopped, and I have been assured that eventually so will the acide reflux, though that takes a bit more faith!!

I would strongly recommend anyone taking them to be very careful and try researching PPI's before taking them. They are not a cure for acid reflux whatever causes it, and when taken long term can cause serious problems.

Best of luck to all you fellow suffers

Avis

True. There are issues with vitamin absorption whilst you take PPIs

Oh :[ And mineral...

Hi everyone

Came across this site by chance.

I started taking lansoprozole 10 days ago after having pains in my stomach. Pain came in waves and woke me up during the night. I stopped taking them after 9 days as I started suffering with diarrhoea. 2days now and still have it. It's so painful and found it doesn't matter what I eat or drink or how little, I still have original symptoms and diarrhoea. Dr told me to stop taking lansoprozole and gave me gaviscon instead for a week and in meantime have bloods done for gall bladder and pancreas.. He suspects diarrhoea is side effect of the tablets.

Does anyone else have the same side effect?

Hi, I'm new to this site, have been on Lansoprazole 60mg for years now, it wasn't work too well so asked my doctor if it was possible to change medication, oh dear what a bad mistake that was, he's not my usual doctor she has retired so doesn't really understand my stomach problems, he prescribed me Rabeprazole sodium 20mg twice a day, it didn't stop the nightly reflux but continued for 10 days, oh dear I started to feel unwell very upset stomach, cramping under my ribcage through to my back lower stomach pains and pains in the middle of my chest just felt so unwell, had to stop taking them and I am now back on my Lansoprazole (although, this still does not control my reflux fully). I also suffer with a lot of mucus in my throat and read on this forum that this can occur with our type of problems, my problem is finding the right doctor to listen too me, as I feel like I'm moaning about something most of the time as I have other illnesses one being fybromialgia which causes lots of pain. I know how you feel this condition can be so uncomfortable and once out of control you are unable to eat or drink properly without the reflux.

Avril that information is very good, as I suffer from fybromialgia which causes me lots of pain all over my body, but could some of this condition be down to lansoprozole?? but have tried another tablet as said in my last message and that made me feel terrible, why aren't the doctors informing us of this?

I was experiencing really bad acid reflux for about 15 years. After many tests over the years which included barium meal, heli/ plori, camera down into my oesophagus ect. I was told I had an ulcer, then a few years later it was heli/plori then something else then eventually told me I had Hiatus Hernia, which if anyone is wondering what that means. First of all, Symptoms: Bad acid reflux, food coming back up into my mouth after every meal. Hiatus hernia: is (what they told me) is when the bottom of the oesophagus is damaged. When you eat or drink anything, it all travels down the oesophagus through into the intestines. When it passes from the oesophagus, there is a bit that acts like a valve, so when the food passes through this valve, it automatically closes so nothing can travel back up into the oesophagus (Food and acid). My valve like thing was sitting open and up in my chest. It came to the point that I couldn't handle the pain no more so went back to the doc and then was eventually admitted to hospital for surgery. After the surgery the surgeon told me with a serious look on his face, that I was badly needing that done. Anyway I asked him if I would need to take any more medication and he said no that the problem was fixed. So after a few months of taking it easy with no more acid or food coming back up into my mouth, I felt great. Then slowly I started getting symptom of tightness of the chest, Palpitations, feeling of my heart beating down in my lower stomach, with pressure in my head but no acid or food travelling back up into my mouth. I went back to the doc and he said go back on your antacid tablet again Lansoprazole. I explain I had no acid reflux but he said sometimes this can happen. I started taking Lansoprazole again and to be sure I had no more symptoms. After doing research I came across an article which said you should only take Lansoprazole for no more than 2 years as they can make your bones brittle. I am now experiencing muscle problems on my Achilles area of my legs and I am now also noticing problems with one leg being shorter than the other. Hope this helps and would appreciate any feedback on this matter. PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY'S DON'T MAKE CURES, THEY MAKE PATIENTS.

Hi, I also am on lansaprazole. Two years ago, i had a gastro problem, and was put on lanzoprazole having manged to get out of the habit of taking indegistion tablets. I was so sick at the time i didnt realize what I was taking, now im hooked on them, but recently, i asked my doctor for a lower dose, 15mg instead of 3omg.

Im finding it tough some days, but the good news is i have to watch my diet, and not eat too late in the day. and as a result im losing some weight. the only way i could, with the deterrent of returning pain. the other thing i found really helpful was to take probiotics, in capsule form, there not expensive, and seem to help with digesting food, which i feel could be the problem, as a lazy stomach runs in my family, and if food is taking too long to digest, well more acid is needed for the job. I agree with someone who wrote about their father dying from cancer of the throat, heartburn is very bad for you, and considering my mother died from stomach cancer and constantly complained of heartburn too, i think i wont take any chances either. I believe if you can create a balance little by little, without stressing the body too much, it goes a long way to a healthy life. Im grateful to doctors and pharmacutical companies for relieving the pains and discomforts that many of our grandparents and parents had to put up with.

hi im replying to the 27 year old who is taking Lansoprazole. my mum has the exact same symptoms as you and has had to call an ambulance a couple of times as she was so bad. shes so scared of the pains coming back. have you found different things in your diet help with this problem? shes waiting for the camera to be put down to see what this is. they think it may be a swollen gullet? thanks

Hi

My husband was on lanz for 10 years or more, he also has a cardiomyopathy with ICD fitted. Two years ago I was reading Zoe Harcombe and I did the Harcombe diet, and learnt a lot about candida. My husband also suffered from constant athletes foot, so it seemed likely he had a fungal issue with candida overgrowth. The more I read I realised that , yes, the Lanz sort of helped his reflux, but with no stomach acid, there would be an imbalance in his gut..hence the candida.stomach acid is there for a reason I thought. After much more research, I learnt about GERD. I also came across the GAP diet to heal guts. So, we both cut out wheat and refined carbs, eating mostly green veg ,and fish ( he doesn't eat meat) he came off the Lanz and it was horrendous, terrible pain and acid, as there is a rebound effect of more acid production. Quite by accident , out of desperation, he found that apple cider vinegar helped.with a combination of the acv and gaviscon, he made it through the next few weeks, and it slowly got better. Certain foods were terrible, wheat products, tomatoes, potatoes. The other thing I did, which I think has been crucial, was that I got some kefir, and started making my own. I'd spent a fortune on some probiotics from H and B, but from research, read that kefir contained millions of naturally occurring probiotic. It seemed logical to try and replace the gut bacteria..so, that's what I did, and slowly it worked. 2 years on he is largely symptom free, and the athletes foot and fungal infections are under control. Interestingly , as soon as he has sugar or refined carbs, which is hardly ever, the i yeast infections reoccur.

I must stress that I'd no experience whatsoever with alternative treatments or anything herbal. It was only researching how food is digested and what food does to us via Zoe Harcombe , who I heard on the food programme , that it all made sense. Doctors just prescribe these things with no explanation, and,m if you think about it, suppressing all the stomach acid is bound to mess things up. Healing a gut is hard, but our diet is so bad with processed foods, and there is such a resistance to cutting out sugar. In our experience, low fat is really counterintuitive ..we had years of low fat high carbs, lots of fruit, and we both were about a stone overweight, when I realised that all carbs are metabolised as sugar and promote insulin release, and fructose is processed by the liver..the penny dropped. Years of avoiding fat had made my gall bladder hardly work, so eating healthy fats from unprocessed foods, as we are designed to do initially increases activity in the gall bladder which can be misunderstood as problems. Yet it's the constant low fat which is the problem. We now eat butter, cheese,coconut oil with no problems. It's the processed food that has been so prevalent since the 80's that is affecting everyone. All the problems with acid reflux, obesity, candida etc have occurred since the low fat message was pushed in the 80's. we are eating less fat generally, but massively more sugar and processed foods..and look around at the results. Just eat real food.

Look up reflux, the GAP diet, drink kefir..I got mine from eBay and have masses of it as it keeps growing!

It's only my opinion, but it worked , and he was on 30 mg for years and years. Oh, and think about taking magnesium and vit d.

Hi

I've been reading this post with interest. I've taken both omneprozol and lansoprozol {spelling??} at different times of course LOL

Mine was as a preventative measure because I have arthritis and scolios among other things and was taking so many meds including anti inflammatories that I have to take this to prevent an ulcer or something similar

Love

Hileena

Hello Susan2222, who posted on 22/8/13. Two things that I found when I did extensive research into Lansoprazole: they actually slow down the digestion of food due to supressing the acid which breaks food down, therefore food can take up to twice as long to be digested so it may not all be family history, and there is a school of thought in USA that says that statistics show that there are more people showing signs of cancer through taking these tablets than those that are not. I will only say that, this may be true but you can make statistics say whatever you want. I will say that taking any chemical, man made tablets long term are not a good idea. I tried everything to stop taking them but nothing really helped as your body apparently goes into overdrive when the tablets are stopped and overproduces acid and as commented by many others in the forum the pain was almost unbearable. I have finally found a surgeon who has explained everything to me and is going to carry out an operation which hopefully will see my problem disappear (shame I've got to go private to get a good doctor who seems to know what he's talking about!!!!).

Hi there, I had a viral infection in Dec 2013 which has left me with what my doctor has said is Acid Reflux, he gave me omeprozal but they gave me really bad stomach ache, so he fast tracked me to have a camera down my throat which I had this week on Monday, the hospital specialist said it is very likely that I am suffering from acid so she gave me Lansoprazole 15mg once a day for 28 days, then I have to go back to see hospital in 8 weeks, I am on day 2 of taking them but it made me feel really sick this morning, I take my tablet at 6.30 am is this the reason why, would it make any difference if I took the tablet at 11am an hour before I have my lunch, Can anyone tell me if the symptoms get easier, I don't like the feeling that I have something stuck in my throat all the time and the warm feeling I get in my stomach.