Posted , 9 users are following.
Hi again
Just wondering can anyone who has been on ppi more than say 15 to 20years tell me how they are now and if they have suffered side affects, we hear all the time about how bad they are for us, just wondering if there are many good stories
0 likes, 18 replies
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lucinia kate65092
Posted
Hi Kate
?I've been on omeprazole for 20 years now. I also had the Nissen Fundoplication and Hiatal hernia repair. The operation cured my daytime reflux but didn't stop me refluxing at night when I was fast asleep (I had my acid levels measured and it showed breakthrough in the middle of the night). Without omeprazole I feel like I have swallowed a lump of glass that is stuck in my chest plus back pain, neck pain, sore throat - the list goes on. Omeprazole gets rid of 90% of my symptoms massively raising my quality of life. Fortunately I have few side-effects, the main one being very itchy skin (like prickly heat rash) which is managed by a daily 10mg dose of cetirizine hydrochloride. I do get the occasional painless spasm in my stomach which started many years ago and hasn't got any worse. As long as I don't eat after 7pm, I've got a very reasonable quality of life. I know that PPIs are getting bad press at the moment but I couldn't face life without omeprazole. I hope this helps.
matt_49829 lucinia
Posted
Have you heard if brittle bones with ppi’s?
I just got diagnosed with possible Barrett’s esophagus.
They have definitely help me out since I’ve been taking them definitely help me out taking them . I do get a bit itchy and having more gas than usual .
But I think the benefits outweigh having acid going back in to my Throat .
Any other words of wisdom to help us beginners out would be greatly appreciated
kate65092 lucinia
Posted
Hi lucinina
Really appreciate your reply.
It's nice to know there can be live after ppi, was the fundoplication horrendous for you to have to go through, my GP says it's worse than open heart surgery, I too was diagnosed with night time reflux after manometry test, can I ask what dose of omeprazole are you taking each day? Tks again for your help
pami56 matt_49829
Posted
I've actually forgotten how many years I've been on Omeprazole but it's at least 8. Four years ago I stupidly slipped on a piece of cardboard and unbelievably broke my ankle in 3 places. I couldn't have broke it any more. It's quite rare to break it like this. I've got 2 plates and 12 screws in it now and walking bare feet I have a limp and still hurts like crazy if I've walked too much. My husbands a doctor and thinks the omeprazole may have contributed to my bones breaking so easily. But what to do? I can't manage without my Omeprazole
matt_49829 pami56
Posted
My gi is hinting that I’ll be on these for a while .
I have short segment Barrett’s and he says the PPIs are much better than no PPIs . I’ve read a few folks ha e been on for 20 plus years and have minor side affect like; itchy skin, stomach pains etc.
I would like to start taking supplements but it seem like everything I read says that they could block the effect of the PPI .
My gi offers no help.
I’m wondering if I should get 2nd opinion from a GERD specialist. At lease than can answer basic questions
matt_49829 kate65092
Posted
It looks like I’m going to be on them
(Omerprazole) for a while .my doctor keeps telling me that they’re the best thing since sliced bread. But I guess they’re trying to keep you on them
Forever. He keeps saying that it safe. But all the research that I do says that it’s bad for you. I never hear any good things like you were asking .
I’ve been on PPI sfor about two months now ,I am definitely taking a multivitamin and will start taking calcium supplements
Jonathan57679 kate65092
Posted
Sorry, but I can't condone taking ppi drugs for more than a few days. Even the manufacturers directions are for only up to 14 days. Why would you want to take them anyway? It sounds like you want someone to support this. These are some reasons to not take them.
1. Severe strange needle like feeling in the stomach.
2. Undigested food leading to nutritional deficiencies leading to heart damage, bone loss/breakage, dementia, muscle damage and loss, vision loss, hair loss, intestinal infections due to bad bacteria making it through the stomach/ salmonella etc.
3. Acid revenge if you try to stop taking them.
4. Do you need to hear more?
Why not try my carbonated water treatment here:
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/how-i-cured-my-acid-reflux-naturally--402930?page=5&utm_source=forum&utm_campaign=comment-notification&utm_medium=email#3064773
julie37508 kate65092
Posted
Hi, I have been on them for at least as long, and I wish I had never taken the first one, to be honest. I wish I had tried evaluating my diet, all the things I didn't do. I would try to stop, then get miserable and go back on them, and for a while I had been on the lowest dose I could, 10 mg a day, but recently I had a urinalysis done, and it showed a trace amount of protein in it. This means my kidneys aren't filtering like they should be, and that was the last straw. I also have a lot of joint pain, and am prone to rashes. I am trying to eat smaller meals, eat slowly, am drinking alkaline water, taking rantinidine, and have Gaviscon here, although surprisingly I haven't needed it yet. I would advise anyone not to start them, and if you are on them, try to find a way to stop.
kate65092 julie37508
Posted
Thank you for your reply
The trouble is if we do somehow get off them how do we protect our oesophagus
julie37508 kate65092
Posted
Just do what I am doing, try to make meals small, light, low carb, and take zantac, or pepsid, which doesn't have the same effects on the system, Gaviscon is great for keeping acids down. I know it is a miserable thing, but honestly, if any of us had never taken the first pill, we wouldn't be in this shape now.
kate65092 julie37508
Posted
rose43979 kate65092
Posted
I took a PPI for 8 years. I only wish I'd known there were safer options. My stomach doesn't produce enough acid now (this is a side effect of long term PPI intake) and I've had to go onto a vegan diet in order to protect my kidneys as much as possible from undigested protein passing through them. I have also developed heaps of food intolerances as a result of low stomach acid. I don't know how long it will be before my kidneys get really bad. It's not easy living with the knowledge and I wish I'd had a wider understanding of these things before starting Omaprezole. There are safer options for dealing with acid reflux.
Cheers
kate65092 rose43979
Posted
Sorry you are feeling stressed, when you say that you wish you had used other options to ppi what were you advised to take instead, none of us sufferers like these ppi drugs especially long term, hooe things improve for you
rose43979 kate65092
Posted
Hi Kate,
I now have too little stomach acid due to being on a PPI for all those years, but I am getting heartburn again and my doctor has told me that when there is too little stomach acid, what is there spits up onto the esophagus when the stomach is empty. I have found the perfect solution by eating every 2 hours. The stomach starts emptying after 2 hours and that's when you generally start getting AR or heartburn, but if you eat every 2 hours, the food prevents the acid getting up onto your esophagus. I wish I'd known this years ago.
kate65092 rose43979
Posted
Hi Rose
Sounds like you have found what works for you, thanks for sharing that with me, maybe gaviscon could help you between meals if needed, I'm on '
20mg omeprazole twice a day almost two years now and to be honest they don't seem to be working I'd love to find a way to come off them but I'm afraid my chest pain will get even worse than it already is, feels like I'm having a heart attack every day