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Trying to lower my dose

Posted , 10 users are following.

gary35
gary35

Hi. I have been taking lansoprazole for over 5 years as I had chronic heartburn. I am not over weight or smoke etc but do suffer anxiety and take sertraline for it.  I currently take 30mg twice a day but am trying to reduce my dose. I have currently cut a quarter off one of my tablets every other day. After a week of this I do get slight heartburn through out the day.  Should I stay on this dose for a few weeks or just cut more off and just try and cope with the consequences?  Any advice would be greatly received.  My doctor just wants to see what the lowest dose that I can live with.

0 likes, 48 replies

48 Replies

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  • Amber2016
    Amber2016 gary35

    Posted

    HELLO,

    I have been trying to get off Lansoprazole for some time.  I have never been on more than 30mg once a day but I think from my experience you just have to take it really slowly.  Initially I decided to drop to 15mg once a day and as I seemed ok I then took the decision to go cold turkey.  Bad idea. I was so ill for 24hours (stomach pain and sickness) stopped as soon as I took my usual dose of Lansoprazole and I was back to normal.  Since then I have been opening up the capsules and tipping out 1/2 contents so in effect I am having 7.5gr a day.  This dose seems to keep the problem away until early evening, when I such just one Rennie's and sometimes I wake up in the night and suck another Rennies.  I have been doing this now for 3 months and am quite nervous about stopping after my last experience.  I am going to continue very slow reduction of the dose in the hope that I will then be able to start dosing every other day, finally giving up altogether.  I would love to hear how you get on and from other people who have hopefully been successful.  I have read that to change to another product helps but have not tried this so far.

     

    • Pearls_girl
      Pearls_girl Amber2016

      Posted

      I too am trying to come off them i think the excess acid will always be a problem so you will have to take something. I am trying gaviscone and im ok for 2 or 3 days then i get too uncomfortable so i take a lansoprazole, and then stop again . Im still just playing by ear but if i can manage on just a few tablets a week its better than before.
    • Rhona_Bennett
      Rhona_Bennett Amber2016

      Posted

      Hi

      Ask your doctor for 10mg of Omeprazole My doctor said its not as strong as Lansoprazole

      Rhona

  • Barretts
    Barretts gary35

    Posted

    Why are you trying to lower your dose? I do hope you aven't been concerned by the scare stories propagated by the sensationalist media who don't know the difference between correlation and causation. (eg. those with heart or kidney problems are more likely to take PPIs to control what they perceive to be indigestion symptoms. The PPIs probably didn't cause those comorbidities.

    The recommendation is to take the lowest effective dose. Reducing below that is not advisable. 60mg a day is a high dose but if you need it and just 30mg is not working, stay with it. 

    • Guest
      Guest Barretts

      Posted

      I've read a number of your posts but you were never mentioning any kidney problems? Did you expirience any kidney problems while on PPIs for 15 years, anything that you can attach to PPIs rather than bone fracture, calcium deficiency etc.

  • Gillian1956
    Gillian1956 gary35

    Posted

    Yes I would try to lower the dose I'm taking 30 mg a day and are also trying to reduce it to 15 mg I think this a safer dose to take as I'm had problems with.vitamin D3 since I've been taking this medication for the last 5 years it also can corse thining bones my nails are breaking are my hair as gone thin and falls out every time I wash or comb it but please go very slowly with reducing it because a lot of people sag they get rebound with acid coming up my daughter had this problem and was unable to eat hardly anything for weeks

  • gary35
    gary35

    Posted

    The doctor just wants to see what is the lowest dose that will work for me.  I must admit that I have become scared of the medicine as media makes out I should come off it or I'll get everything from dementure to pneumonia 

    • Barretts
      Barretts gary35

      Posted

      Visit the www BarrettsWessex org uk website. From the drop down menu under the Treatments tab, select PPI dangers. It will put the scare stories into perspective.
    • gary35
      gary35 Barretts

      Posted

      Thank you. It is reassuring to read that. I will get to to the lowest dosage that works and then stick to that.  I was very ill before I had these tablets and they have given me a normal life again.
    • Guest
      Guest gary35

      Posted

      What does your doctor say about the media? Did you ask him anything about the new horror stories popping out?
  • Rhona_Bennett
    Rhona_Bennett gary35

    Posted

    Hi

    Ask your doctor if you can try 10mg Omeprazole My doctor said its not as strong as Lansoprazole

    Rhona

    • Guest
      Guest Rhona_Bennett

      Posted

      Lansoprazole is the "same" thing as omeprazole. The problem is the dosage. Lansoprazole 15mg is equivalent to 10mg omeprazole, lansoprazole 30mg is equivalent to omeprazole 20mg. 

    • Rhona_Bennett
      Rhona_Bennett Guest

      Posted

      Hi Eric

      I can only go by what Doctor said as i have been on 20mg Omeprazole for years ...i was just diagnosed with a Hiatus Hernia Doctor told me to stop Omeprazole and gave me 30mg Lansoprazole (one a day) and i asked why and he said they were better..i googled whats the difference between them and it read Lansoprazole was the quicker acting one So i just thought rather than the patients cutting open pills 10mg of Omeprazole would be better for them..im very surprised a Doctor would give me 30mg of Lansoprazole when its the exact same as what i was on..i go back 17th so i will ask him about this and get back to the forum smile

      Rhona

    • Guest
      Guest Rhona_Bennett

      Posted

      They are all PPIs. As I said it's the dosage which matters here. Nexium (AstraZeneca) tried to convice people that there esomeprazole was better than the others. Studies have shown that they do not have any better impact compared to other PPIs (omeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole, dexlansoprazole, rabeprazole etc.). 

      The reason why people go to other PPIs is mainly because of side effects. If you are having a major side with omeprazole (just as an example) then you would switch to lansoprazole (or some other prazole) and perhaps wouldn't get the side effect. This is why doctors switch PPIs. 

    • Rhona_Bennett
      Rhona_Bennett Guest

      Posted

      Hi Esic

      Your obviously more experienced than me but i was not nor ever had any problems with Omeprazole so never mentioned this to my Doctor i went with pains in my chest but i will ask him why he said what he said and why he changed them as it makes no sense to me The only difference is i took 20mg Omeprazole at night., i take the 30mg of Lansoprazole in morning All really weird to me sad

      Rhona

    • Guest
      Guest Rhona_Bennett

      Posted

      Nothing to worry about. I'm not a doctor but an engineer. Trust him he knows the best but ask him whatever you want. I'm on PPIs for the rest of my life. Taking pantoprazole 20mg=10mg omeprazole=15mg lansoprazole. I can't go without since I burp everyday and the acid comes out.

    • Rhona_Bennett
      Rhona_Bennett Guest

      Posted

      : -) i was on Omeprazole because i was on Diclofenac for years was told one went with other i came off Diclofenac 2 years ago Doctor advise i stay on Omeprazole Dont know why i never had then or now acid..but i will be asking a few questions 17th smile

    • Guest
      Guest Rhona_Bennett

      Posted

      Then please do report here after your consultation with him/her. 

       

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