So sick of this

Kimenem

Kimenem

Cathlete
Good Morning America talked about Nexium and Prilosec today....causing problems with bones. I'm more worried about them being one of the 8 drugs doctors won't take because of the suspected link to heart problems.

Regarding acid reflux, has anyone asked their dr how long it can go untreated before it could cause more serious problems? it seems like these 2 drugs are the only thing that prevent/treat reflux. I don't know for sure if I have it but I know hernias can cause it; I'd rather not take the Nexium due to side effects but don't want the risk of cancer either. Sometimes it seems you can't win.
 
Kim - There is also Prevacid. That is what I was on when I had my acid reflux flare up. Did they say anything about that? My doctor never kept me on it for long periods of time though. He would have me ween myself off onto a Zantac or Pepcid in between flare ups. It does seem that every medication has its side affect.

Acid reflux isn't something you want to let go though. My dad was just diagnosed with throat cancer and as a non-smoker/non-drinker, they believe it might be caused from his acid reflux issues.
 
Kimenem said:
Good Morning America talked about Nexium and Prilosec today....causing problems with bones. I'm more worried about them being one of the 8 drugs doctors won't take because of the suspected link to heart problems.

Regarding acid reflux, has anyone asked their dr how long it can go untreated before it could cause more serious problems? it seems like these 2 drugs are the only thing that prevent/treat reflux. I don't know for sure if I have it but I know hernias can cause it; I'd rather not take the Nexium due to side effects but don't want the risk of cancer either. Sometimes it seems you can't win.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, if you listen to the side effects listed during medication commercials, they are often worse than the illness they are supposed to treat! There are many other acid reflux medications. There is Aciphex and Protonix as well. I have been on both...am currently on a generic version of Protonix and it works very well.

As a consumer you have to make the best choice for YOU. Sometimes, that involves picking between the lesser of two evils (unfortunately).

Carrie
 
Yikes. Gee, what a surprise I was never told about this when my doctor told me to take double doses of Prilosec for a couple months for stomach bleeding. Stomach bleeding caused by a different medication, of course. Agghh. I am so sick of medications.
 
LOL, I just remembered another thing from my doc's appointment. I was saying how I had been drinking a couple different herbal teas that supposedly ease inflammation and stomach upset. She looked at me, sort of sighed and rolled her eyes and said, "Try to go easy on the herbs, you never know what they can do..."

Okay doc, well I haven't heard anything about ginger and chamomile causing bone cancer yet...:D
 
Hi, I would also recommend the Prevacid. My grandson is 4 months old and was born with acid reflux and has taken Prevacid daily so I think its pretty safe. Good Luck! Sandy
 
There are lots of other options! My husband takes Prevacid, I take Zegerid. I've actually gotten to the point where I take it about twice a week and that keeps the acid reflux at bay.

But I did have a GP doctor who wanted to scope my stomach because the acid reflux didn't stop with Protonix. I went to a GI doctor who was like, "Let's just try something else." And Zegerid worked perfectly for me.

I did watch my father-in-law die of esophageal (sp?) cancer and it was awful. They think years of acid reflux contributed to this...so please don't ignore it!
 
I thought Prevacid can only be taken for short period of times, like 6 to 8 weeks. I don't know, just because they are prescribing it to an infant doesn't necessarily mean it is safe.

Anything is possible in a country where it is now recommended to put children as young as 8 years old on cholesterol lowering drugs and be "aggressively treated" with it.

I rarely have heart burn or acid reflux but if it really bothers me, I have taken Maalox for it. One of my friend's had severe problems with acid reflux, if I recall it right, her treatment was

  1. cut out chocolate and caffeine
  2. no carbonated drinks
  3. 2 tbsp of organic apple cider vinegar in 8 oz of water 3 times per day
  4. add accidophilus / probiotic and digestive enzymes
  5. sleep with the head elevated
  6. last meal 3 hours before bed time
  7. Drink at least 8 glasses of water
I think it helped, at least she is not complaining about it anymore.
 
Thanks you guys. I am definitely going to ask about other medication options. Hopefully, I don't even HAVE acid reflux...hoping maybe just a little heartburn from the hernia. Then medication won't even be an issue. I want to check into the Prevacid but am wondering why it can only be taken for shoter periods. ALso, if acid reflux is something that needs to be treated daily, how can you take these types of medications only during a flare up and over the counter stuff in between? I thought GERD was a daily thing??????
 
Kim, I've been taking Prevacid for a couple years now. I tried a lot of drugs out there for GERD but either I'd have an allergic reaction to them, or my acid reflux just kept coming back. My Dr. told me I'd be on Prevacid for the rest of my life.

My mom has a friend that's dealing with Esophageal Cancer. According to the Dr.'s it's one of the worse cancers there is. I'd rather take medication for the rest of my life then die of cancer.
 
First of all, I"m a pharmacist by trade---so I dispense lots and lots of these medications.

There are many drugs in this class called proton pump inhibitors. They should be used for 6-8 weeks initially to see if your condition necessitates lifelong thereapy. There is a high relapse rate, so many people need to take them long term.

They are the most effective medications for treating GERD (heartburn). They actually turn off the acid producing cells in the gut---therefore cutting off the acid that causes GERD. They are step THREE in treating GERD---but drs often bypass the first two treatments b/c they aren't as effective.

Step One: Tums, or similiar (calcium carbonate) when needed

Step Two: H2 antagonists (raniditidine or similiar) TWICE a day. The dose is typically twice the over the counter strength

Step Three: PPIs (omeprazole, prevacid, Nexium, protonix, or similiar). The OTC is 1/2 the strength of RX (and often you need to take TWO at once to get relief)

I don't believe you're going to see a link b/w PPIs and cardiovascular events. On the contrary, they are prescribed to cardio patients in hospital and upon discharge routinely---and many times as preventative medication. Besides headache, and diarrhea (both occuring in low percentages) the medicine works well and is extremely safe.

I would (and have) taken PPIs in my own life---and continue to recommend it.

Good luck. :)
 
Thanks Melanie!!! I have been taking the Nexium 1x/day and that has done the trick...or at least kept it where I don't feel it. How much do you think diet and/or weight loss plays a role? I've read and heard from drs that they first like to try lifestyle changes. My father has been taking Nexium for several years and before that it was Tagamet then Prilosec. He also had a stint put in a few years ago and his cardiologist prescribed Nexium.
 
Yes, Kim. You are right. Lifestyle changes should be step ONE, leading PPIs to be step four.

Lifestyle changes can be make a huge difference; however, it's difficult for anyone to adhere to any lifestyle change. They'd rather take a pill, unfortunately.
 
Well I would rather NOT take a pill.....especially if the jury is out on whether or not it can make you have a heart attack. Even though I'm tall (5'11), I really could lose about 40 pounds. However, with the hiatal hernia, I'm wondering if weight loss would even make a difference since there will still be something allowing any acid to come back up. Are ALL heartburn/indigestion type feelins GERD? Wouldn't the dr be able to tell if I have it from the endoscopy?
 
An endoscopy would check for cell changes---Barrett's Syndrome. Barrett's Syndrome needs to be treated more aggressively and followed up closely.

Weight loss should help (wouldn't hurt) with GERD/heartburn. If you're really concerned with PPIs---you can go to ranitidine 150mg twice a day. You can call your nurse who I"m sure wouldn't mind talking to your dr about making the switch and phoning it into your pharmacy. Your insurance should pay for it with a prescription, otherwise the OTC strength is 75mg.

Hope this helps.
 
Would that medication be like Zantac or Pepcid? If so, how long can you take those? They aren't something you would want to take daily are they?
 
Zantac (ranitidine) or Pepsid (famotidine) have the same mechanism of action. They are H2 antagonist---they work by competitively inhibiting the acid from entering into the blood stream. Some of the acid will still sneak by (thereby not as effective as proton pump inhibitors which turn off acid producing cells). They can be used long-term and have no limitations.

If someone has Barrett's Syndrome they NEED a proton pump inhibitor. There are some other incidences where proton pump inhibitors are more appropriate. If you are uncomfortable, or unsure, you should speak to your doctor who has a complete medical history of you individually.

Hope that helps. :)
 
It DOES help! Thanks so much for taking the time to give me all this info. I will definitely talk to the dr that did the endiscopy and may also make an appt with my GP to talk about the med options. I just want to be on the lowest doese/least powerful med as possible obviously. In other words, why take Nexium if I don't even NEED it daily or could get by with Pepcid. Even at it's worst, I never felt bad; just wondering what was up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top