Be alert for kidney cancer @Beth Gallagher. I have read that it is one of the long-term side effects of PPIs, and the last thing you need is another bout with the big C.
I’m fairly lucky in that department as far as suffering from reflux , I see this so called” natural product “ advertised in allot of weekly magazine / puzzle books https://australianorganicproducts.com.au/products/new-nordic-frutin-gastro-gel-60t no idea of reviews ect @Beth Gallagher
Past four weeks I have began some symptoms of heartburn, so I am carefully trying to evaluate meds etc or other changes I have made in my food and fluid intakes I might not realize are contributing. I do think my decaf coffee intake has increased so this is my first thought as a culprit, but still feeling it all out..
I read a little of that article about the product creating a foam on top of your stomach juices so the foam gets pushed up ahead of the acid and coats your esophagus. I use a product called Gaviscon (available as a generic) that does the same thing...chew a couple of tablets, drink half a glass of water, and it forms that foam layer. It's sold as a liquid as well. You really need to check the interactions with antacid products if you're taking supplements or other meds. They can do some funny things. Drugs.com Interaction Checker WebMD Interaction Checker
I have always had a cast iron stomach where many of my friends have issues. One of my friends accused me of eating vegetables.. But I think a lot of us on this forum eat well. I would like to know if any of you have tried fasting to fix other problems--mostly pain but it could be a good way to give body systems a rest. Did it help your pain issues? I was thinking of starting just now but of course I have been invited to an upcoming dinner, with high carbs I am sure. So I will screw up anything I start.
I'm doing the Dr. Jason Fung Diabetes Code "diet", but not for pain or getting off drugs. It does involve some fasting and is doing something interesting for me, but that's a different story. The fasting does seem to be resetting my body.
Do you mean fasting for extended times? Liquids only? My husband and I have eaten one meal a day for over 30 years (before it was "OMAD") . So in today's world that constitutes a fast with all the "eating window" nonsense. (Intermittent fasting or whatever.) I am still trying to cut carbs to reduce my A1C, but I can't do KETO.
Just in case some here haven't seen this. This was about Zantac, but other heartburn drugs have similar problems. Some suits have been set aside, but others are ongoing. I think the problem is NDMA, which is known to cause cancer and is generated during the manufacture of some of these drugs. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/05/business/sanofi-to-settle-zantac-cancer-lawsuits/index.html
My heartburn kicked up bad a couple of weeks ago. I had a couple of lunches in a row where the first pain was so painful I had to wait a couple of minutes for it to subside before I could proceed to eat. All other meals were OK. I got it under control by taking vinegar shots several times a day and thought I was back to 100%, now the past several days I'm waking up at 2AM with real bad reflux pain. I picked up some omeprazole but am hesitant to start taking meds. dammit
The PPIs and vinegar work against each other. Have you tried digestive enzyme supplements? I have misgivings concerning taking ones with probiotics, as I think probiotics are compromised by the enzymes in the supplement. This is one but there are certainly others. My wife finds the papaya supplements the most helpful. I would suggest making sure that betaine HCl is included as it serves the same purpose as vinegar.
Yeh, that's one reason the bottle of PPIs sits unopened. I should not have publicly stated that I am doing shots of acid and am considering taking a PPI...but I did. I've not heard of those. I know that Walmart carries Aloe Vera juice, which may help with GERD but read nothing about it containing enzymes. I know that papaya (and kiwi) are used as meat tenderizers due to their enzymatic actions (doesn't Adolph's use one of them as its base?) I hope that the probiotics aren't contributing to this, but all I've read is that they may cause bloat if too many bacteria out-gas. I don't know why this came on out of the blue as it has as strong as it has. I've always been a late eater, but maybe I should change my schedule. I quit drinking green tea. I had started having it after dinner for its blood sugar management properties, but now I read that it contains stimulants (more than black tea does) that may relax the lower esophageal sphincter. I substituted green tea for the chicory I quit drinking because of the oxylates that chicory contains. Maybe the chicory was beneficial to my gut.
John, I hate that you are suffering and I will encourage you to try the Omeprazole. The "regular" dosing is for a limited time (6 wks?) and won't harm you. I have never had anything work as well and I have tried MANY remedies. It takes a couple of days for the full effect but it is nothing short of miraculous in my experience. JMHO, of course.
I tell you what...the other night I had spaghetti, again at my late dining hour (11PM.) At 2AM I woke up in PAIN!!! I had some stomach issues about 6 years ago that went away when I did the colonoscopy cleansing, but I've never had heartburn like this. Right now, it's mainly in the middle of the night...the lunchtime pain only lasted 2-3 days. Thanks for the advice. The bottle I got us a 14 day supply. I'm oversensitive to this because I had lost my insurance when I had the prior issue and took Zantac for a period of month...then they came out with the cancer warning. I never take this kind of stuff. My timing sucks.
Maybe you should try eating dinner a bit earlier. Have you tried elevating the head of your bed? I know very well how terrible acid reflux is so I feel for you. I have been taking OTC omeprazole for probably 20 years now. My doctor back then told me that the acid damage to my esophagus was a much larger concern than the "possible" side effects of a PPI. With any medicine, you have to weigh the positives/negatives for yourself. I was afraid of developing Barrett's esophagus from GERD which is associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer. Since I started this thread about weaning myself off omeprazole in hopes of helping the muscle cramps I have, I still have no idea what causes those cramps. I have tried adjusting every medication that I take which made no difference. I have to assume that the cramps are simply a residual "parting gift" of cancer treatment. Thankfully, I haven't experienced any torso cramps for a while now.