Hi Bridget, I have tried aciphex and it helped me. Zantac does nothing for me. At the time I was taking aciphex my insurance wouldn't cover prilosec or nexium but they did approve the aciphex. Both Nexium and prilosec are very expensive unless you live close enough to take a trip down to Mexico! They have started selling Prilosec over the counter just this month. Around $10.00 for 14 pills. Has anyone tried it yet? I also have chest pain occassionally and its so hard to know if its GERD or a problem with the heart, so be very careful. Sounds like you have had your heart checked and thats good. I see a cardioligist because of a heart arrythmia problem so he has checked my heart out pretty good. Take care, Pat
Hi Patoola and All........Prevacid works, but runs about $3.00 a pill. I know 'cause I'm almost out. Went to doctor yesterday for arthritis, chest, fibro, whatever pain...he gave me Protonix. It seems to move gas out faster then Prevacid. Prevacid works, but it makes me tired and since I'm battling more then GERD, I'm not sure what's hurting. I have always eaten small amounts at a time, but this GERD stuff just came about the last couple of years. Do any of you have a hiatel hernia?? Must have developed it while working and I think it's the problem. With GERD, you eventually figure out what not to eat or drink. Sometimes depends upon person. I sleep more upright now with just pillows. Interesting that the doctor never mentions wearing a heart monitor.
He even noticed I was more bloated yesterday, but didn't offer any reason for it??? I've cut down on bread and some things because my body has started to naturally reject some foods. Meaning, I don't even crave them. Very strange for a person who has zero disclipline. I don't like that tight feeling and pains in my chest either.
I heard that the Prilosec that is sold over the counter is not as strong as the prescription. So actually it ends up being twice as much for someone who is on 40mg a day like myself. But I didn't know that Prevecid was over the counter. Is it as strong as the prescription. None the less if it brings relief then it's worth the money. And I live very close to Mexico. I'm in Arizona. Do they sell Previcid in Mexico too?
Annie it's interesting that Prevecid makes you tired. My GI specialist said that he thinks one of the reasons that the Prilosec doesn't do much for me is because I was taking it wrong. (just before I go to bed) My internest never told me exactly when to take it, just once a day. And when I told him it made me tired he told me I should wait and take it when I go to bed. But the GI specialist said that is wrong. Both the internest and the GI specialist looked at me strange when I told them it made me tired. Now I feel better knowing it wasn't just me!
I can also relate to the natural rejection of some foods. I no longer crave sugar. And I am a sugar aholic. But now just the thought of it makes me sick. And when I force myself to eat it to be nice at someones home I end up feeling very bloated and sick to my stomach. Very strange for me. And it has been the same with fried foods.
"I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it!" That is my moto! It gets me through just one more day!
Shucks, that figures that the OTC Prilosec is not as strong! :( So 14 tabs would last a week, a months worth would be about $40.00 then. Still cheaper than the prescription which is about $65.00 for 15, depending where you live. Hey, I live in Arizona too, Bridget, the Phoenix area, so Mexico is a nice little trip. I haven't made that trip yet because I'm not out of my meds so I can't tell you much about what they have and don't have yet. Will probably give it a try next month when I run out of stuff. My insurance ends this month too so will have to pay full price for all my meds! Yikes! Mexico here I come! lol
Hope I haven't misled you about the meds. I was thinking of a commercial that's been on lately and it was a Walgreen's ad. Big deal because this med is coming to their stores. Speaking of bloating, I was up until around 4 a.m. trying to get unbloated!!
Yea..my doctor always looks at me wierd, but I could care less. The other place I notice it is with my eyes. I tested Prevacid when I was working (8) hours on my feet in a laundry the first time around. You can tell the difference. I understand about the "taking it at this time" deal. I have other problems like FMS which makes any med a danger zone for me. I just react wierd. This is not a pill to take twice because you forgot to take it. I think, for me, I'm going with the Protonix for awhile. I have free samples and it does move gas better. My m.d. likes Protonix. He probably takes it.
I was all stuffed up anyway. Perhaps the Protonix (40mg) is working out junk I haven't been able to get rid of this week. IBS and it's changing. I have no idea what to eat today. I'll attempt to get back to some routine here when this eases up. I mentioned before..when I'm really sick, I sip orginal coke. Sometimes room temp. 7up and other stuff just won't work for me. You generally find something to help you by accident. Oh..I use cans. Not all of fuzzy water out of a machine. And..Powerade because I'm getting weak.
No doubt, your right. OTC ususally are as strong so they get your $$ one way or the other. I'll have to check Wally World and see what their pharmacist knows. They up on everything.
Hey Patoola....I have too much pain going on in that area. I can only wait until someone decides it might be my heart. That's why I keep reading. Of course, too much knowledge can be dangerous...I'll just scare myself. Not much I can do about it anyway. Just trying to get this gastro thing calmed down.
I'm sure they sell anything in Mexico. It'll be genertic here quickly. I have to laugh at a friend of the family. He's running a restaurant right now and we have family Christmas/parties, whatever and we like him to cook/cater. All my daughers have busy lives and they've spent years doing the cooking.
I love his lifestyle. Irish, loves to eat, cook and a little wine. Last Christmas he was needing Zantac or something while I was watching him cook and drink wine. He takes the meds with wine. Cracks me up. No..it wouldn't work for me. I assure you he's looking fine, great fun and he's not having nearly the problems I do. GERD is just a nusiance for him.
Trust me, I'd trade places anytime.........
OMG, washin pills down with wine! That's funny but I can just imagine what it would do to me! They'd have to pick me up off the floor for sure. But then it doesn't take much wine or any alcoholic drinks to put me down on the floor. Never did have much tolerance for it.
Sure hope you get to feeling better Annie! Don't mean to scare you but do be careful about the chest pain. Better to take a trip to ER and be told it's just GERD than not do anything and have a heart attack. God Bless all, Pat
Hey Patoola...........know what your sayin'. I'm a two-drink and done person. I remember I didn't have anything in my purse for him to take, but one daughter did...just Zantac, I think. Nothing big. I was trying so hard not to be a "Mom". That didn't work because my eyes got big and I said (gently)...."I don't think your suppose to do that!!" And, to my daugher.."does he always do this". She laughed and said, "hey, Mom, I can't stop him".
He was very gracious and smiled and kept cooking.
We all went on and had a great day, good food and they did all the work. I just keep thinking...."why can't I do that". We got a bad deal here, Patoola. Probably did more things right then wrong and still ended up with problems. Doesn't seem fair, but I don't dwell on the fair part. Thank you for thinking of me. I know the chest pain is very confusing. Everything you read says that's the signs and it's turn out not to be. It's not like I'm exerting myself a great deal here.
Hugs,
I take Prevacid every day in the morning and I love it. I don't know how much it costs. I don't have insurance, so I've been on free samples from my doc for 3 months.
As for Mexico, it's illegal to bring prescription drugs back into the country that you bought there. It's called drug smuggling. Be careful with that!
And the soda/coke thing-I can't drink it out of a can because it's like the carbonation is too concentrated and it makes me burp up all the foam. I can only drink it from a cup with ice. Bottles are a little better. They must get watered down or something. It just started bothering me after I developed Crohn's and GERD.
Stephanie
Personal site: http://www.geocities.com/chrisnsteph1022/stephanie
God won't give me anything I can't handle.
Hi Stephanie and All........have to agree with you. Preavcid would be my choice if I was healing some fissures. It seems to coat everything. I still can't tell if it's the hernia, GERD or FMS/CMPS most of the time. Not the pain. I have gotten lucky with my doctor (he knows I don't have insurance) and he kept me in Prev. I'm on the other because that's what he had. No problem. Wouldn't you know they would reduce the dosage amount. Why not, I haven't checked OTC Claritin either. I'm not big on soda..that's a plus..I'm a coffee drinker....minus. The soda I let set open and drink it the next day or the next day after that. If I'm really sick...I sip it warm. I don't recall soda being a problem for me until lately. I'll still go to something like powerade. I wondered about the drug thing, but I don't live near a border (except to bootleg) so thought people must do it all the time. If it's OTC, would it still be illegal? Some drugs would spook me if they were genertic. Not sure why. I would like to think there is some quality control out there. If you take Prevacid at night....take it earlier so your upright for an hour. I used it to help me go to sleep since it peaks about the time I'm needing to drop off. Anything I do is subject to change according to whatever disorder is spiking at the time. What if you order drugs from another country. I'm not, but it's out there?
Enjoy Fall Yall...........
If it's OTC in the US, then it's ok to bring them back (like Tylenol). As far as ordering them from another country, a lot of people order from Canada because it's so much cheaper. But you have to send them your prescription. You can't just order anything. You have to have a rx for it.
Stephanie
Personal site: http://www.geocities.com/chrisnsteph1022/stephanie
God won't give me anything I can't handle.
Thanks Stephanie...I thought the states ordered from Canada. I don't have insurance so I look at ads or other resources sometimes. So far my doctor tries to help me by giving me samples.
Golly! I never heard that it was illegal to bring meds across the border! Durn! I know a lot of people that do it and can't imagine them being able to cross back in the country with all the strict security checks they are doing now. Will have to research it a little more before I try getting meds there. :( Might know the pharmacy industry here would have a control on that too!
Hey Patoola....I'm sure a lot of people do it. It's a shame to have to be forced to bring things across a border that's illegal, but I have no doubt it happens all day long. What would be new about smuggling from there? Not much. I feel bad for the seniors and average people who have to have heart meds, diabetes supplies..on and on. Gotta do what you gotta do in some cases. Let alone small children needing expensive meds.
Gotta be some blackmarketing going on. I wonder about quality control in some areas. Or someone getting taken for $$ and receive the wrong drugs. I'm sure this has been going on for so long, it's not that difficult to find a reliable source. I'm greener then grass when it comes to this type of stuff.
Unfortunately, that's not limited to one area. A year ago one or two major pharmancies supplying cancer meds to people in a large city near me was found diluting the meds. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the news. Places that had been there for years cheating cancer patients out of the proper dosage. I still can't believe it as I'm typing. Is there no end to people like this. I cannot comprehend this type of mind. Totally beyond my scope.
Yes, I know what ya mean about doing what we have to do! Just ashamed we are forced to do it. I'm also paranoid cause if anyone got caught it would be me with my luck! Ha But if it comes to that I will join right in with the others probably. Some of my meds are ones I have to have or suffer terribly and run up ER bills! :( Oh my, thats so horrible about diluting med for cancer patients! I hope they punished everyone involved severly! Probably just got a slap on the hands and a fine that they will be able to pay by raising costs more!
Be well today and God Bless all! Pat
Hey Patoola.....I'm going back out to enjoy the lovely winds and leaves blowing around today. Sneeze!!! No...they got thrown in jail. If the main guy doing it survives the prison system, he'll be lucky. White collar crimes aren't tolerated well. I'm close to a couple of max security prisions...maybe three. There not in my backyard, but close enough.....I'm used to them. He was this nice looking, older type that lived in a high dollar area. Can you be that $$$ hungry!! Guess so.....