Interesting about the irregular heartbeat connection. I was diagnosed with GERD in early February. I've had irregular heartbeat (PVC's) for at least 10 years. Have had echo's, ekg's, nuclear stress tests & holter moniter, been told my PVC's (ectopic, or premature beats) are harmless. Anyways, they became much worse recently and my doc thinks there is a connection having to do with the GERD irritating the Vagus nerve (sp?) which gives me the more frequent PVC's.
Jason- you mention you gained some weight back? Did you lose alot on the PPI's? I've lost 17 lbs since this all started. I couldn't deal with the PPI's, either. I take Pepcid now, but still have problems, and am still losing weight. I wonder if my poor digestive system will ever be normal again.
Sami
Alex & Sami
Thanks for the info. I've never had anyone tell me that I had an irregular heartbeat. I've had a stress test, an EKG and worn a holter monitor in the past and everything checked out fine. I didn't really connect it to GERD; I was thinking it might be from the dietary supplements or my body adjusting to not having the PPI's. I guess it could be GERD. I was planning to call my MD and see what he thinks.
This GERD thing is really a pain in the neck and other body parts too, ya know? I do feel better generally than I have been though.
Good luck on your tests, Alex.
LFA
Thanks for the info. I've never had anyone tell me that I had an irregular heartbeat. I've had a stress test, an EKG and worn a holter monitor in the past and everything checked out fine. I didn't really connect it to GERD; I was thinking it might be from the dietary supplements or my body adjusting to not having the PPI's. I guess it could be GERD. I was planning to call my MD and see what he thinks.
This GERD thing is really a pain in the neck and other body parts too, ya know? I do feel better generally than I have been though.
Good luck on your tests, Alex.
LFA
Sami,
about a year and a half ago I was 223lbs. I'm was down to 170, but have came back up to 181lbs. I think I lost the weight for a couple differnt reasons. I think the PPI's were hampering my system from digesting the food well enough for my body to use it. Not to be gross, but I would see leaf lettuce and other veggies in my stool. I never had that probelm before I was on the PPI's. They made my stomach feel full for a long time after eating. Also, for the last year i have been eatting a lot less fat and calories and not nearly as much food at one time. I stopped drinking beer and pop and going out for burgers and pizza. I don't have 3 plates of spaggetti for dinner anymore. Lately I have been able to eat more becasue I have been feeling better. Today I have felt almost no chest pain and I went to the Chineese buffet for lunch!!! I have been off the PPI's for two weeks and am taking Acidolfolus before meals and Pepcid AC extra strength in the mornings. I have my bed proped up and use a wedge pillow when my back can handle it. Right before I go to bed I chew up a couple gaviscons to help hold every thing down for the night. I'm avoiding anything with wheat glutten and am watching my carb intake.
Seems like a lot of crap to worry about, but it worth it for days like today!!!
about a year and a half ago I was 223lbs. I'm was down to 170, but have came back up to 181lbs. I think I lost the weight for a couple differnt reasons. I think the PPI's were hampering my system from digesting the food well enough for my body to use it. Not to be gross, but I would see leaf lettuce and other veggies in my stool. I never had that probelm before I was on the PPI's. They made my stomach feel full for a long time after eating. Also, for the last year i have been eatting a lot less fat and calories and not nearly as much food at one time. I stopped drinking beer and pop and going out for burgers and pizza. I don't have 3 plates of spaggetti for dinner anymore. Lately I have been able to eat more becasue I have been feeling better. Today I have felt almost no chest pain and I went to the Chineese buffet for lunch!!! I have been off the PPI's for two weeks and am taking Acidolfolus before meals and Pepcid AC extra strength in the mornings. I have my bed proped up and use a wedge pillow when my back can handle it. Right before I go to bed I chew up a couple gaviscons to help hold every thing down for the night. I'm avoiding anything with wheat glutten and am watching my carb intake.
Seems like a lot of crap to worry about, but it worth it for days like today!!!
Wow, the Chinese Buffet! That's great, Jason! I'm glad you are feeling better. Thank you for the info about weight loss. I am losing at least a pound a week since this all started- before this I tried everything to lose weight. The weight loss has got me really freaked out, as does the undigested food which I also see in the stool. I try to tell myself that it only makes sense when you take medication to reduce acid that your food would digest differently, but it still really bugs me. I don't think my body has a chance to absorb the nutrients from food; my hair is falling out, nails breaking, etc. Do the acid reducers harm your good gut bacteria, is that why you take Acidopholus?
Haven't posted for a while because I have been busy and also feeling so well. I have now been off the PPIs for over a month and I am feeling really good. The last week I have been able to eat pretty much what ever I wanted with out a problem. I feel like I did a year ago when the pain wasn't too bad at all.
That's great, Jason!! It's been over 3 months for me and I can't believe how good I feel either. I still watch what I eat though. Too many carbs and I don't feel as well.
Hi everyone, I just read this entire thread and it occured to me how similar this whole situation sounds to my own. I have just recently went through the entire tests and shananigans of trying to rule out gerd. I've been on PPI's for probably 3 or 4 years now, and just recently after 2 endoscopies, an ultrasound and a bravo ph test are saying I dont have GERD after all the negative tests but something called "Functional reflux" and possible IBS. I've had the chest pains as well and am only 21 so I know they werent heart attack related..but recently had an ekg done and it came back abnormal, I also get PVCs all the time so I am going to get and echo next month.
I am trying everything herbal and have been for a while, aloe, dgl licorice, enzymes, acidophollis, changing my diet..and these things only seem to help a little. I am trying hard to go off the PPI's, I just cut down from nexium 40mg 2x a day, to nexium 40mg 1x and now to prilosec 20mg..and I'm going to try and go off them fully today. I have tried before and got the acid rebound to the point of wanting to vomit. I am still getting acid, but mostly at night after 5 pm.
I've recently had a baad bout of gerd flair up and gastritus thats had me homebound for a month. My food isnt digesting right and I'm seeing it in my stools as you said..yet the dr says nothing is wrong with me.
Jason, how bad was your gerd..and how did you deal with going off of the ppi's? Did you ever get terrible rebound acid? I am hoping it wont last too long when I stop since ive been on them for so long.
Post Edited (bittersweet603) : 5/19/2006 12:11:20 PM (GMT-6)
Hi, newbie here. This thread is really interesting to me, thanks for posting. I am planning to get off Protonix too, but first I plan to reduce the dosage to about 10 mg over a period of 4 weeks. I read an article by the head of the Gastro dept. at an university and he says 60% of GERD sufferers have success staying off the meds. He recommended reducing the amount slowly over a period of several weeks. I checked with my doc and she gave me the go ahead, so now I've reduced my dose from 40 mg once a day to 20 and I'm feeling well. I just get some mild burping (thank God no hiccups) after my small meals. But I will go back to Protonix if my symptoms prevent me from sleeping. I get palpitations and anxiety and I have no interest in reliving the crisis I underwent two months ago when I was first diagnosed. I'd love to hear from people who have continued to feel well after quitting their PPIs, but I imagine they're out there drinking coke, eating pizza, ect.
Hi all,
Interesting that so many people experience a rebound effect when trying to quit PPIs. I got it after only two months on Prevacid. One would almost think that it's built into the drug. No, the drug companies wouldn't do anything so diabolical. Would they? I tried several times to quit and finally did so by starting a low-carb diet, taking acupuncture treatments and taking the usual supplements -- DGL, aloe, papaya, fish oil, etc. All of these are anti-inflammatory, which may be why they help.
Sami-Jo, like you I had hair loss and brittle fingernails while on Prevacid, plus burning stomach, weight loss and constant belching. The hair loss really alarmed me, because it made me wonder which minerals/vitamins I wasn't absorbing because of the PPIs. The literature on PPIs admit to B-12 (a pretty important one!), iron and (I think) calcium. Zinc deficiency can cause hair loss, which is a big worry for me because I have eye problems. And yes, the lack of stomach acid created by PPIs can make you more susceptible to bacterial infections, including pneumonia. With all the talk in the media about a coming flu pandemic, I was very anxious to try to get my body in as good shape as possible.
Jason, So good to hear from you again. I seem to recall that when you started posting you were pretty down. Sounds as though you're doing fine.
Bekster, Don't know about other people, but I'm still really careful about my diet. But I am allowing myself a half-cup of coffee a day (mixed with herbal coffee) and a glass of wine once in a while. By the way, outdoor exercise really helps. Sitting in front of a computer all day doesn't!
Good luck to you all.
Seagal
Hi Seagal,
I plan to maintain the diet vigilance even more after I drop Protonix. I am NEVER again going to taste anything with carbonation or caffeine in it. Even before the attack, big, fatty or meals including a lot of different foods made me sick, so those are out too. I don't know how many others feel the way I do, but following a diet is a small price to pay for the absence of intense abdominal pain and all the other nasty symptoms. When I was laying in bed at night after my third day of no sleep and esophageal spasms (even with belladona), all I could think of was "how can I go back to my normal life." It's just that now "normalcy" for me means a more reasonable diet. I would never exchange a piece of pizza for the ability to carry on with my life. But I'm in my forties. I had forty years of pizza and I don't have a problem saying goodbye to it : ) Younger folks out there (and those who cannot cook) may feel different.
So how long have you been off Prevacid?
I plan to maintain the diet vigilance even more after I drop Protonix. I am NEVER again going to taste anything with carbonation or caffeine in it. Even before the attack, big, fatty or meals including a lot of different foods made me sick, so those are out too. I don't know how many others feel the way I do, but following a diet is a small price to pay for the absence of intense abdominal pain and all the other nasty symptoms. When I was laying in bed at night after my third day of no sleep and esophageal spasms (even with belladona), all I could think of was "how can I go back to my normal life." It's just that now "normalcy" for me means a more reasonable diet. I would never exchange a piece of pizza for the ability to carry on with my life. But I'm in my forties. I had forty years of pizza and I don't have a problem saying goodbye to it : ) Younger folks out there (and those who cannot cook) may feel different.
So how long have you been off Prevacid?
Thanks for the reply, Seagal. I am glad your regime is making you feel better. More than bread or pasta, I miss sweets. I allow myself a bit here and there, but know I cannot have more than that.
I have a friend who has been off the PPIs for a year, and she too, mashes nuts to make a paste, which she uses in various recipes. It is this friend who inspired me to get off the PPIs as soon as I can. She is doing fine, but as you can imagine, she has to place a lot of attention on everything she eats. I am ready to live that way, but I know (from informal conversations) most folks with GERD are not. Diets are hard to keep, and our diet requires a will of steel. I seem to react worst to fatty foods and red meat. Starches are not causing me difficulties right now, as I've lost most of my cravings for them. I try to eat whole grains, but small amounts of potato, rice, or bread do not give me problems, never have.
How bad was your rebound effect?
So bad I thought I was going to die! Terrible pressure -- from gas, I suppose -- in my upper abdomen and chest, difficulty breathing, feeling as though somebody had tied a noose around my neck. The odd thing is that I had never had those symptoms before taking PPIs. Where the heck did they come from? It's no surprise to me that so many people go back to the purple pills.
Plus a lot of doctors seem to present PPIs as the only way to go. How did our parents' generation deal with heartburn, I wonder. Good old ginger and baking soda, I guess. And when I was a kid, I never heard of anybody having the weird symptoms we've experienced.
I don't know whether my doctor is typical, but he never once mentioned diet as an alternative or supplement to drugs. Like many others, I've had to find out what and what not to eat by searching the internet.
I miss sweets, too, although a low-carb diet has really reduced my craving and keeps me feeling pretty well satisfied most of the day -- not ravenous the way I used to be. NikiB5 has mentioned this, too. Do you use stevia? It's a godsend for me. My health food store sells a wonderful maple-flavoured syrup, sweetened with stevia. Makes those almond "cakes" taste like real dessert.
By the way, I think your method of gradually reducing PPIs is the way to go. For a while, I also took OTC Zantac while cutting down. And I keep Gaviscon handy. Maybe it's a psychological thing. Drink lots of water. Good luck. Your rebound may not be as bad as most. Keep us posted on your progress.
Seagal
Seagal,
I have gone through a similar experience with my doctor. And I had the pressure build up to that point during my crisis, so I don't look forward to the rebound but I will do my best to hang in there. I know it may last longer than "a week," which is what my doctor told me.
What is Stevia? Sounds like a sweetener. There is a health food store near my house I can go to.
I laughed when I read you don't go anywhere without Gaviscon, as I have multiple bottles of Mylanta stashed everywhere at work, in my car and around the house! Also Pepsid. But I haven't used them much as I am on Protonix. I just like to know they're there.
I wrote a whole profile about my GERD in another thread, the one on alternative treatments. In it, I mention this article on getting off the PPIs that I found on the internet, written by the head of a Gastro Dept. It is an interesting read for anyone trying to get off the medication.
Thought I would post my story as it may be helpful to others. I've been on PPI (Aciphex 20mg 1x) for about 3 years now. I've gone through long periods where the medication is all I need, allowing me to eat whatever I want. However I've had bad spells lasting weeks or months where I suffer quite a bit. I recently went through about 3 weeks of hell where PPI + other antacids gave me no relief at all while I suffered through the typical GERD symptoms. I thought it was time to try something new, and was on my own since my Dr's only advice has been to stay on PPI for the rest of my life and avoid trigger foods. So a few days ago I quit the PPI cold-turkey, and started on a low-carb diet. I also got a little more consistent and serious about the lifestyle changes, including chewing my food slow, not eating anything late in the evening, avoiding larger meals, etc. After the first day I immediately starting feeling better, and have continued to improve in recent days. In the last 2 days I've had virtually no symptoms, though my stomach has felt a little odd, which I presume is because of the more acidic environment down there. The principal dietary change has been cutting all simple carbs, and even grains and complex carbs such as whole grain, beans, etc. This has been a challenge for me as I've been a carb addict my entire life and I'm not really sure what to eat. For now I'm getting by on more protein (bummer, cause I really don't care much for meat), raw foods like fresh vegetables, some fruit, nuts, cheese and the like. It's going well and I'm optimistic. My hope is that if I stick with this for a while I can then go back to a diet that includes more carbs. But I recognize that going back to my old standard diet is probably not an option-- way too much sugar and simple carbs. . The bacterial over-growth theory makes a lot of sense to me as I've always suspected imbalances in my digestive track. about 7 years ago I was on very strong anti-biotics for a long period of time, and my health has never been quite the same since then. Of course it's unlikely that there is a single root cause for this dreaded disease, it probably varies a lot. But you have to wonder why there are 10's of millions of Americans with this problem in recent years. It can't be because we all just started getting a weakened LES muscle all of a sudden! The typical crappy american diet along with liberal use of anti-biotics by the doc's must be a factor. Good luck to you all. I will see how I do over time and report back on my progress.
***Edited. Please read forum rules we do not allow advertising***
Post Edited By Moderator (~Jennifer~) : 7/15/2006 1:49:40 PM (GMT-6)
Hi Juice, welcome to the boards.
I think it's wonderful that you've decided to watch your diet more carefully. Many symptoms can be controlled through diet alone, and you will feel a lot better for longer periods of time. But I also think GERD is a disease intimately connected to our total well-being. Avoiding stress is essential, tilting your bed, not eating 3 hrs before bedtime, exercise, weight loss, not smoking, all of it adds up and it's made a difference to the many individuals who post here and elsewhere. If you are planning to live off the PPI for a long period of time, it works out well to do all of this is addition to the strict diet.
For some people, the low-carb diet has been great. Many of them have not totally eliminated carbs, they've eliminated processed foods and simple carbs like white rice, potatoes, etc. There are some folks for whom the low carb diet won't work because of additional health issues or an already restricted diet. My advice would be to keep reading about people who have succesfully stayed off the PPI, in search of alternatives that might work for you, if it turns out the long term low carb isn't for you. Also, keep in mind that for some GERD sufferers the absence of symptoms does not necessarily mean your tissues will stay healed. So make sure your doctor is up to date on what you are trying out, and that he or she checks you to make sure your esophagus and stomach continue to stay healthy without medication.
I am going to try the same thing next month (I'm down to 20 mg of Protonix), so please keep us posted! 
I havent posted on here in quite a while, but I am glad to see that Jason is doing so well off of PPI's!
Like several of you, I never, ever had any stomach pain until AFTER i started taking PPI's. Yes, I had reflux and it was bad. But after starting the PPI's I started getting bloating in my stomach, terrible burning pain, nausea, etc. No GI dr believed me and no one ever thought it was from PPI's.
Im still on them-its been almost 6 years. Im still having stomach problems. I am slowly getting off the prilosec. Changing diet is important. However in my case the only way to truly stop the heartburn will be a stomach wrap (is that the Nissen procedure?). Its a hereditary problem with my family. Im seeing a GI dr who is going to do the procedure.
Im glad I am not alone with the stomach pain AFTER starting the meds!!
nancy
Hi and here is my two cents...we are living longer but not as sturdy as our forebearers, the food is radiated and has lots of chemicals in it. We don't move around enough. My gerd I am sure (more or less) was caused by theodur which I used sparingly as a "known" asthmatic (sounds like a crime, no?) since '84. I was afraid of the pumps because in NYC, NY people were dying from bad lots of pumps which were malfunctioning. I now use advair which is consumer-friendly. I had no problems with the my nexium reductions but have had this awful taste in my mouth. I also had blood, very little though and my chest x-ray was good. Went to GI doc and asked him if I should just "live with" the bad taste in mouth. He said no and this time found a bleeding ulcer. It and GERD are very painful. Went to regular doc and he gave me a EXG because I had this very painful feeling in my chest and sent me off for a ultrasound to rule out gallbladder disease.
I agree that PPI's are not the answer but right now I am taking them. By the way you can take them at night on an empty stomach (3 hours after last meal). Have given up caffeine to an extent. Am still overweight. The thing is the pain has me tired and it has rained 34 out of 40 days here in upstate, NY so I am not exercising much.
I agree that PPI's are not the answer but right now I am taking them. By the way you can take them at night on an empty stomach (3 hours after last meal). Have given up caffeine to an extent. Am still overweight. The thing is the pain has me tired and it has rained 34 out of 40 days here in upstate, NY so I am not exercising much.
Post Edited (Joan Mack) : 6/10/2006 6:31:38 PM (GMT-6)
Hi all,
I haven't posted for a while, but I thought I would check back in. I'm still feeling better than I was when I was on the PPI's, but I have good days and bad days. I havn't figured out what triggers the pain, but every once in a while my esphagus gets sore and stays sore for a couple days. I have only seen the blood in my spit a couple times in the last two months so I think that is getting better. I went to the lung specialist last week just to make sure my lungs are ok (wheeze, blood in spit, I used to smoke). The specialist said my lungs are 100% ok, so that was relieving. My main concern now is that I'm still losing weight. I was 220 two years ago and now am hovering around 170. I have been seeing a GI specialist at the University of Minnesota hospital and he is now testing me for absorbtion problems. I have lost wieght, have terrible gas (belching 100 times a day) and my stool often has food in it. I'm starting to wonder if I have a malabsorbtion problem and the undigested food is causing gas which in turn causes reflux and chest pain. Hopefully they get me figured out sooner or later. I know that the PPI's didn't help and in fact made me feel worse, so now after being off them for 2 months I know that I still have something wrong, just don't think it's all GERD. Maybe, but I don't think so. The GI did put me on Calcium channel blockers for esophageal spasms. They seem to help some, but I still get sore. HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCK!!!
Health problems do suck and are a pain in where the sun does not shine!
Hi Jason, Thanks for checking in again. I was wondering how you were doing. I am sorry you are having a hard time figuring out the cause of your current troubles. It sure is depressing not not know! 
The fact that you still say you felt worse under the PPIs gives me pause. So you were bleeding while taking your PPI? Even if the bleeding has gone down, there's an ulcer there still. I want to ask you what you're doing to help your ulcer heal. What do they say at University of Minessota?