It is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of Americans experience GERD symptoms every day. [source]
Acid-reducing drugs are among the most popular drugs on the market. The numbers of people taking Nexium and other acid-inhibiting drugs is staggering. Unfortunately, the medical community has it wrong. Reducing acid is NOT the answer.
Not only that, but when Nexium was first put on the market, it was recommended that people take it for no more than six weeks. (This is because some of its side effects are serious nutritional deficiencies which can lead to a host of more serious health problems, not the least of which is cancer.) Now people are put on Nexium and told it’s for life. TRUE STORY. That happened to me. At age 35, no less.
I have been wanting to write this story for some time, but I’ve been waiting until I was confident that I am truly cured of my GERD and gastritis. I can’t say I’m entirely cured. I still struggle from time to time with acid reflux symptoms, but I manage them naturally. And my debilitating stomach aches are gone, gone, gone!
I want people to know that medicine for these symptoms may not be the best answer, and there are better (safer!) ways to treat GERD and gastritis. I want people to know that these medicines aren’t as safe as they may think they are. I want people to know that they are actually addicting and can create a cycle of dependence that is hard to break.
The good news is, it IS possible to wean yourself off of acid-reducing drugs if you’re willing to do the work. There is a better way, and your doctor probably won’t tell you about it. Not that I’m in any way qualified to dish medical advice, so do your research and come to your own conclusions. I can only tell you what I’ve experienced. I just want you to know you have a choice.
But first…
My Story
After my third pregnancy, I was plagued by a variety of gastrointestinal ailments that I could never connect to a certain food or food group. I would get awful stomach aches out of the blue, often sending me to bed or to the couch until they passed. I went through a battery of tests, and was diagnosed with GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease), gastritis, and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) — what I affectionately call my gastrointestinal trifecta.
The stomach aches I had been having were blamed on gastritis. It is important to note that even though I had a GERD diagnosis, I was not having heartburn symptoms. The IBS I’d had off and on all my life, so that was nothing new.
After trying several H2 blockers (Google is your friend) without success, my doctor put me on Nexium, a proton pump inhibitor (again with the Google.) The Nexium kept the gastritis symptoms at bay for the most part, although I did have some trouble now and then. When I inquired about going off Nexium, my doctor assured me that I would probably be on it for the rest of my life, but no worries, he said. It’s harmless.
Say what?
Something about that didn’t sit right with me. At 35 years old, I was being told I would be on Nexium for the rest of my life? And here’s the funny thing. When I accidentally missed a day of my Nexium, I would suddenly get heartburn symptoms. I hadn’t had heartburn symptoms before starting the Nexium; the Nexium was for gastritis, and that just seemed odd.
At one point, early on in my Nexium days, I tried going off it with horrible results. I stopped cold turkey (I’ve since learned you must wean off) and I have never been so sick as I was that week with gastritis attacks and heartburn symptoms. Again, it seemed odd that when I missed the Nexium, my symptoms were worse than they were before I started taking it, but I gave up and went back on it. For the next couple of years, I just went along with it, hoping some day to get some help but not knowing where to find it.
I even told my doctor about the symptoms I experienced when I missed my Nexium and inquired if it could be possible that my body was overcompensating for the acid-reducing meds, and both doctors who I asked immediately disregarded my concerns and said that wasn’t happening. That’s a bit of foreshadowing for you.
Then last summer, my tummy troubles started to get worse again, even with Nexium. I went to a new GI doctor and started a whole new round of testing, but nothing was discovered. Over the last four years, I have experienced just about every gastrointestinal test known to man. It. was. not. pleasant. And to make matters worse, they couldn’t turn up a reason for my symptoms.
The Turning of the Tide
Around that same time, I came upon Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. You probably know that story by now. We gradually began eating more whole foods and less processed foods and industrial oils. We moved to coconut oil and raw milk and grass-fed beef and pastured poultry and eggs.
Right about that time, I read this article by Dr. Mercola. Disclaimer: I take everything he writes with a grain of salt because he’s a bit of an alarmist. But this article hit home because I knew instinctively that he was right. It just made so much sense. Here’s a snippet (emphasis mine.)
In the study [source] above, more than 40 percent of healthy volunteers experienced heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia (pain and fullness in your abdomen) in the weeks after stopping the drugs. These were symptoms they did NOT have before!
It appears the drugs lead to “rebound acid hypersecretion,” which is an increase in gastric acid secretion above pre-treatment levels within two weeks of stopping the drugs.
Essentially, because these drugs slam the brakes on the acid-producing pumps in your stomach, when you stop taking them that built-up acid can be unleashed with a vengeance.
Meanwhile, studies show that up to 33 percent of people taking PPIs continue to refill their prescriptions without an apparent need for them. Could it be that many of these people continue to refill their prescriptions because they have severe withdrawal symptoms each time they run out… and are assuming they need MORE of the drug to help them?
This is a vicious cycle — one that can easily lead to tolerance and dependency on these drugs.
That was my experience EXACTLY. This article by Harvard Medical School backs up Mercola’s claims and points out that PPI meds can inhibit your body from absorbing calcium and B12. Harmless, huh? I don’t know about you, but that’s not exactly what I consider harmless. B12 deficiency and bone loss both run in my family. I knew then and there I wanted off this medicine and ASAP.
Taking Action
I started reading about how to manage GERD and gastritis naturally, starting with Mercola’s article and then whatever I found by googling the topic. I decided to try to go off Nexium again, but this time I did it right. (You have to wean yourself off, and then you have to implement a lifestyle modification program to help your body heal.) I’d already learned from experience that carbs trigger my heartburn symptoms, so I started drastically reducing my carb and sugar intake.
For a few weeks I stopped drinking wine and reduced my coffee to one a day, and I watched my portion sizes (over eating exacerbates the problem too.)
I ate a lot of apples (they naturally help your food digest.) It helped that I did this last fall when apples were fresh, crisp, sweet and delicious.
I took vitamin D3 supplements, and I was already on probiotics as recommended by my GI doctor. I can always tell when I miss a few days of probiotics; I start to get bloated after meals.
The Results
After going off Nexium back in October, I had one or two gastritis stomach aches, and none for the past few months. I still experience mild heartburn if I eat too many carbs, but as long as I watch my carbs and sugars, I’m fine there too.
I have been Nexium-free for six months and with my low-carb, whole foods eating habits, I haven’t felt this good in years. Not only do I feel better, but I’m saving the time and money that I was spending on doctor visits and uncomfortable medical tests and being incapacitated with stomach aches. I will gladly spend that money on better food for our family and that time on making things from scratch.
More Information
A couple of months ago, I found a doctor (an M.D.) who takes a holistic approach to health care. She has given me more tips to stimulate and improve my digestion naturally. She recommends taking Swedish bitters and digestive enzymes with meals, which I do sporadically. She also recommended mixing a Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar in 8 oz of water and drinking that daily, but I tried it once and I just can’t stomach it. I’m doing okay without it, thankfully.
I recently discovered a series of posts about heartburn and GERD by The Healthy Skeptic where he links GERD to the over consumption of carbs and sugars which causes bacterial overgrowth in the stomach. As I’ve followed this series of articles, I find myself enthusiastically nodding my head in agreement because everything he says makes total sense based on my personal experience.
In Closing
With permission, I am reprinting the conclusion to Chris’s series of articles on heartburn and GERD. This sums it up perfectly, in my opinion. Emphasis is mine.
The mainstream medical approach to treating heartburn and GERD involves taking acid stopping drugs for as long as these problems occur. Unfortunately, because these drugs not only don’t address the underlying cause of these problems but may make it worse, this means that people who start taking antacid drugs end up taking them for the rest of their lives.
This is a serious problem because acid stopping drugs promote bacterial overgrowth, weaken our resistance to infection, reduce absorption of essential nutrients, and increase the likelihood of developing IBS, other digestive disorders, and cancer. The manufacturers of these drugs have always been aware of these problems. When acid-stopping drugs were first introduced, it was recommended that they not be taken for more than six weeks. Clearly this prudent advice has been discarded, as it is not uncommon today to encounter people who have been on these drugs for decades – not weeks.
What is especially disturbing about this is that heartburn and GERD are easily prevented and cured by making simple dietary and lifestyle changes, as I have outlined in this final article.
Unfortunately, the corruption of our “disease-care” system by the financial interests of the pharmaceutical companies virtually guarantees that this crucial information will remain obscure. Drug companies make more than $7 billion a year selling acid suppressing medications. The last thing they want is for doctors and their patients to learn how to treat heartburn and GERD without these drugs. And since 2/3 of all medical research is sponsored by drug companies, it’s virtually guaranteed that we won’t see any large studies on the effects of a low-carb diet on acid reflux and GERD.
So once again it’s up to us to discover the truth and be our own advocates.
Please know that I have no desire to bash the medical and pharmaceutical communities. I have dear friends and family employed by both, and I don’t believe anyone is out to perpetuate this vicious cycle and harm countless American citizens. But the fact remains, it is not lucrative to promote holistic health care methods, and we as a culture seem content to treat the symptoms rather than the cause. I just wish people realized the quality of life they COULD have.
This post is for those of you who are where I was a couple years ago. You want a better quality of life, but you aren’t sure how to get it. If it’s helpful to just one person, it’s worth telling my story.
Disclosure: I am not a medical professional. Please do your research, consult a qualified health professional, and come to your own conclusions. And feel free to share. I just want people to know they have a choice.
Thanks for sharing this – I’m learning so much from your blog!
That’s so nice to hear!
Im on 80mg (2 40mg tablets per day). Can you tell me how you weaned off of the medication…For example do you reduce to one 40mg tab for a week or two….then down to one 20 mg tab for the next week? Apreciate the advise.
Yes, pretty much. I think I may have also taken some OTC H2 blockers to help wean down once I stopped the nexium. The diet changes are key. Even now, my heartburn flares up if I am not drinking enough water or eating too much sugar/carby foods or over eating in general. I’m also taking digestive enzymes and swedish bitters with every meal to help digestion so I don’t get bloated. I’m still working on healing my digestive system, but I haven’t taken medicine for it in a few years now.
I have been taking Nexium 40mg once a day along with Carafate 4x’s a day and Nitroglycern TR once a day for my reflux problems since 2002. My Vitamin D levels keep getting lower every year and I wish I could stop the medications. I find that my body will not tolerate very many medication of any type and it took the doctor almost a year to find something that would stop my severe reflux. It was so bad that it caused a vasovascular reaction and I was having “grayouts” which was the reason for the Nitro. My doctor at the time told me to stop eating carbs and to drink only water. I did very well for a long time with this combination of meds and diet and I continue to do okay as long as I watch the carbs. I have cut the carafate down to 3 times a day and would love to get off the Nexium. I did try a couple of years ago to cut back on the Nexium but the days I did not take it I had pretty bad belching and heartburn. I have periodic endoscopy procedures and have had pollops each time and there is some scaring and something else that I forget. My father died from esphologial cancer at the age of 59 and I want to not have this happen to me but I really am tired of taking the meds and now find out that they are harming my body in other ways. I am not sure I have the nerve to try the ACV remedy with the cancer history. Do you if anyone who has a family history of cancer that is managing with the alternative remedy vs. med?
Hi Kathy. I agree, with your family history I would be VERY hesitant to deviate from your doctor’s orders. I find it interesting that your doc advised against carbs. I didn’t know that most people associated the reflux with carbs, but it definitely bothers me.
I would want to find a doctor or highly recommended naturopath that could help you wean off using natural remedies, but I would not go it alone if I were in your shoes, I don’t think.
Does your doctor recommend Vitamin D3 supplements? I take it every winter b/c I don’t get much sun in this part of the country. My doc tests vit D3 levels.
Best of luck to you.
Trevor,
I can’t believe you are on this prescription dosage. I also am on 40 mg twice daily and every time I have to list this dosage or tell people they look at me like I”m crazy. I’m a healthy size and weight, I try to eat conscientiously, and I exercise daily and yet I”ve been suffering from “GERD” since I was sixteen (I’m 34). I’ve had to increase dosages every two years or so just like I”ve developed some kind of tolerance to the medication.
My acid symptoms are so severe I’m afraid to go off of the medications but all these things I”m reading make sense. What do you think Jo-Lynne? Have you had success in weaning off Trevor?
It makes sense that you have developed an intolerance to it. Because it is actually counter intuitive to the way your body works. You actually need MORE acid to digest your food, which is why my doc recommends the apple cider vinegar.
I urge you to find a holistic doctor who will assist you in weaning off the Nexium. It could be that you have a food sensitivity that needs to be addressed (wheat?) Good luck!
I had acid reflux for years. It was terrible. Doctors put me on Nexium and told me I would have to take it for the rest of my life, as my GERD was caused by a huge hiatal hernia which had caused part of my stomach to slip into my chest, shortening my esophagus and causing acid to run into it and burning all the time. I really suffered, had to sit up to sleep. I took Nexium to ease pain so I could swallow food. It was actually a BANDAID as I had to take it everyday or I couldn’t swallow. IT WASN’T CURING ANYTHING! I went to have my prescription refilled just before a long weekend holiday, and due to curcumstances found I would be without it for 3 days! I PANICHED!
Then I remembered hearing that APPLE CIDER VINEGAR was good for acid reflux. I did not believe it, but being desperate, decided to try it. To make a long story short, I have NEVER taken another Nexium, or had acid reflux. I can eat any high acid or spicy food. A tablespoon of unfiltered ACV in the morning and a few times througout the day was all it took. I still take a little almost every day. But, my GERD was cured. I swear to this, Jo-Lynne could have saved a lot of time by trying this. There are thousands of testimonies on line as to this cure. Good Luck, I hope it works for whoever reads this and tries it.
Hey. I’ve been on Nexium 40pm for almost two years. I’m working on weaning myself off the medicine. It’s very tough. I’m also taking Nature’s Bounty Super B complex and C vitamins once per day, which help energy levels and the immune system. I’m not a doctor but try reducing the pill to once per day instead of twice per day. Drink alot of water and believe it or not seltzer is carbonated but it helps me alot. And apples. Even apple cider. Salmon is great or even salmon lox. Sushi is good too. And raw veggies like carrots, even raw string beans. Lower the starches a little bit. Potato chips. Don’t eat diet foods. It’s just a marketing scam. All you have to do is lower your intake. If your smoke or drink, cut down. It’s hard to quit without nicotine replacement therapy. Coffee is a trigger. If you drink coffee alot try to drink less of it, and use a little sugar. It’s about cutting down and lowering intake but it’s easier said than done. When I take Nexium, I notice an increase in my heart rate and sometimes I get dizzy and induce myself to vomit and it’s not fun. I was taking it religiously every day and it’s addictive and helps appetite and my body got used to it. But you may get nauzeated from reducing it as well. It’s like a tennis match. Cold turkey is hard but supplement with zantac 150 even twice a day and then wean off of that gradually. If you stop cold turkey, you may get sick. I’m struggling with this nexium addiction myself. I have hiatal/hiatus hernia. Moderate exercise. Even walking helps too. Take it slow.
All excellent advice.
To David.
Be careful with vitamin C. It can harm your stomac lining.
Jo-Lynne, once again the medical community angers me. I’m sick of doctors throwing pills at people to fix everything. The commercials for drugs are laughable with all their side-effects lists. Drugs do not give us a better quality of life. If anything, they create worse problems.
I’m so glad you were instrumental in turning me on to whole foods. I haven’t been as stringent in my diet as I need to be as of late, but I know whole foods are the best way to go. I only wish I could convince my husband of that, as he continues to munch away on his Doritos and drink his Mountain Dew.
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for posting this! I believe in taking a holistic approach as well and cannot tell you the difference it has made in our family – it’s awesome. When my son turned six months old I decided a naturopathic doctor would be better for him than a traditional pediatrician and turns out its working much better for us. Plus, it has made my husband and I think differently about remedies for things like colds, stomach viruses, etc…
So glad you are feeling better!
I take one Zantac every night before bed. Something I never had to do before my second pregnancy. Now if I don’t take it I can’t sleep. I’ve always had stomach issues (just not heartburn) and I’ve noticed in the past that when I eat low carb they always go away. I’m going to be starting some diet changes in the next few weeks (major plan, and baby steps) and I’m hoping this well help. But I do think I will take what you said about the gradual reduction and take a half a pill for awhile before I quit altogether.
Yeah, definitely wean off slowly. Let me know how it goes!
Hey. I’m back on the purple pill again especially after I coughed up a piece of food I ate. So, it seems like my body is completely dependent on the medicine. Well, it’s hard but I gottah do what I gottah do. Sometimes it’s worse to get off the medicine if the body is used to being on it for long periods of time. Some people are on it for years and they can’t get off of it cause the body is completely dependant on it. It’s a vicious cycle. It changes the whole body chemistry, the sense of taste, touch, vision, it distorts everything but it’s better than regurgitating food and feeling like vomiting or inducing vomiting cause the food just sits in the stomach and goes no where. So, for now, I’ll take the purple pill if it helps my digestion. Before the pill I had severe heartburn and induced vomiting and saw some blood in it. So, I’ll take the pill.
I just started following your blog recently. I went to an alternative practitioner a few weeks ago to try to help me figure out why I can’t seem to find ANY products to help clear up my acne. At the urging of a health foods store owner, I sought to figure out if I had a food allergy. DUH!! How come none of the previous dermatologists I’ve seen suggested that? I’ve been on every antibiotic known to man as well as Accutane and purchased everything from cheap to spendy facial care products.
I don’t share all of this to talk about my acne though, LOL! We discovered by using iridology and another testing device that sends impulses through your body (following your meridian lines and “measuring” the energy responses from your organs, for lack of a better way to explain it or knowing the actual name of this device!) that I have some SERIOUS problems with my digestive system.
This was not unknown to me (but I hadn’t shared it with her initially as I wanted to see what she found on her own, since I’m a skeptic by nature!). I’ve been struggling with some awful digestive stuff for ohhh about ten or eleven years (developed after my firstborn).
I never saw any specialists aside from my primary (who encouraged me to add more fiber to my diet, but even when I followed a vegetarian and veggie/fruit based diet I still had big problems) as I was too scared of the tests they’d want to do (and the cost, to be perfectly honest). So I never got diagnosed with anything in particular.
So…in the last few weeks, she has had me add 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar to my diet. Like your professional recommended to you…it is great for aiding digestion. Because I have a hard time swallowing pills, she said that drinking this would serve the place of swallowing digestive enzymes. Now…I have found through experience and trial/error…haha…that if you dilute 1 tablespoon of this wretched stuff in 16 oz of water, and plug your nose as you drink, it is actually not all that bad. The plugging your nose part really works wonders! It’s a LOT cheaper than buying digestive enzymes too!! So give it another go…there is nothing wrong with diluting it in 16 oz of water versus 8 oz…(although I’ve read that if you take the OACV straight-up, God bless that person, it doesn’t work as well as if you dilute it in water). I mix mine up and drink it in about three main swigs within 20 mins or so. And can I just say….(without being TMI)…I have gone from once a week movements to every other day or daily!! YAYYYY!!!
Also, she had me do a gall bladder/liver cleanse (not the most pleasant thing but interesting, nonetheless). That seems to have helped as well.
AND, I have added 1/2 probiotics in powder form to my regimen daily (I just mix them up in my breakfast smoothie). Again, I don’t tolerate pills easily….so anything I can dissolve and such I am all over.
I really didn’t mean to share all of MY details here with you…but just to add some encouragement for anyone else reading who struggles with digestive issues. We have also started eating organically where we can afford to (meat/poultry and the dirty dozen as well as milk/yogurt/cheese). I imagine the years of abusing my body with awful food (read: McDonalds) as well as all the meds I’ve taken for acne and other issues have just killed my poor stomach and related organs.
I’m glad that I’ve been alerted to all of the harmful effects NOW (I’m 30) rather than later…so that I might have a chance to “save myself” from having later problems (as if the past 11 haven’t been awful enough). Gall bladder removal has been a thought of mine in the past year…but I think I can beat this with changes like you talk about you in your post!
Here’s to getting healthy! Inside and out!
Thanks so much for sharing this! I have been having some uncomfortable gassy/bloated symptoms this week. I may try that apple cider vinegar again. Bleh.
I also drink Eaters Digest tea when I feel kinda icky. (I have some brewing now.) And that seems to help.
Somebody told me that MD’s only test for HISTAMINE responses – only certain kinds of responses as an allergy. “Allergies” don’t always show up as runny noses and rashes and can show up in a variety of ways, like insomnia, acne, jitteriness.
I was prescribed Nexxium several years ago but I was never able to get it to work. If I did not take it exactly 45 mins before eating, I was plagued with debilitating abdominal cramps. The mild heart burn and nausea that I experienced with stress was way better. I used Pepcid for extreme or known times of stress and Tums if it was keeping me awake.
I started eating much better about a year ago. Because I just took the Tums or Pepcid as needed, I did not realize that I had gone more than six months without taking either until one night when I over-indulged. I was so pleased, it definitely when in my non-scale victory file.
That’s awesome!
My 10 year old started suddenly suffering from acid reflux last year. Around the same time we found out she was allergic to milk and peanuts. Our ped referred us to a gastroentrologist (sp?) and he promptly put her on meds. I questioned it, but honestly at that point she was in so much pain I was willing to try anything. Many expensive tests and more medicine later we still had no answers. In the midst of all this she tested positive for h.pylori bacteria. It was treated twice. This is when I started asking a ton (more!) questions and finally decided we were not going anywhere with this doctor. The doctor was only interested in prescribing more meds, many of which my insurance did not cover. We spent a small fortune and had no answers. I finally called a friend, who is a dr but not a ped, and he was shocked at the amount of medicine she was taking. At that point she was taking an adult dose of two different meds, and she is a small 10 year old. I started weaning her off the meds, we went completly dairy and peanut free, and we moved to a whole foods diet. She is down to a 1/2 dose of one medicine and has not had a complaint in months. When this prescription runs out I hope to not refill it. I don’t know what caused the reflux to start, but I do know that diet changes have helped tremendously. The dr would not even talk to me about diet, just meds. We hope to have the same results as you in a few more months.
Allison, I am so glad you’ve been able to help her. But my gosh, stories like this make me seriously doubt the medical community.
i went to the heath store recently because the eight pill cocktail i take twice a day for my ms is eating away at my stomach. i am now drinking aloe vera (george’s, it has no taste at all) and either drinking ginger tea or taking ginger capsules. It has helped so much.
Totally unrelated to your post, but sorta connected!
Glad you made the break. Now to reduce the size of my cocktail!!
Interesting! I wonder if ginger tea or aloe vera would taste better than my Eaters Digest tea. I can tolerate it, but it’s not my fave.
I also heard/read persimmon tea is good for reflux.
The one tea that has helped me out tremedously is Licorice Root tea. It’s amazing! I read that licorice promotes growth of mucus-secreting cells and dicided to give it a shot. It seems to be working so far for me. By the way, it tastes great
I’m new to your blog! Thank you for this article. I am so happy to hear people are going back to the common sense practices of eating good and real food. I recently saw a film called ‘Food, Inc.’ Have you seen it? It really tells the true story behind the food that people typically eat and never think twice about. Every one should see it. It would likely change the way they eat and raise questions as to what is going on in our country’s food industry.
Oh yes, it’s on the recommended reading/watching list on my sidebar.
Wow, this is amazing! Really helpful information. Thank you.
My husband has been having really bad heartburn for the past 2 months. I’m wondering if you think going on the South Beach Diet (completely cutting all carbs for 2 weeks, then gradually reintroducing whole grains, etc) might help. He lost 20 lbs on this diet about 2 years ago; but due to serious health issues, he has gained much of the weight back. It would be awesome if cutting carbs could help him lose weight and cure his heartburn at the same time.
Actually, there is proof that high fat diets help b/c your body needs {good} fats for healthy digestion and to absorb vitamins. I don’t know much about South Beach, although I know some who have tried it, but isn’t it big into low fat?
I would get rid of carbs, processed junkfood, and simple sugars. And increase coconut oil and olive oil and real butter. And the apple cider vinegar in water might really help him in the meantime, as his body adjusts.
Let me know how it goes.
You would probably enjoy reading this booK
Why Stomach Acid is Good for You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux and GERD by Jonathan V. Wright
Thanks so much for sharing this. I think I mentioned another time that people can preach the benefits of whole foods ’til the cows come home, but when I read stories like this… of people’s health improving without medications, I am continually convinced that we are on the right track. Many times we just need to make the effort to heal our guts and then begin to slowly add things back into our diets. We and doctors and pharm. companies like the easy fix that a pill promises, not thinking of the side effects or that we are not allowing true healing to take place. I do this, too, but my attitude is changing. Donna Gates has a great book and website, “The Body Ecology Diet,” that talks about the importance of gut health. I’ve learned a lot from her and highly recommend her book and products.
Sometimes it’s hard not to speak negatively of doctors and pharm. companies. My brother-in-law is a Dr. and we’ve had some great conversations about treating patients well, really listening to them and treating them as whole person, not just a sum of body parts. I think it’s important to have a healthy respect for their expertise but also to become our own advocate and find other sources that we trust. Many of us are so willing to just accept what they say because they are the, “expert.” I’ve definitely learned to ask questions and do research as you have done. We need to remember that we are the consumers, it’s our body (or children), and we have a right to ask questions. I tease my brother-in-law all of the time because he and other Dr.’s can be so darn arrogant. He fully admits it and tells me to keep asking and even if the doctor dismisses you. Tell him you’ll take your business elsewhere.
Thanks for sharing your story!
This is like reading my own story on someone else’s blog! I believe you might be Bizarro Sara.
Hmmm. My husband has celiac and they say, a ‘hi-adus hernia’ (obviously I’m not sure of the spelling) and is on life-long anti-acid drugs. And when he’s late a dose, it KILLS him. (much worse than before drugs).
I picked up food matters by michael pollack too this week.
Will let you know if you convert me.
In the past I felt that my doctor was in charge of my health. (don’t we pay them to do that?) But in reality, I should be the one in charge. It’s my body. Now, I keep a binder with all of my medical information listed and the results of all of my medical tests. My doctors know I’m careful with my diet and lifestyle. They are respectful of that and know that I’m going to research anything they tell me to do. I’m actually defying the odds with my chronic, inheirited disease and I believe it’s because of my change to eating whole foods. Thanks, Jo-Lynne, for inspiring me to make the change.
I’ve had some reflux issues, as you know J-L, and the “Sceptic” guy seemed very convincing. Adding lemon juice & pickles to my diet for a few days really didn’t seem to help much, I’m sorry to say. Perhaps I should try the apple cider vinegar instead. However, I am convinced that sugar is the culprit in my yummy; I can tell when I eat sweets that the acid just starts to build. And I know (as his articles say) that the real issue isn’t the stomach acid, but the gas that is pushing it up into my throat. Time for the vinegar!
As a pharmacist, I definitely agree that many people stay on PPIs for longer that they are necessary. As you mentioned, diet and lifestyle modifications, such as decreasing alcohol and caffeine consumption, are usually effective in decreasing GI symptoms. That being said, medical decisions should not be taken lightly and be made based on Google search results or websites. There are consequences of leaving GERD untreated, such as Barrett’s esophagus which may develop into cancer. Decisions to start or stop medications should be made with the counsel of a doctor or pharmacist.
With respect, decreasing alcohol and caffeine alone is usually not enough to decrease GI symptoms to the point of not needing meds. I tried that. And that, unfortunately, is about as far as a mainstream medical practitioner is willing to go to treat the cause and not the symptoms. When I questioned (3 different doctors – one primary care and 2 GI) I was told that diet changes might help but I’d always need the meds.
WRONG.
The fact is, more aggressive lifestyle changes are necessary, and unfortunately Google is often the best way to get help.
When the medical professionals start to take a more holistic approach to treating these diseases and stop kowtowing to the pharmaceutical companies, who are making money hand over fist at the expense of our nation’s health, perhaps their counsel will be sought.
Of course everyone needs to do their own research and come to their own conclusions, but sometimes the advice of “medical professionals” must be taken with a grain of salt.
I think as time passes we will learn more about the long-term effects of the PPI’s and I totally think aggressive lifestyle changes are needed in order to tackle the problem. I was diagnosed with GERD and IBS but it ultimately turned out to be a.)a gallbladder that is working at 10% capacity and b.)severe endometriosis with adhesions all over my colon.
Susan: You said your Gallbladder was functioning @ only 10%. How is that working for you? Is surgery the only option for this?
I have had issues with abdominal pain as well. It was really bad a few months ago and I ended up in the ER. They ran all kinds of tests and said everything was normal. My follow up with my doctor a few weeks later ended up with me on Zantac for 4 weeks to see what would happen. I thought I would do it just ot humor her. Hello! I know what heart burn feels like and it was not heart burn I was feeling! I went on the Zantac for a few weeks and gave it up. My doctor declared that because I had not had any issues while on Zantac that I must have acid reflux. I actually only took the pill for 2 out of the 4 weeks! I haven’t taken one since and haven’t had any issues either. I have started a food diary to see if any certain food triggers issues.
I think it is actually gallbladder issues but thought it was interesting that my doctor assumed that all was well even if I wasn’t taking my meds. Now I’m glad I stopped when I did!
Thanks so much for sharing this! I too have been on nexium forever (like 14 years). And I actually take it twice a day. The doctor told me too that I would have to be on it for the rest of my life unless I had surgery to make the opening to my espogus smaller. However, checking into that, I read that most people stay on the medicine anyway so why bother. My doctor told me however, that there are no studies of the effects of nexium long term because no one has been on them that long which is really encouraging. I too tried to stop and got heart burn like the next day but since I had it before real bad, it just made me think that I had to stay on the medicine. I think now, I will read alot of your references and see if there is hope for me to get off one more drug. Thanks so much for sharing.
You know it’s funny, at Ari’s 4 mo check I asked the dr about her spitting up — she’s been my first HUGE spitter. I mean, like change 5 times a day, for both of us. She said there’s a lot of controversy right now about AR meds and she’d rather not put the baby on anything, just wait until she grows out of it. (Especially since she’s so fat, clearly she’s getting enough even with all her spitting up!) I was relieved… not one more thing I have to think about each day.
I’ve been trying to get my husband off of his Nexium for awhile. He was actually on Zantac for a couple of years, until that didn’t “work” anymore. I read your post to him and he is on board, especially after hearing the part where you talked about the deficiencies. That is scary to hear, especially for a 6’3″ generally healthy military man! He is on 20mg right now, and will be going in to see if they will lower the dosage. How long did it take to wean off of the Nexium? What dosage were you orignally on, and what did they drop it to (if you don’t mind me asking). Thank you!
Ideally, you should try to find a doctor who is on board to help. (I didn’t have that at the time, though I do now.) I can’t remember if I got the lower dosage (I was on 40mg, I think) or not. I think I just started taking it every other day. And then slowly went down from there, but honestly I don’t remember. I think it took about 2 weeks. Hope that helps!
I’m so glad you were able to get off the meds!
As an aside – my grandpa has drank the vinegar/water combo daily for YEARS and he is in his 70′s and super healthy. We’re talking a water glass full. But he also adds some honey to make it all go down better.
My mom and I have both attempted it and gag LOL
I know you have told me this in various snippets over the years but it is fascinating to hear it all summarized and see how the measures you took really helped. I hate long-term medicine and I think you are right that they can do more harm than good. Glad you found what worked and are eating healthier because of it.
Great write-up.
Love that you shared your story here.
I’ve only known you since you’ve been on your healthier diet kick-so this was all new to me.
I’m a big believer in healing through eating the right foods. I’ve lived my life that way for over 15 years (mostly-I occasionally eat poorly, but always end up correcting myself). I’ll have to share my story sometime soon.
I laughed at your Mercola comment. I always take everything I hear with a grain of salt, especially Mercola. He can be-shall we say a bit over the top?
Have you tried kombucha tea? It also aides digestion, and I find it much more palatable. You can even make your own (though I have yet to try).
If you do decide to try making your own, let me know-we can do it together.
I have been on nexium 12 years. Pepsid before that. 40mg a day. I’m 35 and was just diagnosed with osteopernia, early stage osteoperosis. I only googled about nexium because I have to take aleve right now for my back. I’m so glad I found this info. I have a friend who got off nexium on accident when she cut out wheat by choice, forgot to take nexium one day, and realized she no longer had acid reflux!
I already have started cutting wheat b/c I am always so bloated. I also have gone to many whole foods b/c of my son’s dairy allergy. I currently drink 12 Kombucha’s (GT’s Synergy) a month. I was waiting to see if that was mentioned in comments. I think I am on track to trying to stop nexium. Thans for the encouragement. I only worry that I COULD get cancer someday if the acid isn’t controlled. But I’m willing and already changing my diet so maybe there’s hope!
I have been on ppi for 9 years and h2 blockers for 6 years before that. I quit prilozec 24 days ago and now I take pepcin. I hope to quit that too when most of the rebound acid is gone, but it can last up to 26 weeks. I also take DGL, L-glutamin, digestive enzymes, Vita Biosa, Probiotics, Husk and a homeopatic remedy called Gastricumeel. I’ve just started this: cut one potato into slices, put it into a glass of water. After eight hours: drink the water. Do this morning and evening for three weeks. I have taken a hair mineral test and I need to take iron, b12, magnesium, calsium and more. Today I read a very useful article : The Good and Bad Stomac Acid (Personal Liberty Digest). It explaied so much!
GREAT article!
Jo-Lynne,
Have followed your posts on GERD with interest. Posted a comment a while back about my mom ending up in ICU with low sodium levels…a result of the PPI she was on.
I have systemic scleroderma (it manifests itself throughout my intestinal tract). I have GERD partly as a result of that, and was told I need to be on Protonix 2x per day pretty much until I die.
I don’t do that anymore for many of the same reasons you chose to stop…calcium absorption, proliferation of acid cells, etc.
I read the book “Probiotic Revolution” by a immunologist/microbiologist at UMich or UMinn. GREAT BOOK (he’s not selling anything), and now I take the probiotic Culturelle, which I buy at Walmart (!). It takes care of the majority of my scleroderma symptoms, including most of the GERD. It’s VERY well researched and really does the trick…believe me…it’s many magnitudes better than the Cipro and Flagyl I was on weekly for bacterial overgrowth. If I get some acid reflux I’ll drink a little bit of lemon juice in water…straight or with a little honey. Seems to help a lot…the cider vinegar helped my husband with occasional acid reflux, too.
I think you’re on a good track with the dietary changes you’re making. I have a healthy respect for the medical community and my “team” of doctors, but I also know that they just don’t understand everything. And many of us can differentiate between crackpot websites and those offering legitimate information (hello…I can use all those graduate degrees for something besides caring for a husband and 4 small
children
Thanks very much,
Cara
Cara, thanks for this input. It is so nice to hear someone else reach success and get off of the PPIs. I tried the cider/water thing when I experienced some heartburn last week. Whew, that was nasty. I might try the lemon next time.
I WAS TOLD BY MY DOC TO TAKE NEXIUM . IM TO BE ON IT FOR A MONTH , I TOOK MY FIRST PILL TODAY, AND REGRET IT . I PLAN ON GOING ALL NATURAL , WILL I HAVE LONG TERM SIDE EFFECTS BY ONLY TAKING ONE? I KNOW IT MAY SEEM SILLY BUT I AM CONCERNED.
Thank you for this blog. It really has helped me understand what I’m going through. My GI symptoms have been so bad after only 1 day of getting off the Nexium. It makes me feel like just ending my life. But after reading your story, I feel hopeful I can get through this. Thank you so much!
Thanks for your blog post. I have taken a ppi for 8 years-mainly Nexium or Protonix. When I was 23 I started having sore throats and losing my voice. My doctor looked at my throat and of course it was very red so he gave me several different runs of anti-biotics thinking I had some kind of URI…I was even tested for mono at one point. As my symptoms got worse, I started to realize it was more of a heartburn situation that was causing my problems (college cafeteria food did not help). My Dr. decided that I probably had too much stomach acid and maybe a little Hiatal Hernia that was causing GERD (never ordered any tests like a endoscopy or stomach acid level tests). I still had many breakthrough symptoms over the years but generally was able to manage the reflux with diet and the Nexium. However, in the last couple of years I started having other digestive issues as well; occaisional diarrea, stomach upsets, gas, bloating etc. I have also suffered from chronic moderate to severe tension headaches. In 2009-2010 I started to get fed up with the way I felt and started Accupuncture and Rolfing treatments which helped greatly with how I was feeling. Things really turned around through when I stumbled onto Brenda Watson’s Road to Perfect Health show on PBS. I immediately started taking a high dose probiotic, fiber supplements, omega 3′s and digestive enzymes and started to feel great. I am now trying to wean myself off the Nexium in hopes that i won’t have to take this expensive medication for the rest of my life. since starting Brenda Watson’s H.O.P.E. formula, my headaches and other digestive complaints have pretty much ceased so I am now focusing on getting the acid under control.
My doctor also told me there was no such thing as acid rebound after stopping ppi’s. Yeah right!
I am going to check out Brenda Watson. I’m much better than I was, but I feel like I still have some gas and heartburn that I shouldn’t have and I want to make sure it is fully under control. Thanks for your comment! It has encouraged me to get back to taking my probiotics and omega 3′s. I’ve gotten lax.
I’m definitely going to look into more of the whole foods you talked about. I do need to improve my diet!
Hi Malia, I checked out Brenda Watson, very smart lady, and her own personal testamony is what brought her to helping others. My question to you is did you try this Flora probiotics? Did you find it hard on your system with being such a high dosage? Did you get off the Nexium and how did you wean yourself off? I am going to be looking into more of Brenda Watsons teachings on good health and am so thankful that you shared this information.
Thank you
christine
I’m so glad I found your blog. About a year ago now I was experiencing a flemy, dry, scratchy throat, and would hurt so bad sometimes I would get bad head aches. My doctor sent me to a allergist and he found out I was allergic to dust mites, but also thought I had acid reflux. I told him I never felt stomach problems or had heart burn, but he told me I could have acid reflux and not know it (what??). So he put me on 80mg of nexium a day(ya… 80…). I was on that for about a month with no improvement, so I went back and he basically told me that was all that it could be, and that it would take time. That if I didn’t take the meds then he couldn’t help me. He then changed my dose for 40mg for some reason. So I stayed on the meds for about 6-8 months. I was using a spray for my noise for the allergies too, which seems to make my throat a little bit better, so I thought MAYBE the nexium was helping (I didn’t know anything about acid reflux at the time). At this point I looked up acid reflux and realized that the symptoms I was experiencing weren’t anything like acid reflux (I used to be able to eat anything without getting heart burn), and also learnt about the risks of nexium. I tried quitting it cold turkey by switching to Gavison, about after about a month of bad heart burn still, I went back on the nexium. At this point I was breaking the 40mg tablet in half in attempts to wean myself off the drug (which I’ve learnt now wasn’t the best idea because of the coating on the tablets). I stayed on that for 2 months with zero problems, then switched myself onto pepcid AC – H2 blocker. All went well for about a week and a half, then all of the sudden I had the WORST heart burn of my entire life. To make a long story short, I continued to have HORIBBLE heart burn, acid reflux, bloating in my stomach, stomach pains, green stool, and intense pressure/swollen feeling in my chest for two months even being BACK on the 40mg of Nexium once a day. I started going to a Naturopath about a week ago and I am taking probiotics, aloe vera, DGL (black liquorish) tables, and really watching what I eat. Nothing acidic, no diary, nothing fatty, and nothing spicy, and I seem to be doing a little better – acid is a lot better, but still really bad pressure and pains in my chest (lower oesophagus) and bloating, especially after I eat, and stomach pains at least once a day. I am just so scared now that A.) I will have stomach problems for the rest of my life now and never did before nexium and B) that attempting to try and to go off the nexium again will make me even worse! (I mean look what happened to me!) I’m so angry at that allergist for putting me on this drug when I never even had stomach problems to begin with. I’m also scared that the pill may have done some other damage to my body that I don’t know about yet – like weak bones. (I’m only 24!) Do you think there is still hope for me? Do you have any suggestions? Maybe a link to a good diet plan – I’d try the low carb for sure. I would REALLY appreciated it, as I feel I’ve been cheated in life by these uneducated doctors.
Stories like this make me furious.
I am not at all an expert, but it sounds like you’re on the right track. You should be able to recover with a good diet. If the naturopath is reputable, he should be able to help you. Also try looking over the Westin A Price website for advice. Good fats, fermented foods, probiotics, cod liver oil, low carb, all that good stuff. Best of luck to you.
I feel exactly the same way. The doctor always told me it was safe. I have been on ppi for many years and I believe there is hope for me. You must try weaning off once more. It’s the most important thing you can do! There is hope! I also adwise you to take an hair mineral test! Very useful!
I am a multiple myeloma patient currently in remission. FYI this disease is a blood cancer (in the bone marrow) that attacks bones. I have been on Nexium for several years, an for obvious reasons, would like to go off it. I tried to, by alternating days, and after two weeks had a violent return of GERD. What exactly do you men by whole foods? I eat hardly any processed foods, and have switched to whole wheat bread and pasta, and am slowly eliminating sugar. Is this the correct approach? No white food, only organic chicken and fresh fish. I am still afraid to stop the Nexium. At what point is it ok to begin weaning off? Have you tried baking soda (1/4 TSP IN 8 OZ WATER)? I have been told it too works.
You’d really need to check with a doctor, to be sure when it is okay to wean off. When I refer to “whole foods” I am talking about food in its original form – not processed foods. I find I feel best when eating proteins, good fats, vegetables and very few grains. I still struggle at times with symptoms of GERD and am trying to heal my body from the inside out. I’m considering the GAPS diet – you might want to look into it.
But again, I am not an expert or any type of medical professional. Definitely seek the help of someone trained in these matters. Good luck!
I was on Nexium for over a year and tried to get it off it after 6 weeks and it was so painful from Heartburn I never had before so I was told to continue. Recently my gastrologist told me he wanted me off it. I have been off for 4 days now and still have heart burn and a feeling of food stuck in my throat. But I am drinking Aloa Vera Juice and taking Papaya Emzymes and it seem to relieve the symptoms when I get them. I am also eating apples and watching what I eat. I am determined to get through this and so far so good. Not sure how long it will take to get back to normal but I am hoping soon.
Has anyone everyone heard about the side effects of papaya emzymes. I heard it can damage your stomach or esophagus if you take too many. What is too many?
sounds like you are on the right track. kudos to your doc for helping you get off. I don’t know anything about the papaya enzymes, sorry.
I have been on Nexium for about 6 months now and I have been wanting to get off it pretty much since I started. Thank you so much for this information. I am terrified to do this though because my symptoms are violent and terribly painful. I have slept many nights sitting straight up due to the pain and trying to keep myself from puking for hours.
Anyway, I needed this push. So thank you! By the way, what probiotic do you take? I take one but I am not sure it really helps. Thanks in advance!
Alexis, those are very severe symptoms. If you can find a doctor or reputable naturopath to help you wean off, I would highly recommend it.
It also requires pretty drastic diet changes, but not necessarily the type of diet changes a mainstream doctor would recommend.
My holistic doctor recommends adding acid to the diet to help digestion, and I currently drink water with fresh lemon added throughout the day (apple cider vinegar works too but I can’t stand the taste) and strong probiotics as well as taking digestive enzymes with meals.
You may want to look into the GAPS diet – it is designed to heal the digestive system from the inside out. I still struggle with occasional heartburn/reflux as well as gas and bloating although those symptoms are improved with my doctor’s protocol. But I’m still considering trying the GAPS diet in attempts to heal my troubled digestive track.
Good luck.
As far as the probiotic, I take one I get at my healthfood store but I don’t think it’s strong enough. I am thinking of ordering these – http://organic3.com/gutpro/?utm_source=gaps&utm_medium=biokult-link&utm_campaign=gutpro
I’m going to try not write a long paragraph, 10 years ago I was diagnosed with Gerd, Hiatal hernia, and a little bit of gastritis. I took the famous purple pill and I think it helped. I don’t remember how long I took it, I stopped eating citrus but recently all those symptoms came back.
I’m 26 I weighed 210 and now weigh 160 and less then a month, Ive been in and out of the ER. I has a stomach emptying test, barium swallow, scope, cat scan everything came back normal. I lost so much weight because I have early satiety.
I couldnt eat or drink, Im slowly starting to eat again. I was in the hospital for two days and was given Nexium of course. I cant afford that so now Im up feeling like someone choking me because its been a whole day since I was given the Nexium.
Ive tired prilosec, Dexilant which gave me a bad reaction and Zantac,, Nexium is the only thing that helps except when I miss a day..OMG the torture. Im in so much pain. I asked my doctor if he saw gerd on the scope and he said no. there was no damage to my stomach lining okay good.
Jo’Lynne I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar with water everyday for a whole month prior to me having these problems. I was drinking this stuff for a completely different reason, and I felt like the ACV caused all this, I was also taking garlic pills to boost my immune system. I wont be drinking the vinegar but glad it helped others
Have you tried the Aloe Vera Juice? I have the gel and its great for topical use, also can I use any probiotic? I would love to see a Naturopath but cant afford to and no health insurance so Im on google
trying to help myself.
I thought I had stomach cancer or an ulcer but no one can find anything wrong with me..I have been stressed, and that cant be good for gerd, Im scared to eat or drink because water gives me heartburn.
I just wrote a long paragraph lol!! have you ever tried Chamomile tea? not sure if it will help or make it worse, I was told not to drink tea but I see some people still do certain kinds.
Thanks for reading, any response is welcomed. I will be purchasing some of the books on here. I know your not a doctor but is Fish Oil good? I still have my garlic pills but Im done with that because I dont know what made me sick in the first place.
Your saga sounds a lot like mine – I had all those tests as well and all were negative.
Good quality cod liver oil is an essential for anyone wanting good health. It is the one supplement I have read everyone should be on.
Probiotics also should be of good quality. I’ve heard pros and cons to Aloe Vera juice so personally I’m staying off it.
I doubt the ACV caused this, but going off it could have caused symptoms to come back if it was helping your digestion? Just a thought.
Honestly I am not an expert and I’m still struggling to keep my digestive issues under control so I hesitate to give advice beyond sharing my story.
I’m currently reading Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. McBride, and it is a fabulous resource. I think anyone with digestive issues should read it. It’s just such a complex issue and there is SO much information, and unfortunately most of it flies in the face of conventional medical advice. I may or may not do the diet as prescribed, it may be that simply implementing some of the advice will help me enough to manage my issues, but as severe as yours are, I would highly recommend looking into it.
Good luck.
Jo-Lynne… I’m so glad to read your posts. I too have GERD and mild gastritis. I was diagnosed Dec. 2010 so I have been battling it for about 5 months and it has been very difficult. When I was dx I only had a lump sensation in my throat and some chest pain… no heartburn. They did the scope and found no barrets or cancer… which I’m thankful of. They put me on prilosec and then my symptoms got worse so they put me on 40 mg of nexium… still experiencing worse symptoms then when I was dx. They then put me on 80 mg of nexium and zantac at night and carafate… 2 weeks later my mouth was burning with acid and my tongue was raw and burning. Changed doctors and she is weaning me off. I am now down to 40 mg of prilosec…. should I wean down to 20mg at breakfast and 20mg at dinner and then down to 20mg? My biggest complaint is this sour/metallic taste in my mouth with excessive saliva and occasional heartburn. How are you feeling? Were you able to stay off the PPI’s? I’ve lost 10lbs and hoping if I loose a little more it will help.
Hi Natalie, thanks for asking. I am totally off meds, but to be honest, I still have some acid reflux and gassiness/bloating at times. I’ve gone gluten free, and I’m trying to steer clear of most grains and sugars. When I do that, I feel really good. But I haven’t truly broken the sugar/carb habit.
My doctor is working with me – mostly for the gas/bloating complaints more so than the acid reflux, but it all goes hand in hand. I am drinking lemon water throughout the day, to hopefully help with digestion, and I’m taking digestive enzymes with each meal. I’m upping my probiotics and trying to eat more veggies. I have also been running/walking some but I need to be more consistent with that.
It’s a process, for sure, but I really want to stay off meds so I’m doing my best to manage with diet and lifestyle.
Good luck with the weaning off !
OK, great…..whew I have never posted anything befor. First of all I want to sat thank you for this great web Page!!!! I have just started going through this and I have felt so alone in it. It’s only been 3 months but the worst three months ever. My Doctor put me on Nexium and I decided to go off them just two days ago,,,,is this a bad idea? because I really dont think they are helping I believe they are just coating the problem. I thought of skipping every other day with the Nexium to wein off.
Thank you Jo-Lynn for this blog and for everyone sharing your stories.
Christine, of course I don’t know your situation. I’d just caution you to make some of the diet changes, and go slowly. Otherwise you’ll be back where you started when your doctor put you on the Nexium, or worse b/c it tends to create problems that weren’t there before. There’s a lot of good information out there if you search for it.
Hi everyone, I just wanted to tell my story, how this all began and maybe get some feedback. It was just over 11 weeks ago when it all started. I just finished work, pulled out a bag of roasted pistachios and poured myself a glass of red wine. Now, first of all I had never really eaten pistachios, this was part of a gift package I got for Christmas. The crazy thing is I remember looking at the bag thinking I had not had pistachios forever probably 10 years or more, let alone roasted. I was kind of in a lazy lying back mood on my couch when I started eating these, along with sipping on my wine……..WOW the next day I felt heavy in my stomach I knew right away something was wrong. All what I had eaten seemed to still be sitting somewhere between my throat and tummy. I felt so horrible. I thought this will be gone after I go the washroom and give things a day to settle; well this was not the case it only got worse. I ended up at my doctors. She said it’s probably acid reflux and prescribed Nexium. I did not feel like things were really getting all that better. I went back to my Doctor just three weeks after and told her I was having alot of discomfort just below my ribs, I had some burning but not that much. She just looked at me and said so what do you want me to do. I couldn’t believe the way she made me feel; of course my response was well, shouldn’t we do some blood test or an ultrasound, could I maybe see a Specialist…..I told her I’m worried because my weight is dropping to much. I’m a very small framed person; I am only 103 lbs. and dropped down to 95lbs…. My doctor just looked at me and said, “Christine I think you just have a tweaky stomach. After this experience I was totally at a loss as to what to do, so I went to a Naturopath doctor. She did Biomeridian Computerized test. She noticed I had a really bad sensitivity to gluten. She did not tell me to go off my Nexium, but she did tell me to stay off gluten for one month and we would go from there. I have to admit my tommy has really calmed down however; I’m still having this feeling of food getting stuck. It hasn’t been a month yet of gluten free but this doctor is convinced that this will correct itself once I stay of gluten and change up some things in my diet. Does anyone have this problem with this feeling of food not digesting? Any thoughts or suggestions? I can’t help but think something was wrong with those pistachios that created havoc in my system… Thank you everyone for an opportunity to share my story. Any advice would be appreciated.
Bless your hearts
Christine, this story is EERIE. I have been having that EXACT feeling.
But before I address that, I cannot BELIEVE a doctor put you on Nexium for that. Stories like this make me lose all faith with the medical profession.
I think the pistachios must have triggered something, but that is definitely odd, if it was totally out of the blue.
As far as going off gluten, that helped me initially, as I’m off gluten too, but then I’ve been getting that really full feeling that you describe – like something is stuck.
I think for me, there is more I’m sensitive to than just gluten. Grains in general bother me, and I have a feeling dairy is part of it too.
The weight loss should be concerning. Did they test you for Celiac?
Something is definitely going on, and hopefully your naturopath can help you figure it out. Keep us posted.
You may want to read Gut & Psychology Syndrome. I expect the GAPS diet would help you – at least you could figure out what’s bothering you. I’m planning to do it eventually, but I’m trying to hold off for next winter, when I won’t mind eating so much soup.
Christine: I also have problems with feeling like food does not digest and then my bile starts backing up into my pancreas and liver causing the Dr’s to think I”m having a gallbladder attack.
Hi Jo-Lynne first of all thank you so much for all the useful information you have provided on this page. I found it not only very informative but also useful. How are things coming along for you since you have been of the Nexium? I started on Nexium for about a month now, due to heartburn. First time I suffered heartburn for three days, so I was concerned went to Doc, and was prescribed Prevacid but to no avail, then came the Nexium. DId not work for me as much as it has for others, but I managed by supplementing with Tums every now and then. Now my dilemma. How do I ween off the Nexium? I had my first consultation with Gastro today, and will be going through a series of testing (I pray all is well). I mentioned to him that Nexium made me feel worse. I had all types of symptoms such as;joint pains, and stomach pains non of which were there before. So he told me to stop Nexium and was quick to give me free samples of a GERD drug. Then he has the audacity to say that “heartburn wont kill you”, well it sure does make me feel miserable. So any helpful suggestions to help ween me off this horrible drug?
Um. Well, he is WRONG. Heartburn can cause esophageal cancer if left untreated. So it CAN kill you. Good lord what is WITH doctors anyway???
Sigh…
It really is about diet (finding out what triggers it – for me it isn’t greasy foods as most suggest; rather it is carbs and tomato sauce. But really the carbs.) I’m doing all the digestive enzymes my doc suggested as well as drinking lemon water. From online research, the ACV sounds like the best cure but it is so hard for me to tolerate. UGH. I find that eating small portions helps. I know when I weaned off Nexium, I ate some apple after every meal. That seemed to help. It’s a lot of trial and error, but you definitely want to control it with diet, don’t assume that “it won’t kill you.” GOOD LORD.
Good luck!!
This explains why I had problems while trying to come off the purple pill. I will be sure to arm my body with all the defenses it needs before trying to go off again.
Hi,
this is very eye opening. I’m glad I found your post so early. I’ve been on Nexium for the past 2 months and didn’t fill my prescription a few days ago thinking that I’m feeling fine now and my stomach problems came back. I was diagnosed with gastritis and I’m going back for an endoscopy in 2 weeks so I’ll try to speak to my doctor because I hate pills and I’m only 22 and certainly DON NOT want to stay on pills forever. I’m thinking of getting back on the meds for another month until I get my results back and figure out a plan to get off of them more smoothly. Thanks a lot!
Kate
Wow I’m go glad I came across this, unbelievable I was diagnosed with GERD at 15 when I had a barium swallow functioning study done and under went swallowing therapy sessions in addition to being prescribed nexium. Dealing with the on going symptoms of asthmas, allergies, chronic post nasal drip and never ending abdominal pains I saw it as the answer and did not question being on the medication for the rest of my life. These symptoms would come and go as I continued my life, but the pros still outweighted the cons. Six years later, 3 of which were stressful college years I approach my senior semester with more digestive/abdominal issues then ever and doctors continue to throw more medication at me, not really listening to me.
Thank you for posting this. I have been battling “gallbladder attacks” for about 4 years now. Unlike my Dr’s, I am convinced this is not in fact my gallbladder, but a stomach digestion issue. I did have an endoscopy done that showed some erosion at the base of my esophagus, so my Dr. put me on Nexium to heal it. I was on it for a month then stopped. My “gallbladder attacks” continued and I went back on the Nexium (40mg) after a few months. My Dr. also put me on 50,000 UI of Vit D once a week because my Vit D level was 7…yes 7! Needless to say my hips felt bruised and hurt all the time.
After two months on the Nexium (40mg.) my stomach felt better and I did not have any attacks. I cut the dosage to 20 mg for about a month and felt GREAT! A couple of days ago I cut even further down to 10 mg…not so good now. I had my first attack in months yesterday. It was not a full blown attack, but severe enough for me to take a pain pill. I took some generic Pepcid AC and a little George’s Aloe Vera. Flax tea with a little Real Salt helps the most.
These attacks always start out feeling like bloating then the stomach not emptying, I think inflammation is swelling my Sphincter of Odi and causing my bile to back-up into my pancreas. That’s why the docs think it’s a gallstone blocking my duct, but this only happens when I’m stressed and eat certain foods. and it NEVER happens as long as I’m taking at least 20 mg of Nexium. I don’t think Nexium has any effect on gallstones so I don’t think they could be causing my problems.
Has anyone else has symptoms like these?
I also notice that I feel WAY better when I don’t eat foods from the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) and any true grains. Pseudo-grains (quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth) seem to be ok.
I’d be curious about what your attacks are like. Sounds like severe IBS maybe?
Interesting about the nightshade family. I read something about them once, but I can’t remember – there was a reason they bother some people.
And yeah, grains bother me FOR SURE.
It’s a lot of trial and error. And also? I find if I mix a lot of foods, like I eat 3 consecutive snacks that are very different, that can bring on what I consider IBS (cramping and diarrhea) so I try not to confuse my system too much, lol.
As far as gas and bloating and GERD, it is definitely affected by the amount of food I eat. Smaller portions are SO much easier on the digestive system. I’ve read about this too – as Americans, we generally eat WAY more than we need, which is taxing on our digestion, and probably a reason so many of us seek meds.
Best of luck to you!
I don’t think I have IBS. Doesn’t that have a lot of diarrhea associated with it? If anything, I have constipation problems.
The attacks I get always start with my stomach feeling really full even if I’ve only eaten a very small amount (1 cup or less), If I don’t get it to go away fairly fast, then the pain and feeling of fullness spreads to my gallbladder/pancreas/liver area and then all the way across my stomach and then to my back. This is the bile backing up in my system.
I’ve been diagnosed with fatty liver disease and I think that sometimes it’s actually my liver that pains me sometimes, though that pain is just a dull aching on the far right. I usually only get this kind of pain when I eat sugar.
GreenMedInfo.com has been a wonderful resource for me these last four years with dealing with my stomach issues. Particularly two articles titled: “The Dark Side of Wheat: New Perspectives on Celiac Disease and Wheat Intolerance” (the video at the end of the article was much easier to understand since the article is quite technical) and “Opening Pandora’s Box: The Critical Role of Wheat Lectin in Human Disease” Here’s a link to Part 1 of 3 for the video:
http://youtu.be/0hupClzDNs8
Lisa, after reading your comments this morning, I was going to ask about wheat. (Since the writing of this post, I have become gluten free. It helps, but I still get symptoms from time to time. Lately it seems that red meat – particularly ground beef brings on my acid reflux. So odd!)
I will check out that video, thanks!!
My staying away from nightshades and grains came after reading and watching ‘The Dark Side of Wheat’
All or most all plants contain lectin, but nightshades and grains are particularly high in lectin and many people have a sensitivity to it.
Some people stay way for digestive reasons while others stay away for arthritis reasons. In my case, I stay away from them for BOTH reasons, as arthritis runs in my family and I’ve already started having trouble with some of my joints. I’ve already noticed a positive difference in my joints. The vote is still out for the stomach issues since coming off the Nexium has complicated my system. I did notice that when I stay away from the high lectin foods that my feet don’t swell!
I didn’t even really realize that they were swollen until I started experimenting with the not eating lectin.
I just found your website and was so happy to see that my 40 mgs a day of Nexium for 4 years and a slew of other medical problems could be due to the Nexium. I have gone from 40 to 20mg a day now but now it seems harder to get off the 20 mg. I am hoping that getting off this drug will improve my health greatly. I have never been this sick in my whole life until they took out my gallbladder and put me on Nexium. I can’t eat or drink much, because the food just sits in my stomach for hours and blows me up until I can’t breath. Not to mention putting on 40 lbs. I’ve never been over weight in my whole life until my gallbladder was removed. Getting the weight off has been a major problem. If you have any suggestions for me, I would greatly appreciate it.
Kay, read thru the advice in the comments and in the post. There’s a lot of great advice about getting the digestion system working on its own.
The gallbladder issue does complicate things, I’m sure. My mom does not have her gall bladder, and she has a hard time digesting fats.
have esophageal spasms. one very severe attack a few months ago (was in ER with possible heart attack symptoms). with follow up endoscopy etc. showed some esopageal irritation. dr. suggested nexium. I resisted for a while but then decided to try it.
previous year had gastritis. prilosec didn’t agree and stopped after 5 days. same with zantac. stopped taking aspirin and most vitamins. some improvement and just lived with it, till this esophageal flare up. Have had on and off IRB for years.
took nexium 40 mg. for 3 weeks then was off for 2 days by accident, when had colonoscopy and getting milder esophageal spasms again. went back on the nexium and still getting some mild esophageal spasming at night. only been back on for 2 days. hate to keep taking this. gastro wants me to continue for a while. feels acid is coming up into esophagus to cause the spasms and the irritation.
realizing that it is going to be very difficult to get off of it. as already was when I was off for 2 days by accident.
even for the 3 weeks I have been on the nexium I still have cramping on and off a lot of the day. feel tired too. then some days perfectly ok. haven’t been able to tie it to a particular food.
eat fairly healthy. very little or no processed food. do like desserts unfortunately. don’t think I have gluten or celiac issues, as played with that a year ago and didn’t really help. did drink a lot of diet coke over the years, trying to give it up as know it not good for you, but quite addictive.
with an irritation in the esophagus don’t think vinegar or even lemon juice is such a great idea.
Did see the only naturopath in the area (boston area) I could find who wasn’t into reiki or other stuff like that a year ago. problem is he prescribed 3 or more of his things and wanted me to take them all at once. so if side effect from one of them how would I know which one? he had a few helpful suggestions but felt he was a bit of a pill pusher in his way also.
have been reading extensively on line and more confused than anything at this point.
any thoughts?
Hi Jo. I’m afraid I don’t have any advice, just sympathy. I felt the same way, I went to a holistic person once – drove an hour in pouring rain, spent 2 hours with her, and came away with hundreds of $$ of pills. One day after taking some, had one of the worst stomach aches of my life, and I threw them all away and never went back.
It is so frustrating trying to find the right person to help. I do urge you to try again with someone else, don’t give up. It’s so easy to just give up b/c it is so stressful. I did that for years – just went along with whatever the docs said b/c I was too tired and too stressed to figure out a better way.
I am not at all familiar with esophageal spasms, but it sounds miserable. Best of luck to you!
Jo-Anne
What is you diet like? breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks.?
Also what probitic do you use? there are so many out there.
thanks
Jo
meant Jo LYnne Shane
I try not to eat processed foods. I am gluten free, I eat a lot of protein, eggs, meat, raw milk, cheeses. I do drink coffee and wine, which I’m sure don’t help. I was taking probiotics but I have been lazy with them. I do take digestive enzymes with every meal and I’m on zinc, iron and biotin. I need to get back on cod liver oil. A girl could go broke with supplements, though!!
I am currently weaning myself off of the nexium, have had acid reflux since I was young and it runs in the family. Also learned that it is common with people with Type O blood since they naturally have high acid stomach. Started taking andrew lessman digest assure and his fiber which has probiotics in it before meals which helps. Also started taking Natures way ginger root capsules and slippery elm bark. I have regained my health and energy by following the eat right for your blood type diet by dr. dadamo. http://www.dadamo.com
The chapter for my blood type really broke down what I needed to eat and what I needed to avoid, to include wheat, corn, milk etc. I also learned that I need to avoid coconut, peanuts, aloe vera, echinacea and golden seal. I take several supplements, but recently also started taking astralagus to help rebuild my immune system as well. I try to read the book as much as possible because it has been a lifesaver for me. Interesting how apple cider vinegar is the only vinegar that is allowed. I think I will try to mix it with some pesto and olive oil for a salad dressing and see if that works, then I can just have a side salad before each meal, that is if the other things do not work. I have learned for myself that I am fine with sugar and white rice, it is the wheat and corn that give me heartburn and I cannot tolerate or digest. Definitely no more coffee for me, but I am fine with hot chocolate for dessert, nestle syrup and I live on unsweetened vanilla almond milk now. Hope something I wrote helps somebody. So glad to see this blog!
Health is wealth!
hi my story is similar. i had acid in my stomach. been on nexium. got off and everything was worse and constantly painful. now i am back on but looking for a natural alternative. i am on an anti inflammatory diet. so i already dont drink coffee or much alcohol, have lots of red meat, or eat much fast food or packaged food. and i do eat ginger and virgin coconut oil. but what is a carb? is that like veggie? cuz i eat lots of veggies. is it quinoa or oats? fruits? thx! sorry u had to go thru all this. glad u posted to give us hope of getting off nexium and not being in constant pain! <3 Asi
Carbs are breads and potatoes and rice and things like that.
Carbohydrates.
Good luck to you!
Jo-Lynne — Thank you for the blog. If I may share my own story: I’ve been having stomach pains and occasional heartburn that began on Oct. 1, 2011, following a meal at a Japanese restaurant. I’ve never had these problems before — occasional heartburn in the evenings, and very bad stabbing stomach pains for an hour, especially after black tea or milk; but I have since eliminated these and still have these problems. My stomach would usually not feel quite right all through the day.
I’ve been to 2 gastroenterologists, and neither one really investigated the concept that I picked up something from the meal on Oct. 1. Instead, they’ve been reaching for the colonoscopy (which I foolishly agreed to), the sonogram (which I also did), the CT scan (which I declined), and so on, without finding anything.
My current gastroenterologist did go for a stool sample (negative) and started me on Nexium last week. To be honest, it seems to have helped; but it’s possible my symptoms were abating on their own.
After reading your blog, I’m thinking I want to get off the Nexium the first chance I get, and see what happens.
So — thanks again, and best of luck to you!
Jeff
I don’t know if anyone already mentioned this but taking a lot of NSAID’s (Aleve, Advil etc) can cause acid reflux and I noticed that when I stopped taking them so much (for headaches) and trying other things (Tylenol, magnesium to relax tight muscles, etc) to deal with my headaches the weird clicking I’d developed when I swallow (thanks to the reflux) and the reflux itself went away and now I can manage occasional heartburn with a Tums. Just wanted to mention that in case anyone wasn’t aware that reflux is a common but not well-known side effect of those OTC medications.
Interesting! Because I did not realize that. However, I have stopped taking those types of meds, just b/c I don’t want to be on stuff, and I wonder if that has also helped me beat my Nexium addiction.
And by the way, thanks for commenting. I remember reading your blog way back when – you were going thru a lot. I’m glad to see you’re still blogging! I’m going to go catch up.
I enjoyed reading your blog. People need to know that Nexium is a two-edged sword.
Jeff, yes Nexium does help, that is what is so enticing about it. You can blithely go along eating and drinking everything you want and never really change the habits that contribute to the initial problem. So, yes you may need it to heal the attack that you had, but do think twice about staying on it.
J-Lynne, I was on it for about 5 years as well. A couple of times I found myself out of town without it and had horrible problems with heart burn. Like you, I hadn’t really had that initially. I had terrible fluttering in my throat that I thought might be a heart attack or something and when I went to get it checked they tracked it to a sliding hiatal hernia. The fluttering had been acid in my throat. Then began the Nexium.
About three years ago I cut back the medication, thinking that not having acid to break down my food must have some detrimental effect on my system. Anyway, long story short, I finally got rid of it all together and have been off for over a year and 1/2. I have to pay better attention to triggers and do have flare ups occasionally, but things are pretty good. I did use the apple cider vinegar and I loved it. It also balanced my system in general, but I have had some problems with my teeth that may be related, so I’ve given that up as well. Such an amazing balancing act we must play with these amazing machines we walk around in. Anyway thanks for sharing.
You are right – it’s all about balance. Interesting about your teeth. I have weak teeth so I need to pay attention to that. Thanks for your input! It is always nice to know that someone else had luck going off that stuff.
Hello! I have a similar story to yours with no heartburn before the pills–just other symptoms and I’m in the middle of weaning myself off right now experiencing a lot of heartburn and belching. Could you tell me what probiotics you use and digestive enzymes? I’ve wanted to try both, but am not sure which brands are effective. Thanks!
Also, where do you get your Swedish bitters and what’s the brand?
Oh boy. There are SO many different ones. I went to my local health food store where there is a very knowledgeable staff and talked to them. I was taking 2 different kinds for a while. Now I’m pretty much off everything, except I take cod liver oil. But anyway.
I took these for a while: http://amzn.to/zuaqub as well as these: http://amzn.to/xLQft6
I took several different digestive enzymes, I am very fond of the Megafood brand (for any supplement – it is all derived from food, not chemicals – so easier to digest, supposedly.)
Swedish Bitters – I love these: http://amzn.to/wBMLAi