FWIW, When my doggy was on steroids at the end of her life, the vet had me give her cimetidine (Tagamet) in a slurry to help with the side-effects of the steroids. I don’t know if your vet meant that other meds don’t work long-term for dogs, or for dogs with chronic non-medicine-related heartburn but…just a data point for you. Here’s a little summary.
Crazy. When I had some stomach problems (many) years ago, the doctor was handing Prilosec out like candy. He even specifically mentioned that there was no down side to taking them. I guess that was the conventional wisdom at the time.
Originally it was recommended that PPIs not be used for longer than 3 to 6 months, because people didn’t know the long-term effects.
Then about 20 years ago, it was announced there didn’t seem to be long-term risks, so go ahead and stay on it without worry.
Now this.
That’s why medicine is an art, not a science.
My wife has a diagnosis of PPI-REE (PPI-responsive eosinophilic esophogitis). This is apparently not a GERD issue, non-PPI antacid treatments do not help. If she does not take a PPI at least every other day she will at some point be unable to swallow and require immediate corticosteroid treatment (think a rescue inhaler, but swallow instead of inhale). The main problem is that the PPI causes severe diarrhea (within 30 minutes of taking the pill). She has rotated through most of the PPIs and is currently on Lansoprazole.
Basically at this point stopping PPIs is not an option for her.
Does she use one of the steroid maintenance inhalers meant for asthma?
I have the toughest time convincing certain pharmacists that I want my eosinophilic esophagitis patients to swallow their flovent or Qvar sprays, not inhale it.
It does work!
Yes, Flovent. Her pharmacist made sure she understood to swallow the spray instead of inhaling. He also suggested that she could try using OTC Flonase - a squirt down the throat, and way cheaper than the $200 inhaler. She has not tried that yet, she has only had to use the inhaler a few times since they discovered that PPIs prevent the EoE (eosinophils disappear, confirmed by biopsy). The docs really prefer her to use the PPI rather than depend on the corticosteroid, but they are baffled by the diarrhea the PPI is causing. Sometimes she tries a longer break from the PPI but the dysphagia crops right back up (no pun intended) - those are the few times she has had to use the inhaler.
Glad you posted this as I am an alcoholic and I take omeprazole and have for years. It’s quite literally a miracle drug for me, I used to have to avoid anything with citric acid in it, carry around sandwich baggies of Tums, etc. This drug has completely and totally eradicated all of that.
Me too, minus the alcoholic part. I had heartburn since I was a teenager, buying Rolaids by the box full for years. Almost literally, everything triggered it. I lived in terror of ingesting a bit of bell pepper. When Prilosec came out, my doctor gave me a sample package and it was like a miracle happened. I’ve been taking the stuff for at least 15 years now without issue (that I know of). I tried to cut back on it a couple of years ago, but the problem came back with a vengeance in about three days.
I’ve been on Prevacid for many years now. i didn’t go see a doctor about the reflux until I quit smoking. I know that can cause it so they would tell me to quit. But I did it on my own. I was still in pain. If I forget a dose I’m miserable all day. I can’t sleep either. Prevacid was a miracle drug for me. I guess I need to find a GI doc now. It’s time for a camera up my ass anyway.
For endoscopy of your esophagus, stomach and possibly duodenum you can also get a pill cam endoscopy done. Some doctors don’t like to use it for reasons I don’t really understand but it’s available if you don’t like the idea of having a tube snaked down your throat.
The only other possible issue besides physician reluctance might be insurance coverage. I don’t think the cost difference is much but you’d have to argue with your carrier about that.
For the other end, depending on your age you really should get a colonoscopy. A pill cam for that has also been recently introduced but is in limited use. Approval for general use should be forthcoming in the not to distant future though.
In the meantime, at least get a fecal immunochemical test.
I haven’t stopped but I am worried - I take it twice a day as once wasn’t cutting it.
I asked my doctor about this through the org’s Web messaging system. His response is very hard to parse, so I’m not entirely sure what I should do. My problems were real, but not nearly as bad as some of those mentioned in this thread.
Maybe I’ll ask the new doctor I’ll have to get soon.
NB: Capsule endoscopies are limited procedures. Biopsies can’t be taken, the operator can’t swivel the camera around and push the scope into crevasses to see all aspects, explore every nook and cranny. That’s a big deficit to the procedure, IMHO. THAT is why EGDs are the preferred method for examining the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
And just because a person reaches 50 doesn’t mean they must have a colonoscopy. If you’re a low risk patient for colon cancer, one can do annual stool checks for blood, or do the cancer DNA screen every 3 years. Both these approaches have been considered to be adequate means to screen folks for colon cancer by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force , IF they have no strong family history of colon cancer nor a past history of polyps themselves.
I had an endoscopy back when I was first prescribed the lansoprazole. No damage. I was also checked for ulcers to rule that out.
I reached 50 this year. Thanks for the info. I won’t go into the GI demanding a colonoscopy I’ll wait to see what he says. As far as I know there isn’t any history of colon cancer in my family. Or much cancer of any kind.
Well, if you go to the GI specialist, expect to be told you ought to have the colonoscopy. GI folks push strongly for that as the best surveillance, despite studies indicating other approaches reduce morbidity and mortality equally well. The GI folks point to studies that show scoping reveals things that other methods miss. Which may well be true, but as of yet, the science doesn’t firmly say that this ends up saving health or lives. Hence USPSTF recommending those other screening tools as being adequate.
But if you go to your internist or family medicine specialist, you may well get pointed towards the stool screen for blood, or the test for cancer DNA.
I went in the hospital for surgery. Somehow they didn’t get my omeprazole ordered on my chart.
Two days later I was puking up acid and miserable. Just like I had been a few years ago before starting the medicine. I used to wake up at night miserable until I puked up the acid.
Hospital got me back on my med.
I can’t just stop taking it.
I don’t like taking the tablet. It always makes my tongue and mouth feel a little numb. I swallow it with water. But it always does that.
I always tell the Pharmacist want capsules.
I’m about due for another scoping. My last was in 2009.