Note: this is the fifth article in a series about heartburn and GERD. If you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IVa before reading this article.
In the last article, we discussed the first two of four primary consequences of taking acid stopping drugs:
- Bacterial overgrowth
- Impaired nutrient absorption
In this article we’ll cover the remaining two consequences:
- Decreased resistance to infection
- Increased risk of cancer and other diseases
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Our First Line of Defense
The mouth, esophagus and intestines are home to between 400-1,000 species of bacteria. However, a healthy stomach is normally almost completely sterile. Why? Because stomach acid kills bacteria.
First, stomach acid prevents harmful bacteria that may be present in the food or liquid we consume or the air we breathe from entering the intestine. At the same time, stomach acid also prevents normal bacteria from the intestines to move into the stomach and esophagus, where they could cause problems.
The low pH (high acid) environment of the stomach is one of the major non-specific defense mechanisms of the body. When the pH of the stomach is 3 or lower, the normal between-meal “resting” level, bacteria don’t last more than fifteen minutes. But as the pH rises to 5 or more, many bacterial species can avoid the acid treatment and begin to thrive.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens when you take acid stopping drugs. Both Tagamet and Zantac significantly raise the pH of the stomach from about 1 to 2 before treatment to 5.5 to 6.5 after, respectively.
Prilosec and other PPIs are even worse. Just one of these pills is capable of reducing stomach acid secretion by 90 to 95 percent for the better part of a day. Taking higher or more frequent doses of PPIs, as is often recommended, produces a state of achlorydia (virtually no stomach acid). In a study of ten healthy men aged 22 to 55 years, a 20 or 40 mg dose of Prilosec reduced stomach acid levels to near-zero.
Most of the time these bacteria won’t kill us – at least not right away. But some of them can. People who have a gastric pH high enough to promote bacterial overgrowth are more vulnerable to serious bacterial infections.
A recent systematic review of gastric acid-suppressive drugs suggested that they do in fact increase susceptibility to infections (PDF). The author found evidence that using acid stopping drugs can increase your chances of contracting the following nasty bugs:
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter
- Cholera
- Listeria
- Giardia
- C. Difficile
Other studies have found that acid stopping drugs also increase the risk for:
Not only do acid stopping drugs increase our susceptibility to infection, they weaken our immune system’s ability to fight off infections once we have them. In vitro studies have shown that PPIs impair nuetrophil function, decrease adhesion to endothelial cells, reduce bactericidal killing of microbes, and inhibit neutrophil phagocytosis and phagolysosome acidification.
A Gateway to Other Serious Diseases
As we discussed in the first article in this series, a decline in acid secretion with age has been well documented. As recently as 1996, a British physician noted that age-related stomach acid decline is due to a loss of the cells that produce the acid. This condition is called atrophic gastritis.
In particular relevance to our discussion here, atrophic gastritis (a condition where stomach acid is very low) is associated with a wide range of serious disorders that go far beyond the stomach and esophagus. These include:
- Stomach cancer
- Allergies
- Bronchial asthma
- Depression, anxiety, mood disorders
- Pernicious anemia
- Skin diseases, including forms of acne, dermatitis, eczema, and urticaria
- Gall bladder disease (gallstones)
- Autoimmune diseases, such as Rheumatoid arthritis and Graves disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease (CD), Ulcerative colitis (UC)
- Chronic hepatitis
- Osteoporosis
- Type 1 diabetes
And let’s not forget that low stomach acid can cause heartburn and GERD!
In the interest of keeping this article from becoming a book, I’m going to focus on just a few of the disorders on the list above.
Stomach Cancer
Atrophic gastritis is a major risk factor for stomach cancer. H. pylori is the leading cause of atrophic gastritis. Acid suppressing drugs worsen H. pylori infections and increase rates of infection.
Therefore, it’s not a huge leap to suspect that acid suppressing drugs increase the risk of stomach cancer in those infected with H. pylori (which, as we saw in Part III, is one in two people).
In a recent editorial, Julie Parsonnet, M.D. of Standford University Medical School writes:
In principle, current [acid suppressing drug] therapies might be advancing the cancer clock by converting relatively benign gastric inflammation into a more destructive, premalignant process.
One way PPIs increase the risk of cancer is by inducing hypergastrinemia, a condition of above-normal secretion of the hormone gastrin. This is a potentially serious condition that has been linked to adenocarcinoma – a form of stomach cancer.
Taking a standard 20 mg daily dose of Prilosec typically results in up to a three-to-fourfold increase in gastrin levels. In people whose heartburn fails to respond to the standard dose, long-term treatment with doses as high as 40 or 60 mg has produced gastrin levels as much as tenfold above normal.
In a healthy stomach, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) removes nitrite from gastric juice by converting it to nitric oxide. However, this process is dependent upon the pH of the stomach being less than 4. As I discussed earlier in this article, most common acid stopping medications have no trouble increasing the pH of the stomach to 6 or even higher.
Therefore, it’s entirely plausible that acid stopping medications increase the risk of stomach cancer by at least two distinct mechanisms.
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Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers
An estimated 90% of duodenal (intestinal) and 65% of gastric ulcers are caused by H. pylori. It is also recognized that the initial H. pylori infection probably only takes place when the acidity of the stomach is decreased. In a human inoculation experiment, infection could not be established unless the pH of the stomach was raised (thus lowering the acidity) by use of histamine antagonists.
By lowering stomach acid and increasing stomach pH, acid suppressing drugs increase the risk of H. pylori infection and subsequent development of duodenal or gastric ulcers.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Adenosine is a key mediator of inflammation in the digestive tract, and high extracellular levels of adenosine suppress and resolve chronic inflammation in both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Chronic use of PPIs has been shown to decrease extracellular concentration of adenosine, resulting in an increase in inflammation in the digestive tract. Therefore, it is possible that long-term use of acid stopping medications may predispose people to developing serious inflammatory bowel disorders.
It has become increasingly well established that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is caused at least in part by small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). It is also well known that acid suppressing drugs contribute to bacterial overgrowth, as I explained in Part II and Part III. It makes perfect sense, then, that chronic use of acid suppressing drugs could contribute to the development of IBS in those that didn’t previously have it, and worsen the condition in those already affected.
Depression, Anxiety and Mood Disorders
While there is no specific research (that I am aware of) linking acid suppressing drugs to depression or mood disorders, a basic understanding of the relationship between protein digestion and mental health suggests that there may be a connection.
During the ingestion of food stomach acid secretion triggers the release of pepsin. Pepsin is the enzyme responsible for breaking down protein into its component amino acids and peptides (two or more linked amino acids). Essential amino acids are called “essential” because we cannot manufacture them in our bodies. We must get them from food.
Autoimmune Diseases
Low stomach acid and consequent bacterial overgrowth cause the intestine to become permeable, allowing undigested proteins to find their way into the bloodstream. This condition is often referred to as “leaky gut syndrome”. Salzman and colleagues have shown that both transcellular and paracellular intestinal permeability are substantially increased in atrophic gastritis sufferers compared to control patients.
When undigested proteins end up in the bloodstream, they are considered as “foreign” by the immune system. The resulting immune response is similar to what happens when the body mobilizes its defenses (i.e. T cells, B cells and antibodies) to eradicate a viral or bacterial infection.
This type of immune response against proteins we eat contributes to food allergies. A similar mechanism that is not fully understood predisposes people with a leaky gut to develop more serious autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, Graves disease, and inflammatory bowel disorders like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
The connection between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and low stomach acid in particular has been well established in the literature. Examining the stomach contents of 45 RA patients, Swedish researchers found that 16 (36 percent) had virtually no stomach acid. Those people who had suffered from RA the longest had the least acid. A group of Italian researchers also found that people with RA have an extremely high rate of atrophic gastritis associated with low stomach acid when compared with normal individuals.
Asthma
It is estimated that between up to 80 percent of people with asthma also have GERD. Compared with healthy people, those with asthma also have significantly more reflux episodes and more acid-induced irritation of their esophageal lining.
When acid gets into the windpipe, there is a tenfold drop in the ability of the lungs to take in and breathe out air. Physicians who are aware of this association have begun prescribing acid stopping drugs to asthma patients suffering from GERD. While these drugs may provide temporary symptomatic relief, they do not address the underlying cause of the LES dysfunction that permitted acid into the esophagus in the first place.
In fact, there is every reason to believe that acid suppressing drugs make the underlying problem (too little stomach acid and overgrowth of bacteria) worse, thus perpetuating and exacerbating the condition.
Conclusion
As we have seen in the previous articles in the series, heartburn and GERD are caused by too little – and not too much – stomach acid. Unfortunately, insufficient stomach acid is also associated with bacterial overgrowth, impaired nutrient absorption, decreased resistance to infection, and increased risk of stomach cancer, ulcers, IBS and other digestive disorders, depression and mood disorders, autoimmune disease, and asthma.
Is the temporary symptom relief these drugs provide worth the risk? That’s something only you can decide. I hope the information I’ve provided here can help you make an educated decision.
In the next and final article of the series, I will present a plan for getting rid of heartburn and GERD once and for all without drugs.
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
I have suffered from Silent Reflux for 20 plus years and have taken every PPI manufactured and it has been a night mare.
Yesterday I had surgery performed to relieve the nightmare, I had a Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication procedure and I am real anxious to see how fast I see results and get of the PPIs.
I must have silent reflux too.) I’ve never heard that term) I had no idea I had herd and reflux because I rarely had heartburn.
Let us know how you are doing ..
I’m also hoping to find a link to the “last article” on phasing out Nexium.
***LINK FOR THE 6TH ARTICLE FOR ALL WHO IS LOOKING FOR IT***** 🙂
http://chriskresser.com/get-rid-of-heartburn-and-gerd-forever-in-three-simple-steps/
Taking PPIs, in my case omeprazole and pantoprazole, was one of the worst things I’ve ever done. Omeprazole wasn’t that bad, but the pantoprazole my GI DOC prescribed me absolutely ruined me. The acid reflux got worse, I was constantly nauseous and couldn’t eat anything, causing me to lose almost 50 pounds in 2 months. I became so severely constipated and began having horrible cramps and bloody stools. My gastric motility decreased to almost nothing, so that food was sitting in my gut for upwards of 12 hours and I never felt hungry. If I ate food in the afternoon, I would wake up in the middle of the night, choking on the acid in my esophagus.
It’s been 2.5 years since I stopped taking PPIs, and I’m still not fully recovered. I still feel nauseous constantly, and get full very fast. Most days I can only eat once, maybe twice on a good day. I’ve started taking digestive enzymes, betaine hcl, and am on a grain free diet. This has at the very least stopped the constipation, and the acid reflux is greatly improved.
I recommend people be very cautious with PIPs. They are powerful, dangerous drugs, and and are often improperly precribed.
I’m taking now pantoprazole for 2 days what should i do ? i would stop?
Try probiotics for constipation and better overall digestion. Chris writes all about probiotics and how they are relatively safe. Just make sure you have easy to digest prebiotics to feed the good bacteria like inulin. Also, look for probiotics that won’t cause excess gas and won’t make your symptoms worse.
Where is the next article after this?
How do we increase stomach acids?
http://chriskresser.com/get-rid-of-heartburn-and-gerd-forever-in-three-simple-steps/
Where is the “next” article mentioned at the bottom of the current article?
Last Article….
http://chriskresser.com/get-rid-of-heartburn-and-gerd-forever-in-three-simple-steps/
Wow… Thank you so much for this article series.
RE-PHRASE- I meant PPI AND Antacid use USED TO TREAT not caused by!
Notwithstanding.
The majority who take NSAIDS have no choice but to take them (including for RA), so therefore need a reliable way of dealing with the resulting (secondary) GERD. Is there a suitable solution for that? Antacids and especially PPIs merely make NSAIDS tolerable.
It’s all very well to claim to deal with PPI Antacid use caused by GERD. But what about PPIs used in treatment for anti-inflammatory side effects? There is no way these drugs can be tolerated in an acid environment.
To whomever can help me:
I have taken OTC and prescription Omeprazole over the past 20 years. All doctors that I have seen (for different reasons) over the past 20 years tell me that its ok to take the drug and NO doctor will help me get off of the omeprazole! I have been developing different medical problems over the last 5 years. I have been diagnosed with IBS, I had a wrist fracture at age 50, I have had different stomach/bowel problems, and muscle/joint problems. I have gone to Gastro doctors and have had upper and lower scopes, I have gone to Ortho doctors and have had C/scans, MRI’s and ultrasounds. I have gone to GYN with problems, but she says it is in my intestines. I have “foggy brain” sometimes. There are so many more doctors and tests that I have gone through. I say the common in all of this is the PPI that I have taken for 20 years. NO doctor will help me ( I have gone to at least 10). I have run out of money. I am on only Disability Social Security now. What can I do. Please some one help me get off of the Prilosec/Omeprazole.
I don’t know if I’m surprised that doctors make it sound like taking omeprazole is safe for long periods of time. drugs.com says you could develop B-12 deficiency after 3 years of prolong use. I never met a doctor who did the proper blood test or follow-ups as explained (and recommended) on the manufacturer’s website. Unfortunately, you have to do your own homework when it comes to medication.
Nadine, this is what you should do right now:
1) Stop taking your PPI immediately and switch to Zantac. Zantac is older and less efficient, but a cleaner drug and safer for long-term use.
Now the dosage is tricky. Standard Zantac dose is 150mg pill every 12 hours. But because PPIs are so strong, you may need to take Zantac 150 every 8 hours in order to prevent acid rebound. You will need to first try the standard dose, and watch carefully if there are hints of burning before the interval expires. The 8-hour scenario is LIKELY.
Generic Zantac 150 (ranitidine 150) is sold on Amazon by Kirkland for very cheap.
2) Start taking PepZin GI (zinc carnosine) – 1 capsule as you get up, 1 capsule right before bed, and 2 more capsules spread during the day between meals, but not immediately before or after them. Dr’s Best is a good brand.
If you take a zinc supplement of some kind, then lower the dose to just 2 capsules.
If you’re taking Sucralfate, stop. They’re competing for the same function – coating the stomach and healing it – but Sucralfate sucks at its job.
3) Start taking sublingual methylcobalamin 5000mcg, which is a form of B12 you put under your tongue. You can buy it on Amazon. Jarrow brand is good. Kirkland (CostCo) brand is cheap.
Traditional B12 tiny pills that you swallow, are useless. They are cheaply made and absorb poorly.
4) For bowel/colon problems, buy broken-cell-wall Chlorella. Source Naturals is a good brand. Take 4 capsules after you wake up. Your poop will turn green, but its a cosmetic effect and it means its changing your bowel environment.
Also consider trying the probiotic brand “Align” which has some clinical evidence of helping with IBS and such.
5) Consider eating tvorog (farmer’s cheese/quark). Authentic forms can be found in Russian grocery stores. It’s a powerful antacid and probiotic. Unlike milk, it actually does good. Sprinkling sugar on it for edibility helps.
_____
Eventually if you get really stable and good, you may want to get off the Zantac. However, in my experience, this requires the method of liquid titration. None of the acid suppressing drugs can be “weaned off of” without EXTREMELY slow lowering of the dose. Cutting fractions of pill won’t do. It has to be more like, percentages. Hence… liquid titration.
I have been working on getting off the Omeprazole. I have been on the drug for about 16 years. I started lowing the dose on April 15, 2015. I am still not off completely, yet, but I am alot closer. I am keeping a diary of this journey. The 1st week (from 4/15 to 4/21), I started taking 1/2 every other day. The same for the 2nd week. The 3rd and 4th weeks, I went to 1/2 every day. On the 5th week, I cut it down even more and took 1/2 on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days of that week and then none on the 4th day. By that night, I had really bad GERD. I was so upset because I wanted so much to be better and then the GERD hit. I did do the same for the next 4 days and the GERD hit again real bad. Into the 6th week, I did the same for that next 4 days and the GERD was still bad. My sister had me try Super Enzymes with Papaya and I started taking them after each time I ate, even if it was a snack. Then into week 7 , I stayed with the 1/2 Omeprazole, on 3 days and off 1 day. . Now it is June 5 and I am in week 8. I have cut the Omeprazole down to taking 1/4 on 3 days and none on the 4th day. I still take (and maybe always will) the Enzymes, but that is ok. I feel much better then I did 8 weeks ago. I am sleeping better, my joints do not hurt as much, my belly area is going down a little in size, and I feel like getting out and going to the store now. I know I still have a ways to go, but I have been taking it slow and easy (its been over 2 months now and I still am not Omeprazole free, but I will be one of these days.) I am proud of my self for doing this. NO doctor would help me!! I am becoming Omeprazole free on my own!!
Hi Nadine,
I was just wondering if you have done anything in particular to raise your stomsch acidity levels (besides weaning of PPI’s)? Of so, what has worked best?
Josh, the only other medication that I am taking is that once in a while I may take 2 TUMS, but that is only when I do not have the enzymes with me. I am getting some, but not very bad reflux. Its not even reflux,, but I am ready for it to turn into reflux, but it doesn’t. I am just staying with as long as I need to so I can be Omeprazole Free. I am so much better then I was 3 months ago!!
It’s been over a month since I posted about my experiences of coming off the PPI, Omephrazole. I was getting the GERD/Reflux so bad when I tried to go down to the 1/4 tablet (5 mg), that I ended up going back and staying with the 1/2 tablet (10 mg) daily. I also have been having some medical problems, unrelated to the coming off process.. Now, I am past those medical issues, so I am ready to restart the coming down process of the omephrazole. Today, I am starting the 1/2 and 1/4 every other day dose. (Today is Wednesday, so that means 1/4 tablet (5 mg), tomorrow, I will take 1/2 tablet (10 mg), then 1/4, then 1/2. I will continue this dose for a min. of 3 weeks. After that, I will dicrease to 1/4 every day for a min. of 3 weeks, then i will go to 1/4 every other day and so forth until I am off the omeprazole. This is my plan, but I know that plans could change. If the coming off is different, then I will write and tell my story. I WILL get off the PPI!! It will just be a matter of my time.
Shihonageth….
THANK YOU!!!!
I’m petrified but have to try. Ive been on omeprozole for 5 years. Now I have RA. I have to try to do as much as I can to get off this drug of the devil. I am so disillusioned by my doctor. She won’t even talk to me about it. When I tell her about my diet choices helping my RA she looks over her glasses at me like I’m crazy.
I feel like I’m totally stuck on this drug forever. So sad.
Nadine…. What an inspiration and thanks for the info. I am going to do it. Long haul but well worth it in the end. Thanks for sharing.
Nadine,
How are you doing now?
A well meaning friend recommended that I drink the juice of a lemon every morning to lower the acidity of the body. Well, after a few weeks of that I developed acid reflux and have been having problems since. I stopped the lemon juice but I continue with problems. How do I go about raising the acid levels in my stomach again?
I’m wondering the same thing. Lemon juice is supposed to be alkalizing. Maybe it’s something else
Your well-meaning friend gave you bad advice. I don’t think your problem is caused by low stomach acid, but by damage to stomach lining.
You may still climb out of this without having to resort to acid suppressors. Start taking PepZin GI (zinc carnosine). You can buy it on Amazon.
I am not a salesman, however I talk about this supplement everywhere. It is widely used in Japan to treat gastritis, but in America the doctors are CRIMINALLY oblivious to its healing effects, which were also clinically proven several times.
Chris, if stomach acid kills bacteria, then how can Kefir be beneficial?
http://health.heraldtribune.com/2014/04/15/qa-stomach-acid-destroy-probiotic-bacteria/
I was curious about that myself, so I looked up a few articles. This one suggests that some bacteria are more apt to surviving the environment of the stomach. Some others suggest that dairy that contain “friendly” bacteria temporarily raise the pH of your stomach acid, making it possible for the bacteria to survive long enough to reach the intestines.
This article suggests prebiotics, which instead helps the probiotics already in your gut to thrive.
Thank God! Finally there is someone who knows what they’re talking about.
Two months ago I would up in the hospital twice. At first I thought I was having a heart attack. The pain in the middle of my chest was unbearable. After all the testing and drugs given to me to relieve the pain they concluded that I have GERD.
Over the last 15 years I have had episodes of heart burn and resorted to taking Tums to get relief. The MD at the hospital prescribed a PPI that I have been taking for 2 months now. It helps but it hasn’t cured the relapses of burning and dull annoying pain in the chest. So, now I’ll trash the meds and change my diet. Hopefully this will eventually cure this decease that is disrupting my health and quality of life.
Thank you for this valuable information.
Orrie
Me too! I ended up in the hospital and thought it was my heart and so did the doctor and paramedics. I was the one to push to see a G.I. and get the scopes to see what was really going on. after only 10 days on PPI Prilosec I was worse and found Chris’s website .. stopped taking it and the next day got HCL and took it first time yesterday and with the first dose I was better! I was like .. really? all these years and especially the last 6 months in misery ends with one dose of HCL? AMAZING!! Second dose at dinner was same .. no GERD! Bedtime a little but not too bad, natural antacid helped that. but is was just my first day. Today is the second day and breakfast was same .. HCL and food is doing fine and NO GERD! Finally someone who knows what the heck they are talking about! thank you for saving my life! Now to get off the synthroid that they thought my Thyroid was causing my throat feelings. Nope it was the GERD. I will be med free soon! I’ll recommend Chris’ website to everyone I know!!!
It appears you have hit the nail on the head, I have had GERD for 30+ years. I was started on Prilosec in 1993, and about 2 years ago my whole life started falling apart. I started developing drug allergies and food allergies and was getting severe headaches. The headaches were caused from an allergy to the prilosec. I have since been chasing endless solutions to my problems, which up until now have pointed to candida overgrowth. After reading your article on GERD/Heartburn I feel you have found the answer to my catastrophic GI pain and digestive issues. I am overwhelmed with all of this and have begun by stopping all PPI’s. But am being instructed to take ranitidine to aid the repercussions of stopping the PPI’s. I feel this is counterproductive. I don’t know where or how to start the process of getti g my gut back to normal. Where do I start?
Where is the final article in this series?? I can’t find it!
I believe the content got put into this free eBook: chriskresser.com/heartburn
http://chriskresser.com/get-rid-of-heartburn-and-gerd-forever-in-three-simple-steps/
I can tell you all that if you stop the medicine your heartburn / reflux will go through the roof. I believe the reason for this is that your stomach is constantly trying to produce the acid cells that the medicine is killing so when you quit the drug you have an extra abundance of acid. However with time it gets much better. I have had a lot of the issues discussed int this article. I have had reactions to shellfish because of it’s bacteria content and my stomachs low acid content. I have had stomach infections. I have asthma. I have quit the meds and will never go back to them. The solution is to eat healthy and exercise. I am however, afraid to go to the doctor to find out if any cancers are present because I took meds for 20 years and I am only in my early 40’s. I would like to know how the recovery process of the stomach once one quits taking the medicine. Will the body heal itself?
Melissa, you are the first person I’ve seen who has taken the acid blockers as long as I have. My last Prilosec was this past August. Like you, I’ve been through the gauntlet. It’s not over, but it seems to be getting better. I haven’t had the asthma or stomach infections you’ve seen, however.
Like you, I wonder what permanent damage has been caused by my use of Prilosec for such a long time. In my case, I am wondering whether inability to absorb essential nutrients for so long has caused issues, particularly with joint problems. I had plantar fasciitis in one foot for years which suddenly vanished within a month of stopping the Prilosec. I have developed (evidently) trigger finger in both thumbs. Although that is better now, it is still a source of much pain.
Lord knows what we’ve had done to us by these meds and our lack of information about them.
How did you guys get off of Prilosec?!? I have been taking this for over 20 yrs as well and cannot find a reliable way to even slowly quit. Please help. Thanks.
Glad you are doing better.
Hi, Dave.
You are one of the few I’m seen who have taken Prilosec as long as I have taken it.
I’d love to be able to give you a step-by-step, sure-fire way to stop Prilosec. I’m not sure such a thing exists.
In my case, I used a gradual reduction in dosage over a period of around six weeks. I took my last Prilosec this past August. In retrospect, rather than tapering off the dosage over a span of six weeks, I now wish I’d chosen to taper over a period of at least six months – perhaps even longer.
I’d be here all day if I related all the problems that have arisen due to ceasing this medication. From massive stomach acid problems to nearly critical bowel issues, it has been a tremendous battle. I am constrained by time, however my bottom line advice is to extend the time that you gradually back off from this drug.
Perhaps when I get more time, I can get back on the forum and go into further detail.
I understand. Thanks and I will try a 6 to 8 month plan.
I have been on Omeprozole for just shy of 1 year. Dr insist I take it because of the risk I run of inhaling the acid into a newly transplanted lung. Any and all advice in weaning off this drug would be very much appreciated. Have been discussing with my Dr and they said fine- try Zantac…. Which sounds terrible also. I have a homeopathic remedy- but they don’t want me to use it…. ” in case” it interferes with all the other mess I am on. 🙁
Zantac is not terrible. Look into clinical research and documentation – it’s a pretty clean drug.
Pepcid is cleaner overall, but in my experience its effect burns out faster at equipotent dosages, and FDA issued a warning about its impact on the kidneys.
There’s also Axid (nizatidine?) which is sold in some countries OTC, which is supposed to be the best and latest of that sort of medication, but in America we are stuck with Zantac, which is, frankly, good enough.
I can tell you that it didn’t go through the roof! The last day I took Prilosec I had the worst heartburn of my life. Next day found Chris’ website. next day bought HCL .. next day took it with Lunch .. AMAZING! NO GERD! Eat right? of course but even if you don’t HCL will help most people just like Chris says! He truly is a life saver! and a money saver as I have limited insurance and have been paying the doctors visits myself .. over $1000 later I was worse off for it! Like the saying goes “you do not have health issues for lack of taking _________” (enter any drug you like). Natural is always the best way to go, to bad most people don’t believe that.
I just started on Prilosec 40 mg. caps.for a hiatal hernia. HCL is Hydrochloric Acid, right? Anyone know what kind of HCL, etc.? Thank you.
Lynea, I have a hiatal hernia w/ something Dr. calls thin esophagus . So both together causes my Gerd , I’m on Protonix . going on 2 years and started with joint pain, bloating , gas . The thing is I was only having heartburn , now I have all this crap !
I’d love to get of it, but are you afraid ? Why I am is if I have another health problem arise , my Dr. will blame me for stopping it !! I sure would like to try that HCL too , I’m so torn 🙁
Diana, I have stopped the Prilosec after only eight days on 400 mg. per day. Now I take Zantac twice a day as someone here recommended. What is a “thin esophagus”? As for telling the doc we’ve gone off something, that doesn’t usually cause me any problems–mainly because my doc is very open to my own use of meds.
The bad aching in my stomach is back, depending on time of day and what I eat.
Not as bad as it has been before changing my diet and eating more, smaller meals that I try to eat slowly.
I am scared, too. But it’s the hiatal hernia that has me scared. How long have you had it? Are you seeing a gastroenterologist for it? How old are you? I am 69 1/2. Never had stomach problems before a year of severe pollen allergies seemed to make my stomach hurt based on the amount of mucus I was swallowing. I wonder how common that is?
Lynea, I’m really not sure how long I had my hernia , but they found it 3 years ago. I never knew It until I started having stomach aches and chest pain. No I was never sent to a gastroentologist . Gave me a scope down my throat and sent me home with Protonix . I only have Medicaid so my Dr. won’t send me to specialist unless , she can’t figure out what’s wrong or tries different pills.
What they mean by thin esophagus that having acid reflux for so long before I was treated , it burnt away the inside . It had gotten so bad I was vomiting and couldn’t keep anything down. Oh I have had and do have a list of health problems. Had my gallblatter out too was full of stones.
I’m only 55 I had one Dr. tell me my body isn’t in any in any better shape then a 70 year old !! That was a great thing to know .
That’s why I’m scared to about trying to get off the Protonix , if my Gerd gets worse I just couldn’t take it .. I really wish I had some answers for you. I do wish you luck to figure things out 🙂
I’ve been ailing from GI issues for about 3-4 years. It began with about 2 years of burping/belching all the time. Especially after I ate. Eventually just drinking a glass of water would cause a half an hour of bloating and belching. This eventually got worse about 1.5 years ago when on top of the bloating I had acid reflux from whatever I ate or drank. I got this under control with prilosec and took it for about 4-5 months. I tried coming off of it and after a few weeks the heartburn was back with a vengeance and I had a new symptom. Ectopic beats happening a lot, especially at night. I’ve had the odd ectopic beat over the years but I’d have one then they would dissapear for months. Now it was one all the time every night and the only thing that gave relief was burping. So I went back on the prilosec, however the ectopic beats are still coming and now when I eat and drink I can feel the food just sitting in my stomach. My digestion feels really slow. I had an ECG and everything was good. My GP is scheduling a 24 hour monitor but told me that the beats are benign and once they find out where they are coming from I can have an ablation to fix the issue since the beats are causing me sleep issues. I’m just wondering if my stomach is really the culprit here and is causing the beats. Or could this be just a coincidence. The doctor also said all my symptoms could be real but also psychosomatic and due to my anxiety. Has anyone had this issue and found a cure? I’m going crazy these days. The doc says my magnesium levels are okay but I wonder if that’s the case. I eat hardly any magnesium related foods. I eat pretty bad most of the time.
I have the exact same issues. Did you figure out yours?
Hopefully you come back on…
Hi Chris,
you make a great case that too little acid is the cause. Please remember that part 3 said:
“but I’ve seen several patients in my practice on a very low carbohydrate diet that still experience heartburn, which improves upon restoring proper stomach acid secretion (which we’ll cover in a future article in this series).”
Looking forward to learning how to restore proper acid secretion.
regards,
Kelly T
Really looking forward to the final article…I didn’t miss it did I?
So far ( or I just haven’t read yet) about the author’s concerns for the cancers produced by the acidic secretions of herd on the esophagus etc. Are anti acid meds worth the risk for these sx, considering u r risking cancer without them? Also the articles don’t emphasize all the people who have to take anti inflammatory meds , which also cause heartburn. Thanks for your future responses.
I wish I would of known this information years ago. I am 19 years old and have developed an enormous amount of health issues in the past year that has completely taken over my life. The doctors had me on the highest strength of an anti-acid medication for 5-6 years just because I had minor heartburn. In fact I even asked about the dosage being right for me after reading online that high of a dose was for ones with ulcers, but my doctor assured me it would not make a difference. I have gotten off the medication around 6 months ago with the advice coming from a homeopathic doctor. We were desperate of finding answers. I have been working with him and several other doctors for months now and it has seemed to be a never ending journey and has become an my absolute biggest nightmare that ruined my once enjoyable and healthy life. So my question is… Are there certain things someone should do after getting off an anti acid? I have already made many changes, taking pro-biotics being one, other vitamin supplements and trying to take a dose of apple cider vinegar daily assuming that would help get the acid back in my stomach. Another homeopathic doctor suggested a high dose of phosphorous being something to use so I have recently started that. I cannot explain how much anger and sadness stirs up in me after reading this article. Doctors are the ones who made me sick in the first place just to be told we don’t know whats wrong with you and pretty much saying you will probably have this for the rest of your life so just learn to deal with it. I am in the process of trying everything I can do to heal my body but the damage done may be irreversible. Please let me know if people have any suggestions/what the best way of knowing your maintaining a good level of acid in your stomach.
i can tell you exactly what happened to me. if i had not found out about BETAINE HYDROCHOLRIDE . i would now be dead…yes, dead. after all the antacids my stomach was producing no acid at all. so ? nothing was digesting. lost 30 pounds in one month… WAS INFORMED AT THAT TIME BY A DIFFERENT DOCTOR ( A NATUROPATH _ I NEEDED TO SUPPLEMENT ACID….juiced only for a month while adding the HCL. little by little i could tolerate food. learned exactly how much to take for what.. for a regular meal i was taking** 5 ** 650 mg caps of HCI. OMG ! it worked . i was also taking about 75 other vitamins, minerals, and pre-digested protein to get my nutrition back to normal…3 months and i knew i was going to live. i was 75 years old at that time.. i am now 83. love waking up., raising 2 kids. do all my own housework and clean my own carpets. just learned about MSM. an awesome pain killer and it is working also… watch a lot of DR MERCOLA ON YOUTUBE. I USE ZERO ANTACIDS NOW. proton pumps totally rehabed. they are what produces acids in the stomach.. good luck to all and hope you are as blessed as i am now. no meds at all. BLOOD PRESSURE 112/72… only occasional pain pill and getting rid of that with the MSM. I COUNT MY BLESSINGS EVERY DAY FOR FINDING NATURAL CURES. THEY ARE OUT THERE. WATCH DR MERCOLA. JUST TYPE IN ** YOUTUBE AND DR MERCOLA AND ANTACIDS OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU NEED FIXED… YOU WILL LOVE
HIM.
Eilnor, That’s wonderful news ! I enjoy a good story about someone taking charge of their health 🙂 Wish I had known what I do today for my parents health problems .
At least I have the tools for a Happier- Healthier life and not suffer like they did with Quack ,Pill Pushing Dr’s !! Hope your still going strong ……
@ Kayla – I thought I was the only one experiencing all these problems this young!? I’m only 21 & have been taking PRILOSEC everyday since I was 15yrs old, I’m so ashamed of that & like you have suffered from SOOO many health problems these past couple years. I’ve tried quiting for like a week but it burns so bad after a while & end up giving in, I don’t know what to do anymore…..
This is Amazing and pretty scary. I understand more now and appreciate the work you are doing. Thanks for all the information you are sharing. Now, please tell me what should i eat to increase my stomach acid?