Been on heart tablets for 9 years after having 2 stents fitted - and on Ramipril, Bisoprolol, Atorvastatin, gastric coated Aspirin and Ranitidine, which after a few weeks in the drugs, have been absolutely fine. However Ranitidine was withdrawn in December, and put on Omeprazole. Got a lot of indigestion, so changed to Lansoprazole. Have been taking this now, but still after 6 months having a lot of indigestion. Dr. has now changed me back on to Ranitidine which really worked for 5 days, and although much better than the PPI’s, am still getting indigestion after about 2 hours. Food helps, but am feeling quite down as it seems it will never clear up. Can however sleep well at night, and doesn’t hurt to swallow. I enjoy my meals, and can eat normally, although I am not putting on any weight. Worried a little bit about going back on Ranitidine but nothing really works well now. Has anyone else experienced this - sorry to go on, but just not sure what is happening. Could it be brought on by anxiety as it always with me?
Antacids not working: Been on heart... - British Heart Fou...
Antacids not working
Sorry to hear of your ongoing problems. It might be worth checking for a peptic ulcer. The best test for diagnosing peptic ulcers is a blood test for the presence of antibodies to H. pylori.
This may sound silly but your not eating a lot of spicy food are?
Good point! I was never that good with spicy food but since I was out on cardiac dolly mixture I can only eat very, very mild spicing!
Try pantoprazol also called Tecta. Don't go back to ranitidine that would be russian roulette. Tecta has worked better than any for me and if ever i abuse my diet i also use chewable rolaids because they have magnesium and calcium plus work well. Tums and gaviscon did nothing for me. We are all different but i hope this is the magic you need.
I find omeprazole alone not enough- although did improve me symptoms. My GP Advised I take OTC Antacids after every meal in addition to the omeprazole.
I think I will do the same as I find that Rennies Deflatine suits me well, and does help. Just wish we didn’t’t have to take so many tablets. However thank you for your advice - just beginning to feel quite lonely particularly under lockdown.
It sounds as if you’re well aware of diet changes needed. I found being rigorous about which foods I ate (no citrus, fizzy drinks, rich sauces, etc) and eating small amounts with water really helped. But we’re all different!
It’s worth checking if the particular over the counter antiacid you are using is OK to take with your heart drugs.
A while ago, the Cardiac nurse said if you need an additional stomach settler stick to Gaviscon, as it doesn’t line the stomach in same way as some others (which I did find worked better), and they can reduce the stomach’s absorption of other drugs,
Be good to get a more up to date view here, of this advice.
I find I can’t get on with Gaviscon, but I must admit I haven’t asked whether Rennies will be ok with the heart meds.
How miserable, sorry for you discomfort, having suffered at the ‘hands of Verapamil’!! Every time I ate anything, I’d get indigestion for hours. One night dead to the world woke up with horrible start, acid reflux. Also caused swallowing problems, end of, told consultant not taking it, it cause me to have a severe reaction to a soup I had on Malaysia, like a near anaphylactic!
I’ve used Gaviscon, and it’s helped. 🤞🏻I’m ok with the different pills with regards to indigestion. When I was doing my Applied Kinesiology treatment course, were taught to use digestive aids supplements. You could look for a nutritionist or naturopath.
Unfortunately I can’t get on with Gaviscon, so take Rennies instead or eat a biscuit which helps. Thank you for your helpful suggestion. I hope you are ok with your acid reflux now, and I will consider talking to a nutritionist when this lockdown is over, and things are back to normal, whenever......
I have a similar problem; only Ranitidine helps me but even then it often flares up. However I'm allergic to PPIs. When I took them years ago they also made me feel constantly vaguely sick. There are just a few alternatives to Ranitidine (which as now been withdrawn completely, even if chemists have old stock). However all e alternatives are in very short supply. They are Cimetidine famotidine and nizatadine, As someone else suggested I would get your GP to check for a peptic ulcer. When I'm really bad I get bottles of Magnesium trisilicate, unfortunately only available online now.
Thank you very much for your suggestions. The pharmacist was able to get me a supply, but not sure for how long. It is helping a bit, but even still get acidity about 2-3 hours after a meal
I used to suffer from acid and was on long term PPI that became less effective over time. GP at the time wasnt that helpful so I researched alternate options and ended up with eating sweet red apples . For me the outcome was wonderful I could feel the soothing effect the apple had on my gut. I say this on every indigestion query I stumble across and maybe there is truth in the old saying an apple per day keeps the doctor away. The key for me was the apples had to be sweet (& Red) and the juicier the better. Sour (green) apples had the opposite effect.
I have also been in the voyage of discovery with gastric problems for over 4 years after my MI. I was given the PPI’s omeprazole and then changed to lansoprazole but due to contra indications with aspirin, I had to change my blood thinners. After a few years and with cameras in both ends to see what the problem. I found that one of the side effects of PPI’s is gastric pain. I stopped the PPI’s and as a consequence of this I now have a drastic reduction in pain. The trick is to be careful with what you eat and to learn, what you body can absorb without biting you back. Personally and luckily I can eat a grilled full English breakfast but cannot digest salad. I would without doubt murder for the opportunity to eat a curry again. I still get the odd flare up and gripes in the stomach but normally control these with prescription Gaviscon Advanced. I take this after meals and top up before going to bed. I also find that giving you body at least 4 hours to digest your food before sleep and to lay slightly propped up. You will find that everybody’s body reaction differently and it is just a matter of finding out what works for you.
Thank you for your suggestions. When you stopped your PPIs, what do you take as an alternative? Also what blood thinners have you changed to? I have been prescribed enteric coated aspirin to hopefully stop gastric irritation, but not finding it a lot of help yet.
Hi Howdenhall sorry for the delay in answering you. The replacement for daily PPI’s I now use gaviscon advanced only when required and if the pain is really bad 30mg Codeine. As I said in the previous post it is all about trial and error with the foods that will irritate your stomach lining. I have also found that a food item that you seem ok with all of a sudden starts to aggravate your stomach. As a suggestion try and stay away from processed foods and ready meals and eat little and often. I have also found that if my stomach is empty it can cause pain as well. Plenty of fluids and movement aid the digestive system and deep breathing helps the bloating. The best sound you will hear is the gurgling of you abdomen which means the the food is moving along as it is supposed to.
Thank you for your help and advice. I have decided to go back to dispersible aspirin, rather than enteric covered aspirin, and hope that might help. I also take Gaviscon Advanced at night with my Ranitidine and Atorvastatin, so at least I usually have a good night’s sleep. I do appreciate you suggesting these things, as at times it can feel quite frightening
I can no longer eat oranges or Pineapples so it's definitely worth looking at diet.
Yes, I am beginning to try and see if certain foods seem to trigger it off. It’s not easy - think bread doesn’t help.
I've recently posted about continuing pain 6 weeks after my HA and stent. I finally managed to have a telephone conversation with my consultant who believes it's heartburn. He's doubled my dose of lansoprazole to 30mg and changing my tricagrelor to coplidogrel which I should start later this week. I've been also taking over counter Bisodol even with the doubling up but think I best stop and seek advice from reading comments. Minefield
It really is a minefield. I too had my Lansoprazole doubled - 30mgs in the morning an hour before breakfast, and 30 mgs an hour or two before bedtime. I felt that the evening one sometimes almost caused indigestion itself and didn’t help as much as I had hoped. I take Rennies Deflatine or Rennies triple action containing simethicone ( not sure of spelling), just before bedtime, and at least 2 hours after taking PPI. This helps a lot, and have a good night’s sleep usually. Only wish I know what causes this pain, and think it must be one of the medications. I do hope it works for you.
I think I need an evening dose too as now I'm just taking 30mg in morning. It's awful in the evening. I've given up my beloved coffee, diet coke and spicy food and I still get it. It's scary because the burning pain is similar to that I was getting before my HA. Early days I guess and I'll get used to it. Keep well!!
My experience with them all has been iffy as i have a very rare condition called Zollinger Ellison syndrome where the pancreas is the source of the problem causing excess Gastrin however, the main reasons i continued to get problems after meals was that i always forgot to take mine early enough before meals, to much sugar in diet. Doc has now doubled my omeprazole as the ranitidine is not obtainable .This ppi also has its risks which is why they are reluctant to over prescribe . You could also try smaller meals but more frequent as it reduces the load on the stomach. It really is a trial and error sometimes if all other issues have been ruled out.
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Work or not
WORK OR NOT
Work
work and Heart Failure
Returning to work, well sort of.
Return to work worries.
Left ventricle not working properly
Return to Work after OHS
Working with a heart condition
