Heartburn!!

[Kibeth]

Hi all, I've been on hydroxychloriqine for 4 weeks. I posted a couple of weeks ago about heartburn, I went to the doc who gave me gaviscon. I'm still getting heartburn, do I just persevere with it and the gaviscon or ask for something else. It's not painful but just annoying having this feeling most of the time. Thanks 😀

[Moomin8]

Morning - I had that and mine turned out to be a hiatus hernia. I now take omeprazole twice a day which seems to help. I'd go back to your gp and see what else they can do. Hope you feel better soon.

[Kibeth in reply to Moomin8]

Thanks, think I will go back

[nomoreheels]

Have you been prescribed enteric coated HCQ Kibeth? It should say so on the box & also EC will be imprinted in each tablet. If not that may be the problem, just request that you're prescribed them. Or, I would think a PPI (omeprazole or similar) would be better than Gaviscon if it's known that it's the HCQ causing heartburn.

[Kibeth in reply to nomoreheels]

Hi, I've just checked my new box and it just says film coated! Can't see EC on them, gaviscon isn't really doing anything and I've never really had heartburn before starting my medication 🤔

[nomoreheels in reply to Kibeth]

Film coated is the same as enteric coated.....so it seems you do need a PPI, request your GP prescribes one. I've been on omeprazole since the day I was diagnosed & had no heartburn, reflux or anything. One thing though, which only applies to HCQ of all the DMARDs, it's recommended you don't take the two together, you've to leave 4 hours between taking them although to be honest when I was taking HCQ I took all my morning meds together which included my first dose of the day of HCQ & my omeprazole & didn't suffer any ill effects. Also some prefer to take HCQ with milk though I don't know how successful this is as I don't drink 'just' milk so took it with water or coffee.

Hope this helps.

[Kibeth in reply to nomoreheels]

Thanks, my last box was from the hospital so didn't have anything written on it but on my new box it says film coated so I'm not sure if these are different to my first month?! Will try milk also because I just have a few swigs of water but if no joy will go back to gp 😀

[nomoreheels in reply to Kibeth]

The label on the box from the hospital & the Patient Information Leaflet inside should have it noted if they were film coated, so if you still have it do check. So is it only since you started your new box that you've had heartburn? I ask because if it's a generic HCQ you've been prescribed the fillers & dyes can be different so you could be reacting to any one of those. Quinoric seems to be the one most react negatively to so if your symptoms continue you could ask to be prescribed hydroxychloroquine sulphate 200mg (Plaquenil) or hydroxychloroquine sulphate 200mg.

One thing my GP does with more expensive meds is start me on generic & see if I have any unwanted symptoms & if all's well I continue on it, which I'm happy with as it saves money from the Practice's prescribing budget. I rarely have side effects from meds but my h does, he costs the Practice money so we even it out! The only exception for me has been pregabalin, she specifies Lyrica on the script because Lyrica, Pfizer’s branded product, is the only pregabalin licensed for use in pain & neuropathic problems, as well as it's original use of course, generic pregabalin isn't.

I hope you can find a solution to your heartburn, it can be misery making, especially on top of RD symptoms.

[Kibeth in reply to nomoreheels]

I haven't got that box anymore but have had the heartburn with that box I don't start the new one till tomorrow. Quinoric is the new box I've got, the hospital one just had my label on and nothing else. I will have to see how it goes 😀

[nomoreheels in reply to Kibeth]

Fingers crossed for you.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Kibeth]

It's quinoric that I take and I've been fine. I take mine with my breakfast - a two egg omelette and half a pink grapefruit and tea so maybe taking it with food helps.

[Kibeth in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I take mine after eating breakfast and my evening meal.

[sheels6726 in reply to nomoreheels]

thank you you have helped me with your reply

when I took quinoric I always felt sick i told pharmacist changed to plaquinil, sorted it, glad im not only one having side effects with dye

[nomoreheels in reply to sheels6726]

Happy to help. Seems your Pharmacist may have come across this before with another customer. Pleased you're sorted now.

[Kibeth in reply to nomoreheels]

Hi, just been to pharmacy and they have ordered me a different brand. If I start these how long would you think I will notice a difference to then ask for a ppi? Got bit worried now by reply about reflux problems 😬

[sheels6726 in reply to Kibeth]

I changed brand and it was immediate no feeling sick, but that's me u may react differently fingers (sore) crossed. X

[nomoreheels in reply to Kibeth]

Good. You should notice from day one I should think, much the same as when you started with heartburn, unless that was a build up? Any med enteric coated is intended to avoid stomach acid problems as they don't start dissolving until they reach the small intestine, unless you have an underlying problem it should solve your heartburn. If they don't then back to square one & asking for a PPI I'm afraid, or more investigations as to the cause. 😔

[Kibeth in reply to nomoreheels]

Had no heartburn until 2 weeks ago, that was after being on the tablets for 2 weeks just came on one day! I'm hoping it works if not back to the gp I go 🙈

[hawker955]

One word-answer = Omeprazole. This is usually once daily but my GP doubled the dose and that solved the problem completely.

[Kibeth in reply to hawker955]

Thanks, do you need stay on them or just until heartburn improves? 😀

[helixhelix]

Sounds like you need something more effective than gaviscon... as others have said go back to GP. You should be offered one of the proton pump inhibitors - they usually have names that end in "....prazole". Like Omeprazole, Lansoprazole, Esonoprazole etc etc. But you'll have to keep taking them as long as you take hydroxy. Although sometimes if you cut out rich food (if you eat it) that will be enough to calm things down.

[Kibeth in reply to helixhelix]

Thank you 😀

[donnabea]

When I was placed on Hydroxchloroxy 200mg twice daily they also placed me on prednisone 5mg once daily. They never told me anything about needing an acid reflux medicine to go along with it. But maybe because they had my list of medicine, and noticed that I am already taking omeprazole 40mg daily. I do know one thing, I am not suffering heart burn, but i am always in pain. And I am finding bruises all over me. I never used to bruise until I started these new medicines. I look like someone is beating me up, but they are not.

[Kibeth in reply to donnabea]

It's just annoying now, doesn't seem to be going so will go to gp to see what they can do 🙂

[donnabea in reply to donnabea]

I went to the RA dr today. He is lowering my dose of prednisone to 2.5mg instead of the 5mg per day. And said if I don't have any swelling in a few days once I start that, I can skip a day of the 2.5mg so eventually I can get off of it. He only put me on that so that the Hydroxchlor meds could get into my system. I have also quit smoking since my last visit with him, maybe a month and a half ago, and I have put on 10lbs. So my husband I plan on doing some walking as much as we can possibly tolerate. That will be good on my lungs, and also help strengthen my muscles, at least I hope.

[ukgospeldiva]

Give your practice a call and ask your GP for instead - if it's not contra- indicated with your meds- called Ompeprazole as this is highly effective in stopping acid reflux as it's a ppi. It's one of several ppi's available and they can tweak to fit your needs.

But don't stick with gaviscon if it's not working as you are putting yourself at risk of acid reflux and therefore, cancer. A mate if mine made that mistake. She had all her vocal chords burned by acid and the scarring has perminantly changed her voice and her oesophagus was damaged she remains under regular review?

[Kibeth in reply to ukgospeldiva]

Oh god didn't realise that, I've only had it for a couple of weeks thought it would just go!! Been into pharmacy today and they have ordered me a different brand. Should I try that first or ask for a ppi?

[ukgospeldiva]

No go back to GP and ask for ompeprazole or equivalent, a proton pump inhibitor, to stop the stomach over producing acid. It's no big deal to ask for that either as alot of folks have reactions?

[Fruitandnutcase]

I got rid of my heartburn by cutting out junk food, chocolate and fizzy drinks. I also went totally gluten free in an effort to reduce my thyroid antibodies (it worked!) so it could have been any or all of these things that helped. I was given Omeprazole but I really didn't want to be taking it long term if I could sort my diet out and stop the heartburn. I never get heartburn these days.

[Angieb1983]

Hi, I take Hydroxychloroquine for my arthritis condition but you have to take lansoperazole tablet 30-60 minutes before taking the hydroxychloroquine. You must also have eaten a meal ( even a slice of toast) before the hydroxy tablet. I've been on folic acid 5mg daily. This too helps. If you do feel sick at times your GP can give you an anti sickness tablet. But hopefully you won't need that if you follow the advice above. Much love xx

[Kibeth in reply to Angieb1983]

I've changed today from quinoric to zentiva so fingers crossed that might work but if not will go get something else. Thanks x

[Maxadolf]

You need to treat Gaviscon in the same way as salt simply because this proprietory otc medication contains both potassium and sodium which may have an adverse effect on blood pressure. You should also address aggravation of heartburn caused by diet. Alcohol and oily foods are causal factors; also physical posture such as bending over, lying horizontally and compression of the stomach while sitting awkwardly in a chair. There is also a possibility of backlash - ie when relying heavily on ant-acids and proton-pump medication that cuts back on acid production - that gives rise to an over- production of acid when the effects of the medication subside. Late-night meals also aggravate reflux during the most vulnerable times while in the horizontal position that can be ameliorated by sloping the bed with blocks

Soya milk helps taken at night- time because of the buffering capacity due to the added calcium, generally as the bicarbonate.

I rely on Lansoprazole or any other proton-pump medication which I take at nights.

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Try a spoonful of baking soda & mix it with a drop of milk. m