How to get off ppi's

[Pixielula]

I have tried to just stop my ppi's without adding anything acidic to my diet, so have sort of set myself up for failure. The thought of drinking apple cider vinegar repulses me but I remember reading Some one uses lime juice that they add to tonic water! My very groggy memory thinks they got it from Amazon?

[Foggyme Administrator]

Hi Pixielula. Yes, fbirder 's trick...perhaps he'll see this and let you know what brand he uses.

Good riddance to those tricky PPI's (they got me too 😖).

Take care 👍

[JGBH in reply to Foggyme]

Just saw this post.... do I understand you stopped using PPIs (in my case Nexium). so did pain come back? And what is that, using lime juice....?? Don't understand. Perhaps you'll tell me more when you have time.

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to JGBH]

Hi JGBH. Yes, I was on PPI's for many years. Unbeknown to me, at the time, I had low stomach acid (PA caused low stomach acid) and the PPI's were making it worse, not better. Though my gastric problems are not quite right yet, they have been better and are still improving since stopping the PPI's.

The lime juice trick (see gambit62 and fbirder replies in this thread)...if,you have no or low stomach acid (achlorhydria), the lime juicie (lemon or orange) replaces the missing acid and helps maintain the correct level of acidity in the stomach.

Hope this helps.

👍👍

[fbirder]

Yup, it's me what does the lime juice. I buy Chef's Larder - 6 litres at a time from Amazon. About 30 ml added to orange juice or tonic water (or, if I'm out, plain water or tomato juice).

[Pixielula in reply to fbirder]

Woohoo thanks birder, have ordered 1lt see how it goes before I go big... do you have it every meal or just main meal?

[jade_s in reply to fbirder]

I've been meaning to thank you @fbirder for this tip. I've been drinking lime juice mixed with plain water regularly with every meal I eat (including snacks) and it seems to be helping. I'm still taking Betaine HCl but reduced it by half - totally eliminating it didn't go so well.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

I find that a class of carbonated water with lime or lemon juice from a supermarket works well for me. I have some with at least one meal in the day and have some in the water that I have by my bed at night.

Realised about a month ago that it significant reduces the amount I throw up when I get a migraine so obviously working for me.

If I remember correctly it can take a while to come of PPIs if you have been on them for a while. Have you talked through a plan with your GP - may be it is possible to reduce the dose over time to lessen the strain.

[Pixielula]

Yeah my GP is not one of the good ones, I had an argument with her on Monday about my 12 weekly B12 shot and her plans to get my THS "mid range" I've told her I can inform her or not that I'm going to start SI b12. She said to tell her so she can monitor me, But I'm like her worst nightmare as a patient, so will start ppi every other day first and see how that goes thanks again guys your amazing

[bikergrove]

Coming off PPI's should be done very gradually, as if you stop them abruptly it causes your acid production to go into overdrive, so it's best to take it slow.

[mrsm49]

I'm on lowest dose of PPI (10) because I have a hiatuse hernia. I would be scared to come off them. Before I took them acid would come up at night ,I'd wake up choking and sometimes have asthma attack. I used to prop myself up with pillows but suppose would slip down in night. I also hve to take ibuprofen due to bad back.

I read all these posts about coming off PPIs but worry about what would happen.

I do take sublingual methylcobalamin after realising my numb hands were low b12. Sadly gp didn't realise as I wad still in range although low, I complained for 10yrs about my hands tingling and numb! (my hands r ok now)

Does anyone that's given up ppi s have my issues?

[jimister in reply to mrsm49]

I have managed to take small dose of Nexium every 3rd day. I went 6days once but i ended up in severe pain for 2days could not move. I also have Hiatus hernia and have all the same symptoms as you. I have been on ppi's for over 15 years. They are very hard to come off them. Little did i know that they cause all the terrible absorption problems if i had i could of supplemented from the start and i may not be in the state i in today.

[Binky68]

Now, I can help with this , 15 years on ppi and I stopped a year ago by

1. Make up a mug of slippery elm every morning - 1tsp slippery elm, mix with an inch cold water then top up with hot

I had this every morning for ten months to line my stomach and atvtye start I had it sometimes during the day as well

When I got really bad I would supplement with gaviscon and still do

Also , during bad times , a tsp bicarbonate in water

Hardly any alcohol for a year as it sets me off. A pint of beer is ok, but wine and sprints feels like drinking battery acid

Careful with food triggers , I'm much worse after a large carb meal such as potatoes , chips, pastry etc. I can have a bit, just not a lot.

Little things like dilute cordials bring it on .

You may have your own triggers, you will need to watch what you eat and drink carefully to identify the cause as well as no alcohol and slippery elm and you'll get there.

I am so angry that my dr put me on them to start off with . Now I'm a year down the line, once all my b12 testing is out of the way I'm going to see if an hcl supplement would help.

Good luck and don't give up!

[Binky68]

After reading other posts , I too have a hiatus hernia. Orange juice , orange cordial would make me significantly worse.

Sort your diet out first

[SweetorDry]

Pixielula, you say the "thought of drinking ACV repulses you".... I felt kind of the same, once. Then I bought some. I got to the point I would try anything.

The recipe is, one tablespoon in a small glass of warm water with a teaspoonful of (good) honey. I add slug of (squeezed) orange juice as well. It`s delicious, and not very vinegary at all. You are supposed to have the unpasteurised organic kind with the sediment in it , as it`s supposed to have an probiotic element to it. It`s not that expensive, especially compared with the current prescription charge, now saved by not taking the PPIs.

It did more for relieving my indigestion (labelled gastritis) than any doctor I consulted about it.

No one seems to know if people have High or Low stomach acid to begin with. People have asked their Gastro-scope consultant, as I did, and the answer comes back *** sound effect of wind whistling in the canyons, complete with tumble weed *** and nothing written in the notes afterwards!! I think it`s a myth that they can tell, anyway. Just one of those things everyone repeats from the textbooks.

Yet, PPIs are given regardless. My husband has had problems with PPIs for years and his doctor has now decided that they are not only Not Working, but are giving him the Diarrhoea he has had for months. We have just started taking Vitamin D3 and he says he hasn`t had reflux since.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Johnathan]

I presume that you were using PPI's because an acid stomach was refluxing? PPI's will reduce the acidity of your stomach juices and so it will not burn as much. They key is WHY is your stomach refluxing and WHY is the acid balanced disturbed? If you have a Helicobacter pylori infection in your stomach (about 45% of the world do) the bacteria will suppress the parietal cells that produce stomach acid so H. pylori can survive. The parietal cells also produce intrinsic factor needed for B12 absorption. Lower than normal acidity allows a fermentation opportunity for food that has not been completely sterilised by high acidity. The gas produced increases the volume in the stomach and the increased pressure forces some of the contents back up into the gullet. This usually happens a few hours after eating. It is extremely unpleasant. It is still very acid even with the acid suppression of the H. pylori.

The material forced up is not only liquid but can be a foam as there is a lot of gas involved. Some of this foam that has been forced up the oesophagus can be taken down the trachia and cause lung problems - irritation or choking. Mrsm49 gates asthma attacks - as if refluxing was not enough to cope with!!

PPI's make it less unpleasant by reducing further the acidity of the stomach so the stomach contents that reflux do not burn as much. Unfortunately - if the refluxing is caused by a H. pylori infection, the action of the PPI's - by further reducing acidity - makes life nice and dandy for the H. pylori bacterium. The suppression of the parietal cells continues (or accelerates) and exacerbates the problem; B12 absorption gets worse. By drinking lime juice or apple vinegar (or any other acidic drink) you are upping the acidity of your stomach, preventing fermentation and suppressing H. pylori. This is probably why it works.

The ultimate fix is to get rid of the root cause of the problem: Helicobacter pylori. Many people find Gum Mastic highly effective and it is non-toxic. It is marketed (in the UK) as Mastica (I do not have any connection to the firm). To totally eradicate H. pylori from your system may take three months or so - but it is well worth doing. You need to be disciplined about your schedule and try not to miss doses. Once you have got it on the run - don't let it make a come-back.

I hope things work out for you.

[Polaris]

Organic sauerkraut works for me. Daily spoonfuls (and a g/f diet) rescued me from years of painful gastritis, IBS, H/Pylori, acid reflux, gall bladder symptoms, etc.

organicfacts.net/health-ben...

No need now for the PPIs, antibiotics for H/Pylori, etc. I'd been prescribed over years that depleted B12 🤗

[Ruthi]

My main triggers were grains and red wine. But it did seem as if I had reflux daily for one reason or another. Since I started the great keto experiment I've not had any reflux, (and only one headache).

[Johnathan]

Strains of H.pylori are now appearing that are antibiotic resistant. Furthermore not all doctors tests are reliable (like the Schilling test - or the test for TSH (thyroid test that cannot differerntiate between T3 and the inactive form Reverse T3). When you have got over that you still have to address the medical establishments reference ranges driven by NICE. B12 is often wrong because it cannot sense the innactive form. Vitamin C is way way wrong (set to prevent scurvy which is an extreme condition. Before Scurvy appears there are other sub-clinical health issues doing damage). Vitamin D is wrong (set to prevent Rickets which is also an extreme condition). We know that you can test ok for serum B12 and still be clinically deficient (symptomatic). The medical establishment is very reluctant to look into any protocol that does not require drugs. As most medical research is paid for by the pharmaceutical companies this should surprise on-one. I think anyone interested in drug-bias, research rigging and corruption within the medical establishment and medical policy formulation should read "Bad Pharma" by Dr Ben Goldacre (a concerned GP). It is an eye-opener. There is vast amounts of money at stake.

[Pixielula]

I have had gastric problems for years and have been on ppi's for maybe 5 years metformin 3gms per day for 20 years! I thought my low stomach acid was a side effect of hypothyroidism (20 years) so I'm now b12 def vit D def folate and ferritin def my IBD nurse is sending me to see someone to put me on a fodmap diet.