A week into trying to stop PPI's is just awful. It's ok for 3/4 days and then wham!! Heartburn/upper GI like I've never known.

[binks]

Has anyone else experienced this? According to my pharmacist, I should cut down to every alternate day for a few weeks and then aim for maintenance at 3 - 4 days a week.

[Queeny54]

I think your pharmacist's advice is sensible. Like most of us your gut is sensitive and needs treating with care. Are you keeping a food diary? If so , have you eaten something you have not eaten since stopping PPI's. I have not taken my PPI today as I am trying to wean myself off them? Having done some research the general advice seems to be reducing reliance on PPI's gradually. I plan to take one tomorrow and then every other day to see how I manage

Hopefully, we will eventually manage without them. Try to stay upbeat as mood has a dramatic effect on our digestion.

Hope this helps.

[Sophie]

I heard this on radio 4 last night - Dr talking about the overuse of PPIs and coming off them. Could be worth a listen on iplayer.

bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03q8z4k

[binks in reply to Sophie]

I have listened!! Quite scary that the GP didn't know how to advise her patients on how to wean themselves off these. I would question that at the end of 2/3 weeks the rebound symptoms should be getting better. The main studies on this seem to find that rebound is still a big problem sometimes up to 3 months. Very interesting thank you.

[Huston]

I managed to get of a PPI a while back having read the downsides of long term use . It took a couple of months. Of gradual reduction and sticking with it but got there in the end .i must say that the acid bounce problem took a lot of Will power to overcome but I can honestly say that now heart burn and acid reflux which were a big part of my IBSC symptoms which started me on a PPI no longer the major problem it was .yes I still get flare ups but not the daily pain I used to suffer .Now it's all stomach and gut pain !

[binks in reply to Huston]

Thanks for that - I have taken my pharmacist's advice and will go back on them for a week - then on alternating days for a while before reducing a bit more. I think the full withdrawal effects seem to kick in after 4/5 days and so at first I thought it was going to be a doddle!!