PPI medicines

[Gettingoldnow]

I would like some views on PPI .i know I have been told they are an awful drug so was taking apple cider vinegar to put acid back in my stomach as they say Hashimoto patents have low stomach acid.keeping this short was put on an antibiotic which don’t think can name because of chest infection.well ended up in A and E due to severe chest pains that turns out was due to damaged osophagus caused by the antibiotic .spoke to doctor about this and the reply was oh yes I knew that !! Now the doctor at A and E and my doctor insist I take a 30 day course of PPI to heal the osophagus.i am totally confused now what to do.i know you guys are not doctors but just your thoughts would help me make up my mind .

[Hidden]

Hi sorry to hear this.I had HPylori so had to take two antibiotics and a ppi for two weeks unfortunately I had to do this twice as the bacteria from HPylori was a tricky bugger to get rid of.like you I was a bit apprehensive about the ppi so what I did was take the recommended 14 days then gradually reduced the dosage to one every other day till gradually I reduced the dosage over a period of two weeks rather than just abruptly stopping it,this worked a treat for me so maybe you could try doing this once you’ve completed your month,ppis are only ever meant to be for short term use and can be good if used properly.good luck with your decision it’s down to personal choice now isn’t it.x

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

Hi there Thrones .thank you for your reply .H Poli I had that 2 years ago .not nice that one and I did like you and took my medicine .its strange because that is actually what I thought was back ..but at least if it does not clear it’s another avenue to go down..thanks again.

[Hidden in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Hi again hopefully not but as you know it lies dormant in the blood stream once infected so can recur again,I’d had it ten years previous but because these idiots had left me so long it was harder to kill it off again so if you have any doubts get tested,better safe than sorry I was so much worse this time and of course that depleted all my vitamins too which is why I’m where I am now lol.ask your nurse to do the breath check just to be sure it’s not active again.best of luck.x

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

Are you i the U.K.

[Hidden in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Yes northants

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

Ah thanks .the last time I was tested was through a stool sample .did not know the nurse could do a breath test .thanks you have been most helpful

[Hidden in reply to Gettingoldnow]

It’ll just put your mind at rest it’s very easy for them to arrange you don’t want that back again on top of everything else and remember it screws up your stomach acid levels so wasn’t necessarily the antibiotic caused your issues it could have been the HPylori again,I hope not but worth checking out isn’t it.best of luck x

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

Thank you .its something I think I will ask the nurse about .

[Hidden]

I used to take PPIs, though thankfully didn't need them every day. But when starting on thyroxine it said on the leaflet to talk to the doctor if you take PPIs, and when I read on here that low stomach acid is often caused by low thyroid hormones I stopped taking them. Now I manage with just a Gaviscon tablet if needed (Double Action is best), and find that my reflux is much better since thyroid and nutrient levels were more or less OK.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

Ah thank you for that info much appreciated

[Hidden]

I don't think PPIs are supposed to be taken long term because the body gets used to them. But maybe if you are in severe pain a short course like your doctor says would be OK. Just don't take them within several hours of thyroid meds.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for replying .nobody has actually told me not to take them yet !

[Hidden in reply to Gettingoldnow]

It likely would be better if you can manage without them, whatever the doctor says. But if you are in severe pain that might be almost impossible. and PPIs DO apparently help in healing.

On balance, in your shoes, I think I would take them as the doctor says, but then taper off them as soon as possible afterwards.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I'm not a doctor either, but think that the worst thing likely to happen is that you would have difficulty absorbing enough of your thyroid meds, and other supplements you may be taking. But that should correct itself once you finish the course. Do you have a doctor who is willing to at least listen, and be able to discuss your concerns?

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

A doctor listen lol my doctor does not even understand the thyroid .i did say today just because I am an older patient please don’t think I don’t have any brain cells..she did admit I am knowledgeable about my thyroid .and medications.well hey ho lol she is the doctor not me .iuse this site and then decide on a form of action.i even had private thyroid blood tests done as we all know they won’t test T3or vitamins .all was out of range but she would not acknowledge them .i am afraid I don’t have much faith in NHS anymore .ivalue sites like this .thanksfor your reply

[Hidden]

Is there another GP in your practice? I found a wonderful GP "By chance" when arranging an appointment. The receptionist said a certain doctor would be available and that "He's very good".

He wasn't knowledgeable about thyroid issues either but was not only willing to admit that they didn't teach much about it in medical school, but actually asked for information and (after I sent him a small selection from Thyroid UK etc and found it wasn't just "An article from the Daily Mail") listened and was willing to work with me to find a solution!

So the receptionists are worth asking if you are really stuck. They cant give medical advice but they know their doctors.

Although it does seem that yours isn't too bad and at least "did admit I am knowledgeable about my thyroid .and medications". It might be worth a try as she is may know a bit more about PPIs than thyroid.

[Gettingoldnow]

Hi there .yes I do know there is another doctor there which I will be trying to make an appointment with after my next thyroid tests .have heard she is very good .so a good suggestion.thanks

[Treepie]

Not all hypos have low acid .I had strong pressure on my chest.Acid diagnosed and ppi removed the symptoms but gastroscopy revealed hiatus hernia, Barratts oesophagus caused by the acid ,ulcers .A second set of biopsies from a gastroscopy revealed lymphoma.

I have had chemo and am still on ppi to protect the oesophagus. Not keen because as well as the long term effects they stop many vitamins and minerals being absorbed .

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Treepie]

Hi treepie so sorry to hear that but hope you are now doing better.i did read if acid continues can cause more problems as you have described .i think you have answered my question really .try the month and see how it goes .hope you continue to improve and thanks for explaining that .it has helped .i am on Vit D spray and at present other vitamins are ok but will monitor them .

[Gambit62]

a 30 day course of PPIs isn't something to worry about and it is required to give the lining of the intestinal tract that has been damaged time to heal.

taking a PPI for much longer than this isn't recommended and the problem is GPs putting patients on repeat prescriptions of PPIs rather than short courses of PPIs

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Gambit62]

Ah thanks for that.the doc did say just try 30 day and see how you feel .i have valued the opinions on here .i don’t know if the CT scan with dye for the chest would have picked up the damage when they were looking for embolism as my bloods were high .but thank god none was shown .my chest is still sore so think I will have to go with it for now.its unbelievable how an antibiotic can be prescribed doing such damage .but I suppose it does not happen to everyone .thanks again .

[Hidden]

Do you have any salt caves near you? Have a google theyre very therapeutic for your chest and lungs and sinus issues if you have any and so relaxing.sometimes groupon do offers on them have a look.x

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Hidden]

Wow interesting yes will have a look thank you

[Hidden in reply to Gettingoldnow]

It’s so enjoyable like sitting on a beach of sand (salt) in a deckchair and you can feel your skin tingle with the salt that’s filtered through in the air in the room,read a magazine or just listen to the sea waves it’s a magical experience lol.

[Gettingoldnow]

Oh I am having that lol thank you