Can anyone suggest a PPI that doesn’t make you feel more ill than you are. Have been prescribed a few different ones but the side effects are not tolerable. The most recent ones Esomeprazole just wiped me out. Joint pain and muscle weakness along with chills, headache and constipation to name but a few. Or if anyone has any suggestions for Gerd other than PPI’s please would be helpful?
Thanks
You probably have low stomach acid already, being hypo, so PPIs, instead of helping, are making you worse. The problem is, the symptoms are the same as for high stomach acid, and doctors don't understand that not everyone with those symptoms needs a PPI, some people need to raise their stomach acid instead.
Have a look at this article, and try the home test at the end:
healthygut.com/3-tests-for-...
I agree with gg. I was on high dose PPI's for years, now without them for 2/12. I have found that eating 'easy peelers' like mandarins about an hour after my dinner helps calm it down.
Edit: I've heard red grapes can help too.
I totally agree with greygoose. I had never heard of low stomach acid until I started following this forum. It seems to me that most doctors don't know anything about it. Even when I was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia at the hospital I was automatically sent a prescription for PPI. I looked up the PIL (patient information leaflet) and decided that I didn't want that. I've since been tested and found to have low stomach acid.
What is not understood is that alkali can be just as unpleasant as acid, but the treatment is totally different.
Here are 2 more links about low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria).
Previous post shows you are under medicated and probably low vitamins
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Being under medicated linked to low stomach acid
Low stomach acid and high stomach acid have virtually identical symptoms but very different treatment
Low stomach acid leads to low nutrient absorption and low vitamin levels as direct result
Low stomach acid is very common hypothyroid issue
Thousands of posts on here about low stomach acid
healthunlocked.com/search/p...
Web links re low stomach acid and reflux and hypothyroidism
nutritionjersey.com/high-or...
articles.mercola.com/sites/...
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
stopthethyroidmadness.com/s...
healthygut.com/articles/3-t...
naturalendocrinesolutions.c...
meraki-nutrition.co.uk/indi...
huffingtonpost.co.uk/laura-...
lispine.com/blog/10-telling...
Protect your teeth if using ACV with mother
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Ppi
Omeprazole will lower vitamin levels even further
gov.uk/drug-safety-update/p...
webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/ne...
pharmacytimes.com/publicati...
PPI and increased risk T2 diabetes
I’m finding organic water kefir beneficial (following advice in this forum). I bought grains on Amazon, followed a YouTube video, bought a couple of kilner jars & had it daily ever since. It’s a bit like homemade lemonade with good bacteria in.
Can you give us the links to the grains you bought and the Youtube video, please?
You can also find them on eBay and, for the cost of postage, on this Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/1814451...
I bought 40g but do have cheaper option at 20g; I split mine after 6 weeks & gave half away
40g Certified Organic Kombuchaorganic® Large Sachet Water Kefir Grains UKAS Lab Tested - Great Value and Outstanding and Unique Quality Cultures amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FMB1HQN/...
I use kilner jars instead of grolsh bottles!youtu.be/o65S1zTgTdo
I have a couple of kilner jars I could use. Thanks for the links.
I was put on Omeprazole after an endoscopy . and took them for well over a year before deciding I didn’t want to have to keep taking them so looked into natural ways of stopping the pain I was getting from my hernia and reflux.
So in 2019 I started taking a probiotic that also contains a prebiotic and haven’t had a problem since. I take one twice a day and the result has been amazing.
In case anyone isn’t aware, prebiotics feed probiotics.
Thanks for replying. Which ones are you taking please?
Hi, it’s this one that I get on Amazon. I did try a plain probiotic once but it didn’t work for me, so I went back to this one.smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/produ...
Thanks will give it a go. Willing to try anything.
If you read the reviews it doesn’t work for everyone, all I can say is that it definitely works for me and I will always be re- ordering. Hope you feel better with them. x
I have been on Omeprazole for around 8/9 years now 20mg a day, the reason I was put on this is because I was getting continuous sore throats, that never went away. The ENT consultant said that it was acid burning the throat. I’ve never had indigestion or heartburn, just a sore throat, I’ve always wondered if they actually help as I still get the odd niggle in my throat.
There are some valid reasons for taking PPIs. For example, anyone taking an NSAID (e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen - there may be others) are at increased risk of developing gastric ulcers or erosions or gastritis without a PPI. I took lots of OTC ibuprofen in my 20s because of excruciating period pain. I ended up being diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer. I'm taking prescribed naproxen now for chronic pain and take a PPI to protect my stomach from the effects. If I don't take the PPI I get burning pain in my gut.
Another reason that some people need to take PPIs is when the valve between the top of the stomach and the oesophagus doesn't work well and allows stomach acids into the oesophagus. Apart from the fact that this hurts a lot it also increases the risk of something called Barrett's Oesophagus which can lead to cancer.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barre...
...
Anyone who isn't forced by circumstances to take a PPI should test to see if they are likely to have low stomach acid and should use the free test linked by greygoose above.
If stomach acid levels are low then it is worth trying to improve levels.
Anyone already taking a PPI (who thinks they may have been prescribed it inappropriately) may have to reduce it slowly because coming off them causes something called "hypersecretion" of gastric acid.
howtotreatheartburn.com/how...
...
I have found the subject of gut health far easier to grasp since I found out why low stomach acid has such a bad effect on people but it can take a while to get through all the info.
The "short" version...
healthygut.com/hypochlorhyd...
healthygut.com/3-tests-for-...
healthygut.com/how-to-suppl...
healthygut.com/4-common-bet...
healthygut.com/thyroid-dest...
The "long" version...
chriskresser.com/what-every...
chriskresser.com/the-hidden...
chriskresser.com/more-evide...
chriskresser.com/how-your-a...
chriskresser.com/how-your-a...
chriskresser.com/get-rid-of...
Betaine with pepsin or PPI?
Hypothyroidism and dry throat
Help please ppi with levothyroxine 
