Dr Hive: Best way to wean off from long term use of omeprazol (prilosec)???

[Robin M]

When doctor first prescribed omeprazol 3 years ago, he told me to just stay on it since there were no major side effects. I have a hiatal hernia and it caused a narrowing of my esophagus which had to be widened. Haven't had any issues since then. Oh, except he neglected to tell me - that long term use can cause fatty liver. Yep, just got the results of my annual blood test and the wonderful doctor messages me, asking me how much alcohol I drink. Not enough to affect my liver, but hey, did my research and saw that the omeprazol is the culprit. Asked if okay to start weaning myself off of it. His response -"yes, go ahead and quit and if heartburn returns, we can try pepcid." As if.... I know the dangers of quitting a medication cold turkey after long term use. I want to avoid the rebound affect so..... Besides cutting down and gradually tapering off, what are natural remedies for restoring stomach acids to normal?

[Paz]

I was on a similar medication for about 1 1/2 years. When I started to taper off I also began taking DGL, Natural Esophaguard by Life Extension, and a good probiotic. I think I went off gradually in about 1 to 2 months.

[Pawz4me]

I was on generic Protonix for a couple of years. I had no rebound effect when tapering off. I went from taking it twice a day to once a day, then every other day, every third day and then I quit. I did start taking a probiotic a few months before tapering off, so I don't know if that helped or not.

[ondreeuh]

I am listening in. I also have a hiatal hernia and have been on Prilosec for years. Any amount of acid (coffee, chocolate, citrus, tomato, soda, beer/wine, etc.) causes painful heartburn and then I take Prilosec as needed. When I tried to go off it before, I avoided acidic foods and didn't notice much heartburn. However, I developed damage to my esophagus, causing a persistent cough (6 months!), due to the overproduction of mucus to protect the sores. I do NOT want the Nissen fundoplication as it prevents you from being able to belch. Ugh.

[sparrow]

:bigear: Listening on dh's behalf. He has been on omeprazole forever.

[Seasider]

Side question for you Prilosec users - anyone besides me have the metal taste in your mouth side effect?

[ondreeuh]

Side question for you Prilosec users - anyone besides me have the metal taste in your mouth side effect?

 

I don't. I don't have any side effects.

[melmichigan]

:bigear: Listening on dh's behalf. He has been on omeprazole forever.

 

Me too. I'm actually thinking of moving him to Protonix after reading this thread.

[sbgrace]

We just took my son off cold turkey after trying to step down, unsuccessfully, in the past. He had been on Prilosec for over 3 years at that point. I have read about stepping down doses, while adding something like zyrtec or similar H2 blocker for the missed doses, then stepping off of the H2 blocker. The idea was to control the rebound. I don't think we had tried stepping down to an H2 blocker, and maybe that would have helped some with rebound. Just gradually reducing doses didn't work for him.

 

My son was hospitalized with NPO and without the Prilosec. I don't know if it was that he wasn't eating or just that going off altogether was the right approach, but he had no issues.

[Robin M]

I was on a similar medication for about 1 1/2 years. When I started to taper off I also began taking DGL, Natural Esophaguard by Life Extension, and a good probiotic. I think I went off gradually in about 1 to 2 months.

 

I heard DGL mentioned before, but since I have high Blood pressure, stay away with anything that has licorice in it. Will look into the Natural Esophaguard.

 

 

Did some additional searching and came across this discussion which sent me off to the store and why I'm sitting here eating yogurt which I usually hate. It's improved over the years and Yoplait's thick and creamy vanilla isn't so bad, although my son had a few yuck comments about it. All the suggesting alternatives had me buying apple cider vinegar, several different types of yogurt, and ginger tea. It may all be overkill, but will see.

[SharonM]

Reading this thread with interest. I have been on omeprazole and then pantroprazole for 14 years. I want off. But the rebound is killer, and I am no lightweight when it comes to pain. So I should take probiotics first and then gradually cut down? I have tried the vinegar, which went well for 2 days and then horribly bad pain, belching etc. My Dr. is no help.

[Pawz4me]

I tried vinegar before going on generic Protonix and it made my symptoms much worse. But it may depend on what kind of reflux you have or what's causing it. According to my gastro I was over-reacting to normal levels of stomach acid. If that's true, then it stands to reason that vinegar (adding more acid) would make it worse. To this day I can't tolerate pickles or any kind of vinegarette (sp?) dressing or anything else with vinegar in it. It's a major trigger for me.

[Hunter's Moon]

I had to stop cold turkey because the Prilosec was making my GERD worse. I use apple cider vinegar now, but I have too little acid.

[Trish]

When doctor first prescribed omeprazol 3 years ago, he told me to just stay on it since there were no major side effects. I have a hiatal hernia and it caused a narrowing of my esophagus which had to be widened. Haven't had any issues since then. Oh, except he neglected to tell me - that long term use can cause fatty liver. Yep, just got the results of my annual blood test and the wonderful doctor messages me, asking me how much alcohol I drink. Not enough to affect my liver, but hey, did my research and saw that the omeprazol is the culprit. Asked if okay to start weaning myself off of it. His response -"yes, go ahead and quit and if heartburn returns, we can try pepcid." As if.... I know the dangers of quitting a medication cold turkey after long term use. I want to avoid the rebound affect so..... Besides cutting down and gradually tapering off, what are natural remedies for restoring stomach acids to normal?

 

Just keep in mind if you're suffering from reflux, you need to be checked occasionally for any changes to your esophageal tissue (Barrett's) that are precancerous tissue. Barrett's is treatable, but you need to be aware of it. Prilosec should be taken in the morning, and you can wean by cutting back to every other day at first.

[HRAAB]

How timely. I was about to ask a similar question. I also have a hiatal hernia diagnosed 5 years ago when I was having issues with swallowing (food getting stuck, small panic attack because I thought I was going to choke). They opened up the peptic ulcer caused by the acid reflux and told me to take prilosec. Last year I started experiencing the same issues with swallowing and had another endoscopy to open up the stricture. My esophagus was red and inflamed; they did a biopsy which was clear. The doctor told me to take a Nexium everyday and come back when I had more swallowing issues. Thanks! First, I don't have prescription coverage and can't afford Nexium. So I'm back to taking OTC omeprazole. When I take it everyday long term, I start to experience stomach discomfort and diarrhea. That's in addition to the other side effects such as you mentioned plus bone density loss. I'm 52 and could be taking this for the rest of my life?

 

When I stopped taking a proton pump inhibitor, I cut back to every other day, then every 3 days trying to curtail the return of severe acid reflux. I have acid reflux every single day. Swallowing becomes more difficult, it is painful to eat, I have difficulty reading aloud and am constantly clearing my throat. I have had some success with watching my diet very, very carefully. The biggest culprits (besides acidic foods, coffee, alcohol and chocolate) seem to be starches - especially when combined with animal protein. I eat yogurt almost every morning and take a probiotic. I follow all the advice: small meals, eat slowly, sit up straight, don't bend over, don't eat within 3 hrs of bedtime, etc., and I still have heartburn. Eating was becoming too uncomfortable so I'm back on omeprazole again. I've heard about DGL licorice (haven't tried it) and ginger tea (no difference). Besides the pain, I'm very worried about esophagitis leading to Barrett's and possibly cancer.

 

Another issue is belching. I told my dh I wasn't fit for public eating anymore. Acid reflux burns like hell, but the burping is making my life miserable. I'm not sure why, but that seems to improve with PPI also. I'm to the point that I'm considering fundoplication. I've heard you can't burp after the surgery, but that almost sounds like heaven. My neighbor had it done and says she has her life back. Still, I would want that to be the last resort. I'm don't know what else to do. Take pills that have side effects and make me ill, try to control by other means and risk esophageal cancer (plus dealing with the peptic ulcer), try surgery. Ack! I'm willing to look at other alternatives if there are any.

 

None of that was any help, I know. Sorry.

[Laurie]

My ds has just started with the prilosec tapering schedule that his dr. recommends:

 

Week 1: take 1 full pill days 1, 3, 5, and 7; take a half pill days 2, 4, and 6

Weeks 2 and 3: take a half pill every day

Weeks 4 and 5: take a half pill every other day

Week 6: take a half pill every third day

Week 7: all done

 

He was told to take Tums as needed during the taper, and if necessary to continue for an additional week on any of the given steps.

 

My ds saw a gastroenterologist last summer and had endoscopy and an ultrasound to make sure he didn't have ulcers, celiac, gallbladder trouble, etc. When the test results were normal he was just left with the instructions to keep taking prilosec.

Recently he went to a naturopathic physician who specializes in digestive disorders and food allergies. Ds had allergy testing done, and he found out what foods his body is reacting to. He has changed his diet significantly and now he's doing the prilosec taper. He's only on week 1 so time will tell...the dr. told him that many people with chronic digestive problems can find relief and go off their medications once they find out what foods they need to avoid.

 

Also, about DGL. I buy DGL Ultra by Enzymatic Therapy. According the label, the substance in licorice that will cause high blood pressure has been removed. (The German Chocolate flavored tablets taste pretty good, too.)

[Shellydon]

As you wean off, your acid with greatly increase, then slowly return to a more normal level. Take Gaviscon, or an antacid as needed for a few weeks.

[Robin M]

My ds has just started with the prilosec tapering schedule that his dr. recommends:

 

Week 1: take 1 full pill days 1, 3, 5, and 7; take a half pill days 2, 4, and 6

Weeks 2 and 3: take a half pill every day

Weeks 4 and 5: take a half pill every other day

Week 6: take a half pill every third day

Week 7: all done

 

He was told to take Tums as needed during the taper, and if necessary to continue for an additional week on any of the given steps.

 

My ds saw a gastroenterologist last summer and had endoscopy and an ultrasound to make sure he didn't have ulcers, celiac, gallbladder trouble, etc. When the test results were normal he was just left with the instructions to keep taking prilosec.

Recently he went to a naturopathic physician who specializes in digestive disorders and food allergies. Ds had allergy testing done, and he found out what foods his body is reacting to. He has changed his diet significantly and now he's doing the prilosec taper. He's only on week 1 so time will tell...the dr. told him that many people with chronic digestive problems can find relief and go off their medications once they find out what foods they need to avoid.

 

Also, about DGL. I buy DGL Ultra by Enzymatic Therapy. According the label, the substance in licorice that will cause high blood pressure has been removed. (The German Chocolate flavored tablets taste pretty good, too.)

 

Sounds like a good idea and I'll try it. My problem is I've gotten reliant on the pill and don't worry too much about what I eat now. Have eliminated the things I'm most sensitive too such as corn and wheat. Have given up sodas for the most part. I had some weird food allergies come up in testing a few years back such as onions and lettuce. I eat a lot of salads now and love avocados. Have also gotten addicted to Kit-kats. Anyway stupid me. The week I decide to start cutting back on the pills and ended up eating at Chipoltes a couple days ago. Then didn't take a pill yesterday and had a hamburger and salad with red onions last night. Paid for it big time - eventually took a zantac and went to bed. Still feel icky today. So guess I need to alter my diet some more - avoid the processed and fast foods like I normally do. Resist the temptation. I really shouldn't be drinking the ginger ale because of the high fructose corn syrup. I don't see how the apple cinder vinegar is going to do me any good because I've always avoided acidic foods for the most part. Except I do love Tropicana's low acid orange juice. Anyway, guess I'll need to stock up on the Zantac and be a good girl while attempting the weaning process. Going to see my folks in a couple weeks and they don't cook much, preferring instead to eat out. Yes, I do cook them a home cooked meal or two but still. Think I'll wait until that trip is over, then do a detox and try Laurie's suggesting tapering schedule.

[HRAAB]

While certain foods are triggers for me (grains and starchy vegetables), I have found a few other things that do help: small portion size (biggest thing for me), don't drink anything while eating and half hour before and after meals (to not stretch the stomach), sit up straight and don't bend over after eating, don't eat within 3 hrs of bedtime, taking a slow walk after eating, and - not meaning that you need this, I do - lose weight.

 

I bought a small portioned plate (looks like a child's plate): meat and any rice, squash, potatoes go in the small ones, the large one is filled with veggies. Usually I skip the potatoes/rice and just add more salad or veggies. One small serving spoon full. I try to intentionally count to at least 10 while chewing, swallow, wait, then next bite. This is because I have trouble with food sticking. No seconds. I am a very slow eater, but this has been the biggest help - bigger than watching what I eat even.

 

The other thing I've found that makes enough of a difference that I paid attention to it is not eating any grains/starchy veggies with animal protein and eating fruit by itself and waiting 30 minutes for it to digest. If I've eaten meat/fish, I usually wait 3 hrs. before I will try eating most carbs. This is where I fail the most, and I do notice the difference.

 

Reading this thread has reinforced how much I want to get off the PPI drugs.

[Guest LynneMarieS]

Read THIS:

(I was shocked). It's not an ad or anything. It's supported by a lot of medical research. HCL with Pepsin is the recommended treatment. These acid-reducing drugs are dangerous as Heck. This is a very long article, but I suggest you all read it. I was never told ANY of this by my doctors.

 

http://chriskresser.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-but-doesnt-about-heartburn-gerd/

Edited February 16, 2016 by LynneMarieS

[jenn-]

Read THIS:

(I was shocked). It's not an ad or anything. It's supported by a lot of medical research. HCL with Pepsin is the recommended treatment. These acid-reducing drugs are dangerous as Heck. This is a very long article, but I suggest you all read it. I was never told ANY of this by my doctors.

 

http://chriskresser.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-but-doesnt-about-heartburn-gerd/

I'm pretty sure after 2.5 yrs, she's probably figured it out.