Acid Reflux Meds not Working - Suggestions?

[Kanxiety]

Hi all, I started getting really bad acid reflux about three years ago when my anxiety got bad. It got so bad that I couldn't eat anything. I lost 15 pounds in like two months. I went to a specialist and they recommended omeprazole. I started taking that everyday and felt so much better. I could even drink coffee again! About a year later I went to my then primary doctor and she recommended switching to Pepcid because taking Omeprazole everyday can do organ damage. Of course, that freaked me out, so I switched to Pepcid AC maximum strength and have been taking that every morning. I've been really happy with the Pepcid, rarely getting reflux and no side effects from it. About a week ago, I was pretty stressed and I got bad acid reflux before bed. Since that day, I have been getting acid reflux everyday, despite taking the Pepcid. Tums aren't really helping either. Has anybody had the problem where their acid reflux pills stop working? Should I switch back to omeprazole for a bit or maybe Pepcid twice a day? I think I'll try stopping coffee and see how that helps but if anyone has any suggestions for how to get the Pepcid working again, I'd love to hear it. Or suggestions for over the counter meds I could get online or in the US? I have really bad insurance, so I'd rather not see a doctor if I can avoid it. I'll be getting better insurance in July. I'm starting to worry about it getting as bad as it was before and I'm going on vacation in a few weeks, I really don't want the reflux to ruin it.

[ankietyjoe]

Drop the meds and switch to apple cider vinegar (thousands of videos about it on Youtube). It cured my reflux and I never took meds.

Meds actually do the opposite of what you need, masking the issue without treating the cause.

You also need to take care of what you eat and drink. You can't just keep drinking coffee if that's a trigger and expect meds to cover up the symptoms.

[RadioGaGa]

PPIs can cause organ damage? That's news to me, and I hand these pills out every day. We could get really persnickety, and we could argue that every medication can cause "organ damage" in the right circumstances, but no your doctor is misinformed.

PPIs can be linked to "vitamin deficiencies", but this is easily remedied by taking a multivitamin.

IMHO, and having suffered from reflux since I was a child, PPIs are the way to go. If you've ruled out Helicobacter pylori infection and don't have a crappy high-fat diet, smoke like a train or drink like a fish, there isn't really much else to cover. "Yes" people can have a weak stomach sphincter, which causes the reflux, but surgery to correct this is invasive and risky.

Not to alarm you, but prolonged reflux (we're talking years) has the potential to cause Barrett's Oesophagus, and the more serious Oesophageal cancer. Note: I said has the potential to, not that it will.

If you had success with omeprazole, and didn't have any side effects, measured by blood test or otherwise, I'm not sure why you'd come off it. I've been on various PPIs for the last seven years - I don't want to come off them. My doctor suffers from the same, and is also on long term PPI treatment. We both agreed we'd never come off them!

There is also only so much dietary changes etc can do for reflux IMHO.

I'm quite laid back about "alternative" treatments, so long as its not harmful.

I have, whilst writing this post, consulted both my hard copy of the British National Formulary ("BNF") and the online copy. Nowhere does it mention "organ damage" or similar. The BNF is the definitive, authoritative voice on medicines in the UK. Next time (any UK reader) is at their doctor or pharmacy, chances are you'll see a colourful book with BNF written on it lying around. The current edition is #76 and is red.

Good luck