Reflux - Stopped meds

[RyanM1994]

Hi,

After a discussion with my doctor 2 weeks ago, we have decided to try and stop taking my meds.
I had dropped down to a 15mg dose of Lansoprazole around this same time, and we decided that in 2 weeks (I stopped on Tuesday) I would stop the meds.

Most of my symptoms had gone while on the meds and I was feeling a lot better about my life as a whole.

Last Tuesday (6th Aug, a week after dropping from 30mg to 15mg), I had a bad bout of Nausea that lasted the whole day, I didn't think much of it and I still felt hungry and was able to eat so carried on with my day.
This went away the day after and thought that was it. Unfortunately, the Nausea returned on Friday evening and has been there on and off since then.

I decided to go ahead and stop the medication anyway, as I know Nausea can be a side effect of it.

The very first morning without medication, I was eating cereal for breakfast and I swallowed a large amount of sharp food too early and hurt my throat. Throughout the day I felt odd pains and burning feelings in my throat, like before I took the meds, and this is still continuing today (In fact I woke up today with a classic sore throat again with some mucus). I have no idea if this is related to me hurting my throat, my persistent tonsil issues or the reflux returning.

I also have a pain (feels sore to touch, almost tender, but cannot see anything) in the right side of my mouth (either on my tongue, tonsil or gum), which I haven't felt since a week after I started taking the medication.


I'm now spiralling, I have already told my partner I'm 100% certain I have some form of GI related cancer and I'm dying. I've moved our holiday closer at my own expense so I know I get to go on it. I'm stuck, my doctor only works Tues, Weds and Thurs, which means I will have to try and get by with Nausea and a sore throat (possibly from Reflux if it's starting again) until next Tuesday.

I don't feel like I have the full-on Reflux symptoms yet, no burning in my stomach but do have it in my throat, no burning when I burp, am managing to still feel hungry. But I also know that when you come off these meds it takes a while to fully get out of your system.

I just don't know what to think at the moment. To summarise, my thoughts are:
The medication I have been taking has masked symptoms for cancer, I have been on these for 2 months so it will have progressed massively by now. When I went down to the 15mg dose, it started to come out of my system and that's why I'm getting the nausea and now I've fully stop the med, the other symptoms are slowly coming back.

I'm really scared, I have so many ambitions and I feel like I wont be able to achieve any of them .

[RyanM1994]

Now the squeezing feeling on the far right of my back has returned

[LuSmith]

If it helps I get a lot of these symptoms. I've been on lansoprazole in the past up until a year or so ago and then I switched to omeprazole, and whenever I've been off it I've had sore throats, pain in my chest and back, the burning sensation, a lot of acid coming up my throat, and so on...

I just tried to get off omeprazole over the past month to see if I could switch to ranitidine but ranitidine barely helped me, so I know how it is when your symptoms are getting the better of you.

Honestly, I thought I had something worse for years but it's so so rare, and although I've not had a endoscopy, I had a barium swallow and my gastro was 100% positive there was nothing to worry about. So I'm sure you're probably fine too

How long have you been on the meds out of curiosity?

[RyanM1994]

Morning,

Sorry for posting on here again, I've been trying not to but I've managed to get myself into a really bad state this morning.

So the saga continues in regards to heartburn and nausea, I stopped the medication as discussed with my doctor.
The days followed I had low level heartburn, which my doctor advised me to try and cope with, but if it gets too much take the meds and come back.
The Heartburn went after 3 days and I felt really good. Was able to eat a lot more foods and actually kept feeling hungry. The only issue I have is I keep feeling severe Nausea for around 20-30 mins at a time a few times a day. I also get a lot of wind (both ends).

On the 5th day, I went out for a meal with my family. After I ate, I did't get heartburn but I got severe pains in the right and left sides (close to hip) and near my belly button. Sharp pains that lasted around 30 mins.
Was OK again after that. Sunday night came and BAM, I had heartburn again which was mid-level and I was able to cope. This was there all of yesterday too but at a much lower level.
This morning I feel much better again, but feel like I'm full with a small amount of nausea.

Now here's the issue. For years now I have suffered with having loose stools nearly all of the time, and when I do eventually have a solid one, it comes out pretty flat and ribbon-like. Also takes a LOT of effort.
I've never really thought much of it.
I've had haemorrhoids in the past and believe I do still have some (occasionally get red blood on the tissue).

I mentioned the flat stools to my doctor the other day and he didn't really think much of it. Problem is, I read something this morning that Heartburn can be linked to Colon cancer and now my mind is racing. In my head it all makes sense and now I'm convinced. I've been trying to stay off Google and have done so well until this morning.

Overall my symptoms are/have been:

• Heartburn
• Gas
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Pain
• Weight loss (haven't lost any weight recently)
• Loose stools
• Urgency
• Yellow stools
• Bowel habit changes
• Blood on tissue
• Feeling my bowel hasn't emptied properly

[RyanM1994]

Hi LuSmith,

Thank you.

I was on the meds for 8-9 weeks

[RadioGaGa]

What is the rationale behind stopping the meds?

When you stop PPIs, you will get what's known as "rebound reflux". This is nothing to worry about. It's basically your stomach getting a bit hyper and secreting excess acid. Hence, you'll get increased heart burn, nausea etc etc.

You do not have stomach cancer

[bin tenn]

What is the rationale behind stopping the meds?

When you stop PPIs, you will get what's known as "rebound reflux". This is nothing to worry about. It's basically your stomach getting a bit hyper and secreting excess acid. Hence, you'll get increased heart burn, nausea etc etc.

You do not have stomach cancer

Yep, this is definitely a thing. I've been slowly working my way off of a PPI (Pantoprazole 20mg) for a while, per my doc's recommendation. She also said this "rebound reflux" is normal, and that I can take Tums or similar as needed for a little bit. I was taking the PPI every other day, and for a bit I was getting the rebound stuff. Now I haven't taken it in three days, and so far so good! I get the mild burning in my abdomen from time to time, but that's it so far.

[RadioGaGa]

Good to hear your symptoms are getting better bin tenn!

People on here could be forgiven for thinking I'm a drug rep for PPIs (I'm honestly not!) but I simply love them - ever since I started them I can eat all the spicy foods in the world (somewhat an addiction of mine) and can't ever imagine stopping them. But my stomach sphincter doesn't work as well as it should, so it's either literally burn to death, PPIs or risky surgery (which may not even cure my symptoms)

[ankietyjoe]

Good to hear your symptoms are getting better bin tenn!

People on here could be forgiven for thinking I'm a drug rep for PPIs (I'm honestly not!) but I simply love them - ever since I started them I can eat all the spicy foods in the world (somewhat an addiction of mine) and can't ever imagine stopping them. But my stomach sphincter doesn't work as well as it should, so it's either literally burn to death, PPIs or risky surgery (which may not even cure my symptoms)

You see I can't get on board with this. You are taking a drug that suppresses a primary bodily function so you can carry on doing the things that exacerbate the issue in the first place. It's widely, widely known that stomach sphincters don't work particularly well in low stomach acid conditions, and people have been consuming MORE acid (in the form of apple cider vinegar) to repair this issue for centuries. The medical solution is only lowering a symptom, not fixing the cause.

There is so much information out there about this.

[bin tenn]

Good to hear your symptoms are getting better bin tenn!

People on here could be forgiven for thinking I'm a drug rep for PPIs (I'm honestly not!) but I simply love them - ever since I started them I can eat all the spicy foods in the world (somewhat an addiction of mine) and can't ever imagine stopping them. But my stomach sphincter doesn't work as well as it should, so it's either literally burn to death, PPIs or risky surgery (which may not even cure my symptoms)

I would still get some reflux while taking the PPI every day if I ate too much of something, especially spicy. Haha. Today is day three for me without the PPI, and no major issues. Took a couple Tums earlier, but no big deal. But of course I'm also trying my best to avoid triggers. That's always been the hardest part for me, because I also love spicy foods, among other things that trigger reflux. :(