Community Chat

[Susan Louise]

I have been taking a perceription for this for years and as of last year have been able to switch to an OTC medication which works for me just as well...Prevacid.

I just read an article today which really concerns me and my DH...

Most if not all similar drugs to treat these conditions are linked to increasing the risk of getting dementia...OMG!!!

HERE is the article...

[Noel7]

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@Susan Louise wrote:

I have been taking a perceription for this for years and as of last year have been able to switch to an OTC medication which works for me just as well...Prevacid.

I just read an article today which really concerns me and my DH...

Most if not all similar drugs to treat these conditions are linked to increasing the risk of getting dementia...OMG!!!

HERE is the article...

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Prevacid is also a PPI.  Same issues.

[traveler]

I;m in the same boat since I've been taking Nexium.  Back to Tums.

[Susan Louise]

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@Susan Louise wrote:

I have been taking a perceription for this for years and as of last year have been able to switch to an OTC medication which works for me just as well...Prevacid.

I just read an article today which really concerns me and my DH...

Most if not all similar drugs to treat these conditions are linked to increasing the risk of getting dementia...OMG!!!

HERE is the article...

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*************************

Prevacid is also a PPI.  Same issues.

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@Noel7  Which is exactly why I said "'OMG!"

[GingerPeach]

@Susan Louise

If you haven't already, I would try food combining, monitor what you are eating by not eating anything past noon or so that could cause irritation (such as tomatoes, coffee, vinegar, acids like lemon, or whatever else you have found that aggravages the problem).

Food combining means no meats with starches, meats only with veggies, or starches only with veggies, preferably fruit alone.  After some time, this may or may not be as critical.  At the very least, it can't hurt. 

You may have tried these things already or you may not, but being careful of what you eat, especially past noon, is a good start to weaning yourself off medication.  All the best! 

ETA:  Also, look at taking digestive enzymes.  Serracor-NK is a good one, but feel free to do your own research and find what works for you.  The medical community seems to only want to cut down our stomach acids, but what they ought to be doing is aiding digestion. 

[on the bay]

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@traveler wrote:

I;m in the same boat since I've been taking Nexium.  Back to Tums.

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I thought the reports said that Tums was included in this?

Am I wrong about that?

[Kachina624]

@on the bay   After taking prescription Prevacid for close to 25 years, my doctor and I decided I'd been on it too long about a year ago.  There are other potentially dangerous side effects.  An alternative is one of the acid inhibitors like Tagamet, Pepcid, and Zantac.  So I've been taking  Ranitidine which is generic Zantac twice a day.  I find that it's not quite as effective as Prevacid but I can live with it.  Then I heard that these three drugs can also have side effects but haven't looked into that yet.

It doesn't matter if you take a prescription or OTC PPI, they are equally dangerous.

Something like Tums is just for mild indigestion you might get after eating a spicy meal.  It won't do anything for serious acid reflux.  No Tums was not included.

[on the bay]

@Kachina624

thanks for your reply

I don't take them- luckily don't have gerd but one of the news bites had included tums so thats why I was wondering. And because Traveler said she was taking tums. It does have totally different ingredients so that was surprising to hear. Maybe they just mistakenly threw them all in there.

[DiAnne]

I am just starting to get occasional reflux.  I am trying to pay attention to what I had to eat prior to my episodes and hopefully get a handle on it that way.  

[Montana]

@GingerPeach, I found Serracor-NK at Amazon and it gets great reviews but is mostly used for lung problems.  Has this helped you with digestive problems?

If you have this, would you mind listing the ingredients? I am looking for digestive enzymes but need one without protease - very hard to find.