Just a quick update:

I took Nexium 40mg for 40 days (30-day prescription + 10-day sample) and all symptoms basically went away. Doctor took me off it at end of 30-days and asked me to take Prilosec OTC for a month or so to see if anything came back.

For the first 2 weeks, all went well...no heartburn and only a few "flutters." I'm sorry to report that for weeks 3 & 4, I've slowly been experiencing a recurrence of my original symptoms...more frequent esophageal "flutters", a feeling of something in my throat occasionally, slight chest pains if the wrong food is eaten, etc. Apparently, I needed to follow the longer, 2-month regimen of Nexium or go on it "permanently."

Will return to the doctor next month and request more prescription strength medicine.

Starling72,
I know how you feel because after my endoscopy (which came back with good results) my dr. just said "continue with the nexium" - well I've been taking it since August, and I'm wondering how long I should be taking it - I know forever isn't good. I asked his nurse and she didn't seem to have any idea about how long it should be! Go figure!

Maxine, Zantac is an acid reducer, drugs such as Aciphex and Nexium are PPI's ( proton pump inhibitors) and are much stronger.

Quote from Anastasia:

i was in Periot 20mgs about a year ago and it worked great. its a PPI, brand new and is supposed to do less kidney damage.

There is no one answer as you can see. What works for one may not work for the other. It is trial and error. To those of you that have insurance just be grateful. We old people for the most part do not have prescription coverage so we subsize everyone with high expenses. Protonix about killed me, Prevacid and Nexium worked OK but ended up with gastritis and intstianl polyps which I did not have before the PPI' so I really believe they caused it. Probably the Protonix. My diet had changed all for the better so I don't know what caused it cause I didn't have gastritis or polyps before treatment.
:wave: Donn' know what Periot is. It must have a different name in US

hi there,

whatever works for you you should keep doing it. money isnt everything. your health is more important. if nexium works take it.

Quote from starling72:

I tried OTC Zantac for about a month before my doctor's appointment and it only took away the heartburn...my "flutters" still remained and retained their frequency and duration. Since starting Nexium, they've almost disappeared...only had a couple today and that was while drinking very cold water (hot/cold seems to stimulate this just as much as eating poorly). And even those were much less intense than before, so I'm hopeful Nexium is helping where OTC Zantac fell short.

I think I have the same "flutters" as you had. I call mine "burbles," and just noticed that they kick up most from cold or hot liquids (water or herbal teas, e.g.). They ar eespecially bad when I lie down. I take Zantac from time to time & am trying the tsp. of giner root juice daily thing now until I finally ge tin to see a gastroent. on 1/15. Is the Nexium (or whatever you switched to, due to the insurane) helping still?

thanks & take care!
Maggie C.

Actually, I'm going to try and go back to the doctor after trying Prilosec OTC for the past few months. At first, it seemed to work fine, but I've begun gaining weight and the flutters are back, occasionally as bad as before. I haven't changed the way I eat or slacked off on my exercise, so the weight gain is somewhat unusual. I think I'll see if he'll just put me back on Nexium for as long as he's comfortable doing so and see if I heal. Chances are, my esophagus or the valve at the lower end of it is inflamed and just needs some months to heal.

Quote from iamgarp:

hi there,

whatever works for you you should keep doing it. money isnt everything. your health is more important. if nexium works take it.

I can tell you that money is everything. If you are sick and you dont have money or insurance you will stay sick. I know I have been sick for six months and my only option is the health clinic. I have spent 3 grand, all of my savings and the only thing they could come up with is anxiety. So I have taken the paxil,$100.00 a month for the poor, much cheaper if you have money, and it has done nothing. And let me add that if I would have never used protonix I would not be sick right now.

Derek

Sorry to hear that, but I be tyou need to be on Nexium a little longer. PLEASE let us know what your doctor says?

Thanks,
Maggie C.

Canyondweller,

You are right and I should've posted that disclaimer. I only drink it at night, after I've decided to stay in for the evening, so I don't ever experience the impairment aspect of drinking kava tea. Besides, I don't think the Yogi tea has a really high amount of kava in it, just enough to relax you a little. Still, one must use caution when drinking the stuff...only one cup and be VERY careful to not drink it and drive within an hour or two.

In my case, I don't drink the kava tea for anti-anxiety, but for its antispasmodic properties which helps eliminate the "fluttering" that is going on in my stomach/esophagus area due in part to acid reflux. Seems to help so far and I'm keeping it to one cup per day in the evening. If that stops working, then I'll stop drinking it (I don't want to get to reliant on the stuff) and go back to Nexium, which helped a few months ago.

Thanks for the reminder! :wave: