Acid reflux /Heartburn….. help!

I suffer from this too, mainly at night and always have Rennies by the bed. I was on omaprozole too, but was also taken off it - can't remember why now. I've not heard of peppermint oil capsules but I'm not a fan of peppermint and always buy the orange Rennies! But I'd take them if I heard that they were very effective.

Apparently ginger is good but on standby I just use bicarbonate of soda in warm water. It works perfectly.

Gaviscon was used for years by my husband. The only thing which really helped him is omeprazole - he too stopped using it after reading bad things about it but as he has stage 4 bowel cancer his thoughts now are what the hell!

I take Famitodine, 20mg daily, Gaviscon sometimes, on GP advice, dose of Gaviscon Advance before bed.
I have a hiatus hernia.

All these drugs give me diarrhoea, I didn't connect the two for years and neither did my GP, who finally decided I had irritable bowels. I am now trying to wean myself off the last, famotidine, with the help of rennies and chunks of preserved ginger (from H&B). But am not there yet. When I have told GPs about diarrhoea, they immediately assume I have bowel cancer, but since this has gone on for about 7 years and I have had numerous tests I think this can't be right. Has anyone successfully given up these drugs?

I had this dreadfully. Since going low carb it has gone.

I suffered to till I went low carb too. I lost 21 lbs and haven't suffered for months.

Shinamae, I was recommended to take Peppermint Gel capsules as I was suffering from bouts of diarrhoea, a couple of times a week. I don't mean to be indelicate, but I would have a little bit of a problem, with a bit of leakage from rear end. This would happen quite regularly, so embarrasing, I would have to run to the loo to do a clean up job. I had resorted to wearing panty liners, for my rear end, so that it caught the leaked offensive stuff. I was so depressed over the whole thing. Then my dear DiL recommended the peppermint capsules. What a game changer!! I now have no leakage at all. When I have an empty out, it is clean, no debris or anything left behind. No follow on problems. It has been wonderfully liberating, to now not worry, when I leave the house, that there may be a leak, let alone a smell!! Sorry if I have offended anyone with the subject, but maybe this could help someone else, because its horrible thing to happen at any age. Has anybody else found this to be helpful?

ayse

Apparently ginger is good but on standby I just use bicarbonate of soda in warm water. It works perfectly.

Yes Ayse I use bicarb too as a standby incase I haven't taken my Omeprazole.

What is the problem with Omeprazole.. I have been using it for many years. shall google it

Its me that's mentioned Peppermint oil capsules in previous posts. After an endoscopy and scan 7 years ago I was diagnosed with an irritation of stomach lining, Gord, and a hiatus hernia. All causing me numerous issues. Prescribed immediately a high dose of Lansoprazole which I took for six months then developed an allergic reaction. Dr. changed to other prazole which still disagreed with me. Decided to do my own research eventually found a post on a health forum with similar problems to me who had experienced same reaction to prazoles. She advocated taking Peppermint oil capsules (one a day), plus one or two Acidophilus and an Aloe vera tablet which helped cure most of her symptoms. I spoke to my Dr. who was all for it said he'd heard good reports about Peppermint in the past. However I didn't just stop taking prazole I slowly decreased usage over a month while taking the others on alternate days then 3 days etc. Initially I bought the larger 150 capsules then reduced to 100 around 4 months later. It has to be capsules containing oil not tablets which aren't as effective. I usually take them at lunchtime. Never taken a NSAID since. However I do have a pack of Rennies in bedside table for occasional heartburn usually caused by eating spicy food late in the evening. Hope this helps.

Omeprazole is the only thing that has helped my GORD along with Gaviscon. Im on a low dose though.

I was taken off Omeprazole because the Dr said they have discovered a link between long term use & early dementia,
It is difficult to find anything else that is as effective .

My OH takes pre and pro biotics ,since he started taking them his acid has disappeared .I get them from Amazon for him

Thanks for sharing this info.

My GP took me off Lanzoprazole and put me on Peptac. which I think is a form of Gaviscon.
It suits me well.

Jaxjacky

I take Famitodine, 20mg daily, Gaviscon sometimes, on GP advice, dose of Gaviscon Advance before bed.
I have a hiatus hernia.

That’s what I had the famitodine, One in the morning and one in the evening did nothing for me. I have the Tesco own version of Gaviscon I have tried the Gaviscon in tablet form but didn’t find any different to Rennies except it was a lot dearer..

kissngate

Its me that's mentioned Peppermint oil capsules in previous posts. After an endoscopy and scan 7 years ago I was diagnosed with an irritation of stomach lining, Gord, and a hiatus hernia. All causing me numerous issues. Prescribed immediately a high dose of Lansoprazole which I took for six months then developed an allergic reaction. Dr. changed to other prazole which still disagreed with me. Decided to do my own research eventually found a post on a health forum with similar problems to me who had experienced same reaction to prazoles. She advocated taking Peppermint oil capsules (one a day), plus one or two Acidophilus and an Aloe vera tablet which helped cure most of her symptoms. I spoke to my Dr. who was all for it said he'd heard good reports about Peppermint in the past. However I didn't just stop taking prazole I slowly decreased usage over a month while taking the others on alternate days then 3 days etc. Initially I bought the larger 150 capsules then reduced to 100 around 4 months later. It has to be capsules containing oil not tablets which aren't as effective. I usually take them at lunchtime. Never taken a NSAID since. However I do have a pack of Rennies in bedside table for occasional heartburn usually caused by eating spicy food late in the evening. Hope this helps.

I only got my peppermint capsules today they are 50 mg,really small and take one to 3 a day so I shall certainly be given them a try…? I am a bit bad with medication if I find it’s not working I just stop it immediately,don’t taper off…?

Marmite32

My GP took me off Lanzoprazole and put me on Peptac. which I think is a form of Gaviscon.
It suits me well.

Just googled it and it’s liquid peppermint ?

I'm not surprised.
Boots here charge £12 for a large bottle and local pharmacy £3. 50 ish.
I can't work that one out.

I've taken note in case it happens to me, so thank you for your bravery in posting that. Hope you continue to stay well.

Shinamae seems ok for me, I hope you find something that helps you, reflux is wearing and can be painful.

Thank you all for your helpful comments ??

Gaviscon Advance just before bed. Make it the last thing you take - nothing else after it. Works a treat for me. Make sure it’s the ‘Advance’ one - it’s far better than the ‘regular’.

I have taken Omeprazole for quite a few years but started to get unpleasant side effects - very achy legs, bloated stomach, nausea. I have now weaned them down to two a week and feel much better. I didn’t even need to take one a day. I also take peppermint capsules for trapped wind and find they really help.