GERD - Prevacid or not?

After using my machine successfully for over 30 days , and after having significant improvement in AHI and my quality of sleep, I was wondering what experience the forum has had about stopping or moderating the taking of Protein Pump Inhibitors like Prevacid (15mg) which I have been taking for years.

There are known side effects (one of which I discovered was relevant to me) from taking a PPI, like inhibiting the absorption of B-12, and the subsequent low B-12 level (which I have since rectified with a shot and sublingual B-12 pills). as well as, perhap, other "unknown" side effects too - a scary thought!

I have seen other posts suggesting that the CPAP therapy might moderate GERD and was wondering what the group's actual experience might have been. I can surely talk with my physician about this, but wanted to do some investigative work first.

Should I experiment with taking it less often, stop it (maybe tapering off), etc.....

A "virtual" penny for your thoughts.

Thanks,

Paul

Do you need to "withdraw" or taper off of PPI's?

Even if not, consider that GERD has some pretty nasty effects. You have to balance the risk of PPI vs. untreated GERD.

Do you have any problems with the PPI's?

Don't have any problems with taking the PPI except for the B-12 absorption issue (which I overcame with an injections and subsequent supplementary sublingual pills).

Yes, I am very aware of the "nasty" problems with not overcoming GERD and that is why I have been taking PPI's for years now, with good success.

Just wondering "what if"?

Thanks,

Paul

What are your pressures?

i apologize to talk about myself in regard to your question, but it is my only frame of reference.

I lived most of my life, seemingly without stomach problems. I hurt my foot/ankle in 1985, took NSAIDS, like Ibuprofen, then Naproxen. (Now, 2014, my Primary Doc says I should take neither, as all NSAIDS are related to cardiovascular issues, altho the small dose of aspirin outweighs the risk.) I also tended to have a lot of drippy nose, and coughing, which I attributed to allergies.

Several years ago I met a sleep doc who suggested a different theory. He said those who had OSA often had common series of events. We inherited a smaller nose, which even as babies caused us to gasp for breath, which simultaneously had a "sump pump" effect on our stomach, which brought stomach acid up across the valve at the top of the stomach. This damaged the valve. As we grew older, our jaw did not grow more forward and wider as it should. As the soft tissue grew, it had no place to go. That soft tissue interfering with our breathing becomes our OSA. Doc says he used to put small strips in peoples nose during sleep study and could see acid.

Drippy nose put bacteria in the stomach, and so on. I got on a bi level machine, and after some months, got off Prilosec, which I had taken for years. Even better, my nose is clear, no constant dripping, no coughing. Unfortunately I recently took a step back, I think from my abdomen being waaay too large. Any pressure pushes acid up, until I had a voice from a horror movie. I started back on Prilosec, but I hope to get my abdomen smaller. Get rid of Prilosec. I think if I could lose enough weight I could get rid of almost all my meds.

So it is complicated issue. When my pressure got higher, into 15 or so, I got better sleep, but I had severe aerophagia. Instead a Bi Level machine gives me a lower pressure in exhale, which is the cycle when air is pumped into the stomach, and the higher pressure on inhale keeps me from sucking stuff up from my stomach, while providing more air to fill my lungs. Now the problem of GERD is back with a different cause.

I take it and have been on CPAP for 16 years, I doubt your CPAP therapy will help your Gerd.
I know if I stopped taking the previcid I'd miss it in pretty short order.
You could go cold turkey and see how you feel.

Bryansong

I've been taking Omeprazole for nearly 20 years. Since being on CPAP, I've been able to cute back from 1 pill a day to 1 pill every 3 days and notice no difference in symptoms.
I do believe that it is a case by case basis, as to whether it will help or hinder acid reflux and gerd. However, if I forget to take that pill on the 3rd morning, I will suffer with heartburn and acid reflux all throughout the day.

When I forget to take my meds, the pantoprazole is the first one I miss.
Either that or the loratadine.

I am in the process of trying to get off of Prevacid. PPI's cause muscle weakness, low B12, and headaches for me. You might consider tapering off and seeing what happens if your Doc agrees. Im on 1/2 Prevacid right now and trying it. I cut the pill open, split the tiny balls into 2 even sections, and put them into the capsules of my ginger pills (after I empty them). I did 3/4 for a week, then 1/2 dose. I had a relapse, and had to go to twice a day, but am back on 1/2 now. It won't be a straight line to get off. Many people have more acid for a bit when they cut the dose. I have also heard of others that do a cleanse and liquid diet to clean out their stomach and bowel, then rebuild. I might end up doing that by accident when I get my colonoscopy. I have also added the below enzymes and probiotics (check with your doctor to make sure they are ok for you. My GI said they were fine for me). I am concerned about Barrett's esophagus though, so I am proceeding cautiously. The reason for the GERD needs to be addressed, and for this to really work, I believe it will be a significant life sytle change. Dr. Kressleer has a great series on GERD on his site, and also a free pdf book. I would study and research, etc. to see if the changes are doable for you. It's a pretty big diet change to keep it away but I believe its worth it for me. The CPAP alone will not do it long term. Loosing the fat will also help with my sleep and high cholesterol too, so many wins it looks like.

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Hard to say since everyone is so different. That said... I have taken Prilosec for many years. Last year decided to get off it for many of the reasons stated in this thread. I was fine for a few weeks and then heartburn, gerd and stomach aches became so awful I thought something was very wrong. Went to see my Gastro who said that I needed to get back on the Prilosec. I started to feel better immediately.

Not happy that I will be taking this for the rest of my life... but there are worse things I guess.

I have GERD and nothing helped me, not Prevacid, not Prilosec. I take Celebrex every day regularly since last November for back pain.
The GI Doc put me on Dexilant (prescription only) 60 mg a day as a PPI and it works very nicely. I just thought I would tell you, if you want to look it up.
At least for me, the only thing that controls my acid reflux.

I was so hoping that effective cpap therapy would help the GERD issues to go away but alas it didn't.
Prilosec at double dose (per doctor) barely kept it to a dull roar. Went with Dexilant and that helped a lot but the cost was prohibitive as my insurance has it as a high tier drug and I can't do $100 a month.
So went without it for last 3 months...man did the GERD heartburn pain come back with a vengance and it hurt to swallow water....so I tried Zantac...no relief....then decided 2 weeks ago to try Nexium and to my surprise it has worked great.

You might be lucky and effective cpap therapy reduces the effects of the GERD so that you don't need any meds for it. You wouldn't be the first to find that the GERD is greatly reduced with cpap therapy but it doesn't always fix everyone.
Been on cpap for 5 plus years....I was so hoping it would fix my GERD issues but it didn't.

All I know to tell you is quit taking the Prevacid and see what happens. Your body will let you know pretty clearly if it works or not and if you are one of the lucky ones or not.