OT: GERD, Famotidine and loose stools...

Some of us have GERD. Some of us take famotidine.
Anyone experiencing loose stools with long-term use of pepcid or famotidine?

Asking for a friend...

Chris

Thank you for the edit.

DreamDiver wrote: ↑

Fri May 08, 2020 10:55 am

Some of us have GERD. Some of us take famotidine.
Anyone experiencing loose stools with long-term use of pepcid or famotidine?

Asking for a friend...

Chris

Common adverse effects of famotidine (aka Pepcid) are constipation (1.2% to 1.4%), diarrhea (1.7%), dizziness (1.3%), and headache (1% to 4.7%). This information brought to you by Micromedex. It looks like your "friend" may be in the lucky 1.7%.

Easiest way to find out would be to stop the famotidine and see if the loose stool clear up.

I don't take famotidine, but my poodle does. Fun fact: no loose stools in my backyard.

Truffles wrote: ↑

Sun May 10, 2020 4:18 pm

Common adverse effects of famotidine (aka Pepcid) are constipation (1.2% to 1.4%), diarrhea (1.7%), dizziness (1.3%), and headache (1% to 4.7%). This information brought to you by Micromedex. It looks like your "friend" may be in the lucky 1.7%.

Easiest way to find out would be to stop the famotidine and see if the loose stool clear up.

I don't take famotidine, but my poodle does. Fun fact: no loose stools in my backyard.

Excellent suggestion! My "friend" stopped. Took a while to get there, so I'm wondering if it may take a while for it to resolve.

Thanks!

Chris

Is "your friend's" problem new onset or has it been going on as long as "your friend" has been taking Famotidine?

If it's new onset it's unlikely to be the Famotidine.

Beware that some people experience GI symptoms from Covid instead of or before respiratory symptoms. Sorry, but right now everyone's thinking goes there first: https://www.webmd.com/lung/covid19-digestive-symptoms#1

It could be many other things, too. If severe, contact your doctor. If not severe, try the usual BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) diet if you are not anywhere on the diabetes spectrum and keep fluids up. If you're on the diabetes spectrum I'd stay away from BRAT because of the carbs. Just sip tea and broth until you feel better. Stay hydrated, maybe some electrolyte water if needed. Call your doctor if it persists.

Janknitz wrote: ↑

Mon May 11, 2020 2:36 pm

Is "your friend's" problem new onset or has it been going on as long as "your friend" has been taking Famotidine?

If it's new onset it's unlikely to be the Famotidine.

Beware that some people experience GI symptoms from Covid instead of or before respiratory symptoms. Sorry, but right now everyone's thinking goes there first: https://www.webmd.com/lung/covid19-digestive-symptoms#1

It could be many other things, too. If severe, contact your doctor. If not severe, try the usual BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) diet if you are not anywhere on the diabetes spectrum and keep fluids up. If you're on the diabetes spectrum I'd stay away from BRAT because of the carbs. Just sip tea and broth until you feel better. Stay hydrated, maybe some electrolyte water if needed. Call your doctor if it persists.

Janknitz, thank you

It started first as gurgling noises pre-Covid-19, and over the past few months it's gotten worse. The gurgling noises are not painful, but sometimes loud enough to actually wake me up. That and persistent cough, hiccups, GERD-related stuff for about a year had me set for a doctor's appointment with a GE that got thrown off schedule by Covid-19. I have a rescheduled appointment next week that I intent to keep. Famotidine started mid December. I stopped last week. Been trying the BRAT, fluids, (thank you, good advice). I don't usually like to, but I also tried a course of pepto-bismol, which actually quietened the gurgles and reduced the persistent cough, but have not significantly changed the loose stools. No lack of appetite, no vomiting, and unfortunately I've gained weight. We walk about three miles daily.

I am otherwise in reasonable health, and my wife and I are doing all the correct Covid-19-suggested guidelines regarding distancing. I suspect at this point there is some imbalance in normal body flora, but probiotics aren't helping. Hopefully the GE doc visit will result in some lab tests, other tests, etc. Hoping for the best. That is, erm, "my friend" is hoping for the best.

Thanks,

Chris

Keep us posted, Chris. I hope "your friend" is soon on the mend.

Janknitz wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 2:32 pm

Keep us posted, Chris. I hope "your friend" is soon on the mend.

Will do.

C

DreamDiver wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 3:30 pm

Janknitz wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 2:32 pm

Keep us posted, Chris. I hope "your friend" is soon on the mend.

Will do.

C

Just a comment Chris ...Pepto has asprin in it and may have an adverse effect on your stomach...Try Imodium AD
https://www.imodium.com/?utm_source=bin ... &gclsrc=ds

LSAT wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 5:40 pm

Just a comment Chris ...Pepto has asprin in it and may have an adverse effect on your stomach...Try Imodium AD
https://www.imodium.com/?utm_source=bin ... &gclsrc=ds

Thanks LSAT. I'll absolutely check it out.

C

I found that my loose stools were caused by METFORMIN.
On the advice of my endocrinologist I dropped the metformin for about a month.
I then added some back in gradually until my blood sugars were controlled without excessive "regularity".
No metformin at all let my glucose levels run wild, while giving me constipation,
so I now take half as much as i did before-- happy glucose, happy bowels.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 11:30 pm

I found that my loose stools were caused by METFORMIN.
On the advice of my endocrinologist I dropped the metformin for about a month.
I then added some back in gradually until my blood sugars were controlled without excessive "regularity".
No metformin at all let my glucose levels run wild, while giving me constipation,
so I now take half as much as i did before-- happy glucose, happy bowels.

Thanks chunkyfrog. No metformin on my regimen, but I'll absolutely keep it in mind. It's good you have regular glucose and bowels!

Chris

Been dealing with loose stools for years. I now take a shake in the morning that has me completely solid every day. 1 scoop of seed fiber from garden of eden, 2 tablespoons of chocolate "nibs" (not the sweet chocolates but basically cracked chocolate beans), 1 table spoon non-alkalized chocolate powder, half a frozen beet. 1 tumeric root, about 20 pepper corns, a scoop of "golden milk". The pepper corns in particular slow digestion, fiber makes it regular, powdered and nib chocolate calms inflamtion. not sure the tumeric does anything for it, I'm just taking that for other reasons.

nicholasjh1 wrote: ↑

Fri May 15, 2020 11:16 am

Been dealing with loose stools for years. I now take a shake in the morning that has me completely solid every day. 1 scoop of seed fiber from garden of eden, 2 tablespoons of chocolate "nibs" (not the sweet chocolates but basically cracked chocolate beans), 1 table spoon non-alkalized chocolate powder, half a frozen beet. 1 tumeric root, about 20 pepper corns, a scoop of "golden milk". The pepper corns in particular slow digestion, fiber makes it regular, powdered and nib chocolate calms inflamtion. not sure the tumeric does anything for it, I'm just taking that for other reasons.

It sounds like a savory chai! Is it tasty?
Are you adding water, almond milk or soy milk?

I'm guessing:
whole uncracked pepper corns
a scoop of fiber (psyllium husk?) is about 1 tablespoon
a scoop of golden milk is half a cup

Turmeric is another anti-flammatory. I think that's available at our local grocery.
I'll check it out.

Chris

DreamDiver wrote: ↑

Fri May 15, 2020 11:58 am

I'm guessing:
whole uncracked pepper corns
a scoop of fiber (psyllium husk?) is about 1 tablespoon
a scoop of golden milk is half a cup

Turmeric is another anti-flammatory. I think that's available at our local grocery.
I'll check it out.

Chris

this is what i'm using and what i posted about in my aerophagia no more thread-
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Truth-Tu ... 221&sr=8-8

of course no psyllium or golden milk, but it certainly has helped me a lot.