Do you use Nexium & PPI's?

Pancreatitis
#1

Hi, I’m Kate from the National Pancreas Foundation office. I do a number of things for the foundation, including fundraising and developing patient support.

Occasionally, we have companies who are kind enough to sponsor the work we’re doing by supporting our research grant program and patient information programs. I thank you all so much for the many postings you have on Careplace! It gives us a much better sense of the people we are working hard to serve.

Related to corporate support, I am curious how many of you may use Nexium, or other PPI’s, and if so, for what reason? Note: I am not a doctor, nor am I promoting the use of any of these products! Just trying to collect some information to serve you better.

Thanks so much and do take a moment to visit our website at www.pancreasfoundation.org to find out about all of our upcoming events and projects.

#2

Hi, all–Just want to thank you all for your input. It is really helpful. Hope to talk to you again soon! --Kate

#3

Hi, Kate, I am Warren. I have been using PPIs for years now- well before the diagnosis or even onset of pancreatitis. I use them for relief of heartburn/GERD which I have had for at least 8 years. I have also read that PPIs or H2 blockers are good for pancreatitis even if you don’t have GERD symptoms. Too much stomach acid is associated with more frequent attacks. I prefer PPIs over H2 blockers as they seem to offer me more relief.

#4

I used to take a generic form of prilosec. A couple of years ago, as I sat there drooling on myself and wathing the world spin around all the time, I had to take stock of what was happening to me. I was on 14 medications. They just added up over time for the symptomatic relif of this and then that and then . . . You get th idea. Well, I made a radical decision for my own health, I decided that the Fentanyl patchs were working for my pain, the reglan was helping my nausea and the valium was helping my extreme vertigo. At that moment, after months of taking all this “stuff,” I flushed 11 medications down the toilet and never looked back! I did not consult my doctor. I just did it. Later, I told him. Now I am on the Fentanyl, Zofran for nausea, valium, and cymbalta for my depression. It was the best decision I had made in quie a while. Now, I tell the doctor what I will or will not take depending on what it is for and if feel that there is any need for it. When I go into hospital, I tell the doctor what I will do and when and that he will not drive me out of that hospital room one second before I am ready to leave or when I know that I will not have to come back the next day or so. I have empowwered myself as a patient to manage my own care because I really don’t think that too many doctors really care about us as patients, don’t really understand our pain and condition, and only want another number for the week on their “did that” list and damned the pateint if it did or did not do anything for him or her.

Some of you may find this hard to do because “What if he won’t take care of me anymore?” Well, he wasn’t when he did the wrong thing anyway, so you really have nothing to lose!

Just another page from my patient advocate handbook that I wanted to share with you.

SOmeone else somwhere else was talking about that doctor in the Bay Area (San Francisco) and I had to get that off of my chest along with the PPI’s. So this message is a mixed bag.

Anyse

#5

I used to use Nexium and now use Prevacid. My doctor told me that I
need to use them to keep them stomache acid from eating up the
pancreatic enzymes before my body can use them. Hope this helps.

Leanne

#6

I take 20 mg of protonix twice a day for severe reflux and esophageal problems – all that in addition to the pancreatitis.

#7

Hi Kate
I have been taking ppi for years before the finding the chronic pancreatitis as the cause of my pain. tried otc to save money but the nexium seems to work best
suz

#8

I take prilosec and if I am npo they give me protonix.

#9

Hi, Kate–

Like many of us, I had been on PPIs including Nexium, for many years before the CP hit (idiopathic). I had “failed” on everything but had some success on PO Protonix until that, too, stopped working well and after quadrupling the dose and still ending up “near Barrett’s” I was switched to Aciphex, which I’ve been taking successfully for several years at 40mg/am…along with Zantac 300mg/hs. Even when I’m NPO in the hospital and they want to limit oral meds and give me Protonix IV, I still get the reflux back badly-- and it takes a while back on the Aciphex to calm it back down. I also have severe gastroparesis (it takes an average of 12 days for food to pass down my tract) and other motility tests have been very delayed as well. I also use Levsin for bladder spasm that they had me taking in much larger doses to help w/the Pancreatitis and spasms in ducts. Calcium Channel blockers were tried and only had complications.

Hope this helps.

Lisa

#10

Hi Niikita117,

I had been on Nexium for a long time because I have Barretts but then my insurance would not pay for it so I take prilosec otc but it doesn’t work as well as nexium I feel. , but it makes me nervous that if you were on it for a long time that people have had pelvic fractures . That is what I heard on the news. Hope this helps

Kathie