When you have acid reflux symptoms like heartburn, indigestion or even throat issues (LPR) the first thing your doctor will likely prescribe you is PPIs. PPIs stands for proton pump inhibitors. Their basic purpose it to lower acid production in the stomach which often can help the common symptoms of acid reflux like heartburn.
The problems can occur when you later what to get off your PPIs and once you try to do that you may get worsened acid reflux symptoms. Often people think that once they stop the PPIs and their symptoms come back that it’s because of their acid reflux and that they need the PPIs to keep it at bay, but this often is not the case but instead a cause of the acid rebound effect.
Below I am going to break down everything on acid rebound that is caused by PPIs and how to properly deal with it.
What are PPIs (proton pump inhibitors)?
PPIs are often prescribed for people with acid reflux that is more severe like GERD or LPR (silent reflux), people with ulcers and gastritis to name a few of the more prominent reasons.
Now I want to talk about PPIs a little and how they are designed to work.
PPIs basic function is to lower the stomach acidity level. They are designed to reduce the production of acid by blocking an enzyme in the stomach that produces the acid.
This is quite different from other medicines which basically lower the stomach acidity by consuming alkaline ingredients like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as an example.
When someone takes PPIs it lessens the production of acid in the stomach whereas something like tums or Gaviscon the acid is still being produced as normal, but it is being neutralized by the alkaline medicines as given in the examples.
This is an important distinction to make because the core functionality of how the medicines work is quite different.
What is Acid Rebound?
If you didn’t already know acid rebound is when someone stops taking reflux medication and once they do it greatly worsens their acid reflux symptoms.
This most commonly happens with PPIs, though while it can happen with other medications PPIs seem to have the more significant adverse effect.
If you have stopped your PPIs abruptly this is when you are most likely to have experienced the acid rebound and worsened symptoms. Just to be clear I mean when you where taking your normal dose of the medication then completely stopped it the following day. This is when you are most likely to have experienced worsened symptoms.
Things that can make this acid rebound worse is if you are taking a higher dose, for example if you are taking 40mg or more daily of the medication. Also, if you have been taking PPIs for a longer period (3+ months) it may also make the acid rebound more severe.
Keep in mind even if you are on a lower dose for a shorter period (less than 3 months) it’s still best to taper off PPIs just the same as someone who has been on a larger dose / or for a longer period of time – that I will explain below in more detail in the how to stop acid rebound section below.
To further emphasize this acid rebound effect I want to mention a study (PPI therapy induces acid reflux in healthy volunteers) where healthy people without any acid reflux took PPIs for a period of 8 weeks. While keeping in mind that these people had no acid reflux effects or symptoms before – once they stopped the PPIs they did have acid reflux related symptoms, in fact almost half (44%) of these healthy people experienced some acid reflux symptoms for 9-12 weeks after stopping the PPIs. This further enforces that the rebound effect is clearly caused and/or worsened by stopping PPIs and often your worsened symptoms when stopping them is because of this rebound effect.
Why PPIs Cause Acid Rebound
As I explained above PPIs are arguably the strongest or most potent form of acid reflux medication because of how they stop or lessen the production of acid in the stomach unlike most other medications that simply neutralize or balance out the acid with alkaline ingredients/s. This basically means the acid production in the stomach is lessened when taking them and thus the stomach tries to compensate for this by trying to produce more acid to help with digestion.
The problem occurs when you stop the PPIs – the stomach has been used to the PPIs and adapted to you taking them. This often leads to your stomach producing more acid to make up for this imbalance caused by the PPIs.
So, when you try to stop taking them the stomach is still used to the process of producing more acid. This often leads to an acid reflux rebound effect because of the stomach being used to making more acid because of the previous PPI intake.
Expect this rebound effect to greatly be worsened if you stopped the dosage completely in 1 day. It is best to taper off the PPIs over a period of time – which I will cover more about below.
Common Forms of PPI
Before I get into how exactly to stop acid rebound, I first want to mention the most common kinds of PPIs out there. Here are some of the most common forms of proton pump inhibitors –
(I have included US brand names in brackets, your brand name may be different in different parts of the world, but the main medication will be the same, you can usually check this by reading the label of each medication)
Omeprazole (Prilosec)
Esomeprazole (Nexium)
Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
Dexlansoprazole (Dexilent)
Pantaprazole (Protonix)
How to Stop Acid Rebound
I am often asked questions like how to wean of Prilosec or about weaning off omeprazole which often comes down to weaning off these PPIs medications and preventing the acid rebound when doing so – I will cover that in this section.
As I have already mentioned people who have abruptly stopped PPI usage sometimes experience moderate to severe rebound symptoms. Things such as heartburn, vocal changes, worsening of cough to name a few.
So, the best way to negate this acid reflux rebound effect is to taper off the PPIs over a period of time. Before someone tries to taper off PPIs is it highly recommended to follow a low acid diet like my Wipeout Diet for a least 6-8 weeks before starting to taper off. The reason for this is to lessen the acidity caused by food or drinks which likely will be contributing to your acid reflux symptoms in the first place, once you have been following a low acid diet like this for the time frame suggested this makes the transition much easier because the stomachs acidity should be reduced.
So How Do I Start Tapering? – Start off by skipping a dose of PPIs every third day for 2 weeks which will begin a slow taper. After this 2-week period you can then take a dose every other day for a further 2 weeks. Finally, after that 2-week period you can take a dose every 3rd day. Again, after another 2-week period and you have no more acid rebound symptoms you can discontinue the PPIs completely.
Keep in mind if you are on a higher dose of PPIs (40mg or above) you can lower the amount too. For example, if you take 40mg per day in 2 doses of 20mg and you eliminated 1 dose every 3 days as suggested instead of going to stop only taking 1 dose every other day instead eliminate 1 dose every other day instead, and then to 1 dose every other day after that and so on as explained above. That would be a slower approach but also an approach that is also an option.
During the transition period alginate medication such as Gaviscon advance (uk version) or a suitable alternative like Reflux Gourmet or Esophageal Guardian can be used basically as a bridging agent to make the process smoother. For example, with the Gaviscon taking 2 teaspoons after meals and at bedtime. Also, instead of these alginate medications an h2 blocker (like ranitidine, cimetidine, famotidine etc.) can be used as a bridging agent to help the process of transitioning off the PPIs.
One final thing that can also be helpful particularly during this transition is alkaline water, instead of drinking normal water drink alkaline water instead, this is water with a pH higher than 8. For more information on alkaline water check this article – Alkaline Water for LPR.
Also if you need help tapering off PPIs or have more questions about how to do it consider a private consultation here.
More Reasons to Get Off PPIs
If you didn’t already know PPIs have a host of adverse effects especially for people who have been taking them longer term. This should offer even more incentive to stop them.
A few things that have shown to be worsened or increased risk include (I have linked each to relevant medical studies that further back up and prove each case, some even with FDA recommendations) –
Community/Hospital Acquired Pneumonia
Nutrient Absorption (Vitamin B12, Calcium, Iron and Magnesium)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Long Does Acid Rebound Last After Stopping PPI?
On a study that tested healthy people without reflux, these patients experienced acid reflux symptoms for up to 8-12 weeks after stopping PPIs after an 8-week period of taking PPI. Keep in mind that was for healthy patients. Therefore, expect a rebound period of at least that time frame. Keep in mind it is best to taper off the PPIs which should make the acid rebound much less impactful.
How So I Stop PPI Rebounding Acid?
The best thing to do is to taper of the PPIs. Tapering off them slowly make the rebound significantly less than if you where to stop abruptly. Also using other medications like h2 blockers and alginate medicines like the Gaviscon advance (UK) as bridging agents is also recommended.
How Do I Wean Myself Off PPIs?
The best thing to do is to slowly taper of PPIs. For the first 2 weeks miss a dose every 3rd day, then after taking them only 1 time a day every other day for 2 weeks, and then every 3rd day for 2 weeks, until you stop them completely. It is also recommended to do a low acid diet and take alkaline water when doing this transition.
What Are the Side Effects of Stopping Omeprazole?
The potential sides effects are mainly acid rebound where for some people acid reflux effects are greatly heightened. The best thing to do in this case is to taper off the omeprazole instead of stopping abruptly.
Can I Get Withdrawal from Stopping PPIs?
In the traditional sense you will not get withdrawal from stopping a PPI like omeprazole or any of the common forms of PPIs. The most likely thing to happen especially if you stop the PPIs cold turkey is acid rebound, which can be greatly nullified by tapering off the PPIs.
Related Posts –
I have been taking these PPI’s for well over 10 years! (Esemoprozole 40mg) and have just stopped (cold turkey) taking these due to the side effect risks which my GP has never recognized. Almost 4 weeks in and managing with Peptac (Gaviscon) Trying to change almost everything I have done over the last number of years, as taking a tablet to allow me to eat the foods which worsen Reflux and consume coffee and alcohol certainly doesn’t now seem as important as negating the side effects. I had in the past tried to stop taking them but the doctor again never gave any indication of the Rebound symptoms and just advised to continue the 40mg daily dose…. The more I learn the more frustrated I am getting with my experience and the doctors dealing with this……
It’s good you are transitioning off them and know about the rebound affect. I think taking the peptac and doing a better diet will help with the transition. Yeah I think most people have had a similar experience with doctors not quite knowing how to deal with things appropriately unfortunately.
Is regurgitation (like food coming up to esophagus especially when lying down) one of the symptoms of acid rebound? Can you give more example of acid rebound?
I believe regurgitation is possible yes for certain people. General symptoms of acid reflux and LPR are generally just heighted or worsened when you have a rebound effect. The secret is to do it slowly and aid yourself with diet and perhaps other meds to make the transition easier.
I didnt taper, I stopped abruptly. Should I reintroduce the PPIs?
I was prescribed PPI (2 * 20mg per day) for 14 days for my Gastritis diagnosis. They worked perfectly. Stomach pain disappeared in 10 days, and i felt normal again. Next doctor visit, they said to reduce down to 1*20mg per day for a week. I did that for 3 days and stopped as I felt ok and wanted to get off them.
Within 2 days after that I started getting acid reflux, which for me, was a very rare event prior to this. Now, fast forward 10 days from stopping PPI and I still get reflux after certain acidic foods (tomatos, coffee etc). I am managing it by diet changes avoiding trigger foods, I HOPE it will solve it in a few weeks.
Meanwhile I have started taking Vit B supplements and eating saurkraut everyday to reintroduce some good gut bacteria. any other tips?
I think based on what you said you can stay off them for as it seems your symptoms are not greatly aggravated. I would suggest to stop the common acid reflux trigger foods. Such as the tomatoes and coffee you mentioned for at least a few weeks. I imagine this will help get your symptoms under control and hopefully help you return to normal soon. Personally I wouldn’t recommend sauerkraut and some vitamin tablets especially higher dose ones can be irritable for some people so keep that in mind too.
Hi David,
I have a strange phenomenon–
I took pantoprazole 40mg for 16 months till November 11, 2021, because I was going to do the 24 hour pH testing on November 23. So from November 11-26, I was not on PPI and did not feel any rebound.
I resumed taking pantoprazole 40mg on November 27, 28, 29, 30. On November 30, my symptoms obviously worsened (hoarseness, throat irritation, globus sensation).
Then I read your post about tapering off of PPI, on December 1 I reduced the PPI dose to 20 mg. But following some YouTuber’s advice I drank a table spoon of apple cider vinegar without diluting it in water. My symptoms continued to worsen day after day.
On December 2, I continued to tape off of PPT by taking 20mg. On December 3, I stopped taking PPI and chose to taper off by switching to Pepcid 20mg following Dr. Jamie Koufman’s suggestion on her blog.
Do you think my worsening symptoms are an outcome of stopping PPI or the table spoon of apple cider vinegar?
Thank you. Wonderful posts you have written! I’m truly grateful.
Hi Maple,
When tapering off the PPIs it is common to see some sort of increased reflux or irritation during this time. Though the difference would be not too much especially if doing the transition steps like I suggest such as diet during it. The apple cider vinegar is very acidic and almost certainly worsened your symptoms. If you have LPR I would highly recommend not taking it. So from what you mentioned I would assume it’s more likely to be the apple cider vinegar but both could be correlated to some degree.
Hi David,
I am going to start your Wipeout Diet on Monday for my LPR symptoms. I wanted to ask your opinion on being able to drink brand FIX vodka on occasion. If you havent heard of it, check out their site. It is high alkaline (over a PH of 8) , distilled 10x with naturally high alkaline water, filtered 6x through coconut husk charcoal, naturally gluten-free, natural calcium and magnesium from mother nature, distilled from pesticide-free corn & completely vegan, free of citric acid and glycerin.
Also, am I able to incorporate popcorn in the diet? Vitamins? (D, C, B12)
PS I love the content and appreciate all the advice. Thanks for your time!
Hi Anthony,
I have tested a selection of vodkas, acidity levels and they tend to be not too acidic especially when compared with other alcoholic drinks. I didn’t test that one but there are some others that are allowed mentioned in the diet, but from their site it seems like a solid option. As I mentioned in the Diet it’s best to keep it in moderation and see how it goes with a small amount.
Popcorn is allowed as long as it’s not a trigger for you. Also only ones salted or plain are allowed. Them vitamins should be okay, though watch out for vitamin C it’s often derived from ascorbic acid which is highly acidic and should be avoided, so I would pass on the vitamin C myself.
Thank you Anthony, happy to help 🙂
Hi David,
Thanks for your article. I have been on Lanzoprazole for 5 years and have bouts of chronic gastritis. Is it a good idea to wean of PPI when I have a flare-up of gastritis – it has been going on for months now.
Cheers.
Hi Veronica,
I think you can try and taper of the Lansoprazole as I have explained in this article. Ideally don’t start coming off it when you have a flare up. For me once I had finally tapered off them after about 2 months and I would say I was definitely feeling 20-30% better just from stopping them. At that time I was on them for around 3-5 years so a similar timeframe to yourself.
I am thankful for your programme which I just discovered. I have been taking Famotidine 40 mg for about 8 years, and am slowly recovering from a bout of gastritis. My doctor told me I should stop cold turkey a week before he does an endoscopy. Though he and others have said Pepcid doesn’t cause rebound, it definitely does, especially if one has been using it everyday for 8 years. I have been trying to taper off, but I only have about a week and a half before the test. I have been having heartburn every afternoon, and am concerned that I won’t be able to completely stop an entire week before the test. I also want to have a Heidelberg test (which is extremely hard to find in the U.S.) which requires being off acid reducers at least 3 days before the test. I just purchased the Gaviscon Advance you recommended. Do you have any tips how I could attempt to stop completely in such a short time? Thank you!
Yeah so tapering as slow as you can considering your timeframe is important and also using the Gaviscon to make that transition easier is a good idea. Also I’d suggest to avoid the common acid reflux trigger foods/drinks which will also make the transition easier.
hello I would like to know is there anything that can strengthen the LES valve
to keep the acid down, I am so desperate in getting this acid under control, and the doctor cannot seam to help, just give you a bandage not a cure… I really get scared at times…I pray alot for God to heal me, but I know I have to do my part as well.
Does anyone know how to make the LES valve close better… I am also going to wean my self off these drugs
Hi Sandra,
Melatonin has been shown to improve the LES strength and tone, and has been proven to help people particularly with GERD which is backed on in studies. You can read more here – melatonin for acid reflux.
Is there acid rebound when you stop taking a h2 blocker?
It is possible yes but less likely than stopping a PPI. I would suggest to taper it as I have suggested just to be on the safe side.
Hi there,
I am pleased to have found this article. Doctors have not educated me at all on these medications and I believe it was the use of a previous medication for acne that caused my stomach problems to begin with.
Without giving you an essay on how I got here, I have been taking PPIs for 14 years and I am 35. At present I am on 40mg esomeprazole in the morning and 20mg Esomeprazole at night. The highest I was on was 40mg twice a day. I had never taken more than 40mg daily until last year. Since the increase I have had iron deficiency and I now have developed psoriasis. Today I decided to try 20mg am and 20mg pm.
These tablets are ruining my life but at the same time I did find relief from them as I have a lazy LES and a hiatus hernia. I’m pretty sure I fall into the category of LPR but doctors here in the UK don’t seem to talk about that!
If I could go back in time to when I first put my trust in doctors, I would give them a good slap the first time they offered me anything!
Other than acid rebound, can tapering off these tablets cause side effects like the way tapering off an SSRI or a pain tablet?
Thanks
Hi Ben,
Yeah I had a similar experience. Was doing PPIs for at least a few years and after a while they did much more harm than good. Tapering off these tablets can cause the side effects like the acid rebound but if you do my recommendations as I covered here it will drastically reduce the chances and severity of any side effects. In fact I would be willing to bet that you’ll start to feel better once you get off them for good. Best of luck!
Great information. I stayed on omeprazole 40 mg too long-about 7 months until December 1 of this year. I did the taper until December 1. Getting uncomfortable rebound I guess for the month of December so far.
Could rebound last longer the longer you are in the ppi? How long will it last?
At this point can I start to try gaviscon to see if it helps?
Anything else I might try besides gaviscon? Liquid or tablets?
Sorry for all the questions but thanks!!
Thank you! Yeah rebound I’d say is more prominent and likely if you have been on the PPI for longer. Yeah you can try the Gaviscon to make things easier, liquid would be best. Yeah other acid blockers may also help.
Off PPI was on short term for Gastritis (endoscopy) after vomiting. History of poor diet and alcohol. Change my ways. DGL, Aloe, Slippery elm. Some Priobiotics zinc carnozine. Anyway I was on other drugs like Cymbalta-Hycomine for IBS. I learned how they were slowing my digestion etc and stopped. It has been 3 months now and I still have reflux. I am guessing its my LES not working? How long can it take for the gastrin to regulate. I am miserable help.
I think the endoscopy would have helped notice is the LES is loose whether from hernia or not. It could also be something else such as SIBO or other problems with motility or pylorus malfunction etc. Diet like my wipeout diet is what I would suggest. I don’t know how long you can take it for but if it isn’t helping after some weeks I assume its not the right medicine for you.
Hi David,
I went on PPIs for a feeling like something was stuck in my throat. Well, let me just tell you, after going on and off the medicine for a few weeks at a time and stopping, I have more acid reflux symptoms now than ever. I have a sour taste in my mouth, chronic burning and the lump sensation has not gone away. I’ve been off all medicine for 5 weeks. Does this sound like rebound? I read it can take 8-24 weeks for levels to go back to normal.
Hi Shana,
Yes it does sound like rebound, as I mentioned in this article try to keep other acidity lower with diet and other aids like gaviscon until it settles down more. I haven’t heard that timeframe before but I could imagine it to be true.
I am just trying to come off omeperazole which was prescribed for gastritis. I have been taking it for 6 weeks now ( 20mg once a day). I have cut down to 10mg every other day. I seem to get dreadful hunger pains and a very gurgly tummy just before meal times. Could this be rebound? Also, can acid rebound CAUSE gastritis or a stomach ulcer? Thank you.
Yes it could be related to rebound. I’m not sure rebound can cause them things but it’s always plausible, but if you taper off it I imagine it almost definitely will not.
Hi:
Is there anything you can do to help if you did stop cold turkey and are suffering from rebound?
Thanks
Sheila
Take something like Gaviscon to aid you from coming off the meds if you can and avoid trigger foods too which is very important.
Dear David..I often read your site and have done for 3+ years Reason, my son. Emigrated to Canada,sadly for me, was great for 18mths. He started with several problems never having been sick a day in his life! Had throat problems, torso pain and was told initially, stress. Long story short, he was diagnosed LPR having had camera through his nose to upper part of chest. He was also diagnosed,through persistence, all at the same time, kidney stones, and pneumonia eventually,resulting in bi lateral blood clots both lungs. I flew out as a mum would. Thankfully he recovered but is on permanent blood thinners. Riveroxiban as they don’t know why he clotted! EG no DVT. His throat continues, clearing his throat and a feeling of constriction,as if his throat is being squeezed. He was told in Feb this year he has fatty liver disease and was mortified. Doctor said,loose weight, excercise and diet! He’s done that and lost weight and doctor v pleased. However…the LPR…still persists. He,my son,is thinking stress could be major factor. Why wouldn’t he be..he stopped the PPI meds after I talked about what I read on your site. He was recently put on them…Feb…to see if that helped. He is going for an endoscopy…I …am v nervous. Mum thing. I feel the dieting for his liver has helped and wonder if it’s all connected somehow. He can’t pinpoint triggers for his throat which he thought he could with his new diet regime..hence the stress issue. It’s super sad as he is now alone,he and his partner split…so I guess no one to bounce off. I have to say all things considered he does well. Admissions..he started to drink a lot, ate very spicy foods, meat but lots of fish too. All changed. Sorry to have rambled, I thank you for your very interesting and informative site, and if or should you have any comments. A very grateful but anxious mum
Tina……ps he was 37 at the start and is now 41…less worry would be amazing. Let’s hope.
Yeah I’d definitely suggest to look into my wipeout diet plan if that’s something he could commit too. It’s something that will most likely give him an improvement if he follows through with it. Try not to worry about the endoscope, I have had it done and its quite simple and straightforward. And yes stress definitely plays an important rule, lowering it should help.
David
I would like to try this Gaviscon but isn’t there concerns of it containing aluminum?
It is safe to take, especially if only taken in the short term.
Hi David,
Thank you for your article! My GI specialist completely disregarded my comment about rebound effect. I’ve never had acid reflux in my entire life and right after stopping omeprazole (40 mg for two weeks) i am experiencing the worse LPR, it’s awful, all day everyday, even with low acidity diet. It’s been 4 weeks and i’m praying for this to pass quickly, this has been hell. Do you think after a 2 weeks i could get a rebound effect? I just stopped it since no one told me to taper them off(((
Hi Karina,
Yes you could still get a rebound after 2 weeks. I think it could last up to 3 months but people usually see an improvement quicker than that.
Thank you for this article. I took over the counter Omperazole for about 4 years. I was taking 2 tablets every morning. Almost 2 months ago it just stopped working out of the blue an I had terrible acid reflux for about a week. Because the two tablets stopped working just all of a sudden I bumped it up to 2 in the morning and 2 at night. After about 2 days I started experiencing very severe side effects. Anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, muscle spasms, SEVERE nausea, no appetite. Gastro Dr put me on Nexium and said to stop the omperazole. Side effects continued. I have now tried to take 3 different PPI’s and all have given me horrific side effects out of the blue. I stopped taking all PPI’s almost 3 weeks ago now. My acid reflux if thru the roof. A 10 out of 10 most of the day. I have been taking Cimetidine twice a day and pepto as needed just to get some relief. Does this sound like rebound acidity? I am hoping and praying that it stops. I did have an endoscopy and the Dr said that there were no significant findings on the endoscopy.
Is this rebound acidity and how long should it last with long term use of the PPI’s?
Hi Amy,
Yeah that definitely sounds like acid reflux rebound effect. Do follow my advice here in the article it should make the transititon much easier. Ideally within 1 month things should be back to normal, if not you’ll need to focus on some of these steps I mentioned here.
Hello,
Thank you for all this information.
I have been taking ppis for many years( I think more that 15).Despite 20mg a day, I still had daily symptoms – disturbed nights with regurgitation, heartburn etc. I have been following a low acid diet which meant that my symptoms improved dramatically. I decided to wean myself off Esomeprazole. I missed a tablet very 3 days at first, then alternate days. After about 2 successful months, I have started having acid-induced coughing. I have been using Gaviscon Advance but still being woken in the night with reflux.
Is this acid rebound? Can it take 2 months to happen?
I have felt very tempted to go back on daily ppis but desperately want to come off them. I am worried about damage caused by pepsin during this time. How long before it will stop, if it is rebound?
It doesn’t sound like acid rebound because you already had 2 good months. Not to say that’s it’s totally out of the question, there is still a chance for that. But if I was you I would consider what has changed in your life and diet and if they could also be affecting it too.
Hi David. Thank you so much for your advice on tapering off of PPIs. I’d been on PPIs for well over 10 years. My reflux suddenly worsened at the beginning of 2022 so I was started on a different PPI, pantoprozole and the dose was increased to twice daily which I took for the rest of 2022. Over the years I’d unsuccessfully tried to wean myself off. I found your website in 2023 and decided to try again as I was increasingly concerned about the side effects of PPIs. I did a very slow taper over 3 months, first the morning dose then the evening dose and I’ve been mostly symptom free since then. I cannot thank you enough!! The slow taper plus some of your other suggestions were awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Hey Adrienne,
You are most welcome! I love to hear you have been able to stop especially after taking them for quite a long time. Congratulations!
Hi David. I took 40 mg. Pantoprazole for 10 weeks and stopped abruptly without tapering off. The doctor said nothing about tapering and I did not know that that was the best way to end the course of PPI’s . Now, a few months later, My reflux is worse than ever and not improving. I won’t be able to see my doc for another month (it takes forever to see a doc around here). Would it be advisable to start taking the PPI’s again for a brief period , say a couple of weeks, then begin the tapering off process for a few weeks with progressively lower doses? Thank you!
Hi Richard, yeah you could go back onto them at a lower dose for example 20mg and then taper it after a couple weeks like you said yes.
I first started taking PPIs in 2003 after being diagnosed with a hiatus hernia. I was eating Tums all day and having constant heartburn. Doctor said take these for life! Suddenly 20 years went by and I was still on them! Never had heartburn once in those 20 years. It was a miracle drug for me and because of it I was able to enjoy my 20s and 30s heartburn free. I’m now 50 and after reading about all of these side effects from long term use I decided to get off of PPIs before they happen to me. The final decision was at my last physical with a new doctor. He was looking over my chart and noticed that I had been taking Nexium for 20 years. I’ll never forget the look he game me. He told me that I should seriously try getting off of them. So, I tried a few times and kept going back to it because the rebound heartburn was so terrible that I couldn’t take it. Even with weaning it was just too painful. Not wanting to give up, I gave it one last good attempt this Fall by opening the capsules and removing a few granules per day over the course of a few months. On Nov. 6th, I decided that I had weened enough and I took my last bit of Nexium on that day. The first few days with no Nexium went ok. The next few weeks even went ok. But suddenly, now at the end of my 4th week completely Nexium free, I’m having terrible heartburn all day and night no matter what I eat. I’m eating so many Tums that it’s making me feel sick. It’s like eating chalk all day. So why did I not have much heartburn for the first 3 weeks, but suddenly in week 4 it’s almost unbearable? Is it some sort of delayed rebound? Another week of this and I’m going to give up and go back on Nexium because it’s not worth this poor quality of life. Thanks!
It could be a delayed rebound effect as you mentioned or if could even perhaps could be an effect of your intestines and stomach. It takes time for your whole digestive system to adapt to not taking them. It will take some months (3-6) I would imagine for things to start to balance out. I would suggest to look at your diet during this time and avoid all the big trigger foods and drinks if you aren’t already it will make the transition much easier. It’s okay to take the tums in the meantime if and when you need.