H2 blocker 400mg? (GERD)

[theguyfromanotherforum]

What is this pill? I thought H2 blockers like ranitidine come in 150mg and 300mg.

 

I am supposed to take this twice a day along with motilium and a digestive enzyme which looks like the same one I used to buy from Boots.

 

Please, no lectures about me being dumb and not knowing what I got prescribed. My marriage almost ended up in a divorce because I dared to ask what kind of pill I got prescribed.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, I

[chopin2]

I suppose it's a bad case of GERD  you've got. Zollinger -Elissons syndrome can actually require doses upp to 6g, in extreme cases though.

 

Why didn't your doctor prescribe Omeprazole or Esomeprazole?

Edited January 9, 2017 by chopin2

[meatboy]

as a very bad sufferer of gerd,1970 to present i am not familier with ranitidine,but back in the 70's it was tagamet[later baned]

then after trying many different meds.that didnt work i was finaly given zoton[lansoprozole] 30mg.once a day yes that worked ,then after moving to thailand its been omeprazole 20mg.morning and afternoon [4pm]

i also have a hiatus hernia.

so maybe you have been given a generic.

 

 

Edited January 9, 2017 by meatboy

[Sheryl]

Can you post a picture of it?

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Here Sheryl

 

 

 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

3 hours ago, chopin2 said:

I suppose it's a bad case of GERD  you've got. Zollinger -Elissons syndrome can actually require doses upp to 6g, in extreme cases though.

 

Why didn't your doctor prescribe Omeprazole or Esomeprazole?

 

The first doctor did for 2 weeks. I think it was Pariet or something (with motilium and gaviscon).

 

It did get rid of my gerd symptoms (lump in throat and breathing was a major one), but it returned promptly within 2 days.

 

I do still drink coffee on occasion and the doc yesterday told me to stop this completely. Not even once a month. I think I'll listen this time. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by theguyfromanotherforum

[Sheryl]

This is cimetidine 400 mg. Brand name Ulcamet.

 

Caffeine definitely weakens the esophageal sphincter and worsens reflux so your doctor is right re the coffee.

 

With any drug that reduces gastric acid secretion, there is a problem of rebound hyperacidity when you stop taking it.  This creates quite a dilemma. Best to taper off very, very slowly and also be prepared to maybe have to weather a few days to a week of discomfort until the rebound subsides - can take an antacid like gaviscon to help you through it.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Sheryl, I am a little concerned taking motilium long term. I know it's a pill to stop nausea and vomiting, but I do not understand why it's being prescribed to treat gerd. 

 

That being said, this regiment seems to be working somewhat as today for the first day in ages I didn't wake up gasping for air as I usually do every morning when lying flat in the bed.

Edited January 11, 2017 by theguyfromanotherforum

[Sheryl]

The theory is that motilium will speed up gastric emptying. However the validity of this is not well established.  That combined with recent evidence of serious cardiac complications in some patients has led to it no longer being recommended in many countries for other than very short-term use, see https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/domperidone-risks-of-cardiac-side-effects

 

Chances are you have not been taking motilium alone but rather motilium plus either PPI or Histamine antagonist in which case there is no telling if any improvement seen is from the motilium per se.

 

BTW PPIs and H2 blockers do not in any way stop the reflux. They just render it less acidic and hence less irritating.

 

Lifestyle modifications - including stopping smoking and avoiding caffeine, not eating too much at one time, not eating 2 hours or so before lying down, and most importantly, elevating the head of the bed are quite important.

 

This is a good overview  http://www.nature.com/gimo/contents/pt1/full/gimo54.html

[xylophone]

6 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Sheryl, I am a little concerned taking motilium long term. I know it's a pill to stop nausea and vomiting, but I do not understand why it's being prescribed to treat gerd. 

 

That being said, this regiment seems to be working somewhat as today for the first day in ages I didn't wake up gasping for air as I usually do every morning when lying flat in the bed.

 

I was diagnosed with GERD in 2004 after spending years at an extremely stressful job and a gastroscopy showed that I had early signs of Barrett's oesophagus, which is something you really don't want to get because it increases the chances of oesophageal cancer if it progresses.

 

Was prescribed omeprazole 40 mg twice a day, along with Motilium and my doctor suggested I take a good hard look at my life to see if I really wanted to be in this stressful job for years to come, because it was potentially killing me.

 

I also had to cut back on the foods I loved because some really did cause me some discomfort and coffee was one of them, along with onions, milk chocolate, some cheeses and believe it or not red peppers. As Sheryl has said, I raised the head of my bed by about 4 inches and also used two pillows to sleep on.

 

Well I made a lot of lifestyle changes, gave up the job and sold just about everything including my house, rented in NZ and travelled around a bit, eventually ending up here and whenever I've gone back to NZ for a gastroscopy checkup, the results have been good with my surgeon/Dr being absolutely amazed that the Barrett's oesophagus condition has virtually disappeared.

 

So it pays to take a good hard look at oneself and see if there are any factors which come into play, or of course it could be a hiatal hernia.

 

Take note of the foods which aggravate it and stay away from them, don't eat late at night or eat large meals at night, raise the head of the bed, make sure that you are not stressed about anything and you could try meditation if you are of that ilk, and of course smoking aggravates it along with alcohol (although I've managed to get by all these years with a few glasses of red wine at night and that doesn't seem to have an effect).

 

I occasionally take Gaviscon if I've been a bit remiss and have eaten late or something has disagreed with me, but that might only be a couple of times a month and now I don't have to take omeprazole or anything else and I have been free of the condition (in the main) for about four years now.

 

 

 

[meatboy]

having suffered for over 45-50yrs.its only the past 2yrs,i have seen a big improvement.

no burning of the throat and not the every day acid burn.maybe down to loosing weight,and i dont wear a belt anymore or anything tight around the waist.i try to avoid bending and the drinking has more or less stopped.

the past 2yrs.its been on and off,say 2-3months no acid,but then i find myself getting a nasty taste or a dry mouth which lasts about 2weeks. once or twice a day with also a sickly feeling.this time its been 3months since i had any discomfort atall.

i only have one coffee a day [morning],not so much spicey food and NO FIZZY POP.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Appreciate all the replies girls and boys.

 

I wish it was that simple in my case. I don't smoke and I don't drink.... not even once a year for a new year. Normal weight 194cm and 92-95 kilos. I do stress a lot, so maybe that's it.

 

I wonder if there is something beside hiatal hernia that is contributing to this condition and that doctors have missed.

 

 

[Sheryl]

It is a very common condition and does not always have a cause beyond simply getting older. The esophageal sphincter weakens with age.

 

Though medications can often be the culprit, are you on any?

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Nope. No other meds beside gerd. I understand having acid reflux but in my case it's non stop. No pain and no heartburn....Just a constant discomfort above the abdominal area with breathing problems and belching. I really feel like the food and liquid is sitting on top of my hernia and takes forever to digest.

[xylophone]

20 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

I really feel like the food and liquid is sitting on top of my hernia and takes forever to digest.

 

So you do have a hiatal hernia?? Well IMO that is a major cause of your problems and coupled with the fact that the esophageal sphincter weakens with age (as Sheryl has said) this exacerbates the condition.

 

And stress is said to be a factor although the medical fraternity do have differing views on that!

 

This can be fixed with surgery but not sure if I would get it done here as not overly confident on some of the Drs/surgeons I've seen here.