I am too depressed to talk about my current dilemma which occurred when I
went for my Oct 8 EGD and bravo ph test. But here I go anyway. In short
the gastro couldn't place the bravo capsule because he found 4 duodenal
ulcers (my best guess due to rebound acid from going off the various PPI's
-
I just had an EGD in June and it was okay if you recall). He also found
food retention in my stomach which has never showed up in any of my
previous
10 EGD's by other gastro's since 1992 (IMO the food retention may have
been
caused by taking 10 mg of valium the night before the EGD, and relaxing my
stomach muscles).
The ulcers came up fast, and H pylori stain was negative. Right after the
scope, he put me on 40 mg nexium bidaily, and sucralfate suspension, and
10
mg of reglan. I told him I was afraid of that much nexium since it may
cement my stomach and I had previously explained to him in my initial
visit,
I didn't think the PPI's were working any more. I believe the 80 mg per
day
of nexium is killing me and the burning in my throat is even worse if
anything, and the mucous in my throat and lungs (and my coughing) is
increasing. I called the gastro's office a few days ago and requested to
drop to 40, and he told his girl to tell me to stay on the 80 mg,
especially
since I wasn't improving in the burning area, and that nexium doesn't
usually cause sore throat - yet the drug info says to call your doctor
ASAP
if you experience persistent sore throat - oh well. Hopefully it would
still help the ulcer heal by at least blocking some of the acid, even if
it
is not working at full effectiveness (this is my comment).
I am screwed and I think I will drop to 40 mg today, since the burning and
soreness in my throat is not improving and I believe it could be related
to
the nexium (I have taken 80 mg for 10 days now). Plus the rebound acid
after
coming down from 80 mg will be significant. I hope that he doesn't
dismiss
me for decreasing the nexium, when I see him on Oct 26, especially since I
now have active duodenal ulcers. I can not take keep taking large doses
of
something if I think it is harming me or making me worse.
The sucralfate (which is basically an old anti ulcer med) is the most
unmanageable medicine you can take due to the one hour before and two hour
after crap and taking it four times a day, and you don't want to risk
taking
it with another drug at all since it may block the drug by its adsorption
(spelled with a "d") effect. What a pain in the ass. I thought
sucralfate
was kind of passé, and current treatment for ulcers was just PPI therapy,
but maybe he was just trying to hit it from two different directions.
Also
the trials in the package inserts I have, indicate the tablets are more
effective than the suspension, but I would think the opposite, since
sucralfate works by a topical coating effect and very little is absorbed
into the body (ie I would think the suspension would coat better, if not
at
least faster). Obviously the gastro felt the suspension is better
(perhaps
by intuitiveness), but I doubt he has read or seen the trial comparisons
(the latest package insert is dated 2004, now owned by a small drug
company
called Axcan). I just called Axcan and talked to a pharmacist and got no
info at all pertaining to why the trials for the tablets are better than
the
liquid (ie she doesn't know - they are probably the seventh or eighth
company that the drug was passed down to). BTW even though the drug is
very
old and the tablets have been generic for many years, the liquid is still
BRAND name only, and is expensive.
Howard, if you are reading this, I would welcome your comments on the use
of
sulcrafate, and the suspension versus tablets, etc.
I am also having back pain between my shoulder blades which I believe may
be
caused by gas created by the nexium/sulcralfate/reglan (one of them or a
combination thereof).
I am so depressed about all this, and I still need the bravo test to
confirm
if I have acid reflux. I live in constant misery. All the suffering I
went
through going off therapy before the planned bravo test, and taking all
the
PPI's and H2 blockers for the last four months was for naught, and now I
have to try to get rid of the damn ulcers. And then if I try to have
another bravo again I will have to go off therapy again which will cause
more rebound acid and maybe start the ulcers back up again, and it will be
a
vicious cycle.
Sorry for ragging on you guys. I wasn't going to write all this but I
wanted to get it off my chest.
Pete
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