I’ve suffered for many years from it. On and off all kind of medication and some diet until I got better and then all over again.
I think I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. My acupuncturist insisted and still insists on diet changes. The bottom line is that I used to sleep almost sitting and she told me not to do that because some kind of explanation from the TCM that I didn’t understand at the beginning. I now follow her instructions almost to the letter. Getting rid of almost 95% of processed foods, eating organic the rainbow color, drinking room temperature water, herbs, and of course acupuncture has helped me tremendously. I no longer need all the restrictions and special drinks. I eat organic as much as possible, I avoid anything related to milk, even lactose free. I don’t use any kind of artificial sweeteners, I just use maple syrup occasionally. If eat cheese, I eat just the equivalent to one slice. The bottom line, we’re what we eat.

I already do the same. I haven’t had any processed food of any type for longer than I can remember. No meat, just fish. Brown rice, fruit, and veggies as well as no sugar or carbonated drinks of any type. No alcohol.. No butter or fats of any type. no dairy at all. There are some plant-based cheeses out there that are not terrible, but I’d rather not eat cheese altogether than do those. I eat plant-based and gut health bread, so I have not given up gluten entirely. I had another helpful suggestion that I might want to take two weeks off and see if that’s my problem. I think I’m going to try that. There’s got to be some reason for a healthy diet to still produce heartburn. Thanks for taking the time to read my ridiculously long post. I appreciate any help you can offer so if you have any other thoughts, I would love to hear them. Take care of yourself!

Don’t drink apple cider vinegar with an ulcer, why would you drink acid .

My experience exactly. I had a Lap Chole 4 years ago and was put on Pantoprazole following the procedure to deal with severe GERD, stomach pain from acid and abdominal cramping.
During the 4 years on Pantoprazole I experienced 24/7/365 stomach pain, abdominal cramps, dizziness, bloating and GERD. I was beyond miserable.
My GI Doc and PC Physician had no clue.
One morning I decided to take 20mg of Famotidine and toss the Pantoprazole in the trash. That day ALL of my symptoms ceased to exist and, to this day, they are just a memory. I can now drink coffee every morning which was NEVER possible before.
Researching Pantoprazole will educate you on the COMMON side effects of PPI’s which include stomach pain, abdominal cramping and dizziness.
Sometimes the prescribed medication is actually the problem itself and you cannot rely on your physician to either know or research the drugs he/she prescribes - they just “do” what seems logical. It is up to you to navigate your list of meds and their possible side effects and interactions. Good luck on your journey!

I was on pantroprazole for a few months to get rid of an acidy stomach that came on from taking pain pills. My doctor "weened" me off the med slowly and I think that is important.

Also Alkaline water helps. I buy mine from Costco. At least 32 ounces of it a day. Eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3 large. Chew food well and slow. There's Reflux Gourmet that u can buy. Avoid trigger foods. Sleep using a wedge pillow. Famotidine might work. Try it once a day in the am. And if that doesn't work add another dosage at bedtime.

I know it’s terrible to live with Gerd, but those proton pump inhibitors are truly deadly. They keep your body from absorbing B12, they reduce stomach acid so your stomach can’t fight harmful bacteria and they definitely erode bone mass. And also, it’s very common for someone to have what they call acid reflux rebound after they stop them. I don’t know what your problem is because I’m not a doctor, but I do know that as we age, we produce less stomach acid and I’ve heard of people completely eliminating their Gerd by either taking hydrochloric acid supplements. (read the directions very carefully – look online) or drinking a teaspoon to a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before they eat. Again, I’m not a doctor and I don’t know exactly what your issue is, but I do know from experience that those pills can be deadly. They don’t cure anything; they simply mask the symptoms. So I’m not surprised that your Gerd came back. Unfortunately, doctors aren’t great anymore at finding out the cause of the problem. I’ve been referred to a clinics that specializes in gastrointestinal issues by a person I know who had extremely good luck there with no other doctor could find out what was wrong with her, so, even though I’m nervous about traditional medicine, I’m going to go and see if they can figure anything out. Maybe you can get a referral from someone you know? Sounds like they’re not getting to the bottom of it. Again, I don’t know your situation, and I’m not trying to butt in, but Nexium and Prilosec killed my mom, and I think they should be taken off the market. I hate to hear of anyone taking them. Again, I know acid reflux is miserable, but it can sometimes go away. I began to blend all my food, and after a couple of months, my acid reflux actually did. I’m still suffering from terrible IBS, but at least it’s mostly staying down lower where it used to. I wish you good luck! It’s so miserable to have a stomachache. I’m always tired because I can’t eat enough. But I’m getting better slowly. Take care!

Did you just stop the PPI, or did you wean off of them? You really need to wean or you get rebound reflux. Even with weaning that may be possible. At any rate, as someone else suggested, consider taking famotidine to stop the GERD symptoms and then wean yourself off of them. Have you also made diet and lifestyle changes? If not, that could contribute to the return of GERD symptoms. ENT Jamie Koufman has a lot of good free advice on her web site. ENT Jonathan Aviv also has free advice, but you need to google to find the various platforms. There is a FB group that has a ton of recipes based on his advice, something like acidwatchers warriors diet. If I follow the whole food, low acid diet, sleep with head inclined, and use Gaviscon Advance UK version when necessary, I do as well as I did on a PPI. While weaning off PPI, I also chewed a lot of sugarless gum. that helped a lot. Good luck!

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole (Prilosec) or esomeprazole (Nexium) are antacid drugs often used in acid-related disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In a 2022 paper, researchers reviewed the risks and benefits of long-term PPI use and questioned their long-term usage and concerns about a potential positive association between PPIs and osteoporotic fracture risk including the hip, spine and wrist. The safety of PPIs with respect to bone health is debated. Researchers concluded that "PPIs responsibility in the increase of fracture risk, even though considered as modest, should be taken into consideration in the management of elderly patients at risk of fragility fracture." Read more here:

- Proton Pump Inhibitors and Bone Health: An Update Narrative Review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9504265/

It's important to keep in mind that every person will respond differently to medication. Some people may have side effects that prevent them from benefitting from a medication. However, for other people, these same medications are beneficial and may restore quality of life.

Currently there no scientific research supporting the use of diluted apple cider vinegar to help reduce symptoms of acid reflux. Apple cider vinegar is often marketed as being healthy, but there isn’t a lot of research to support anecdotal benefits like reducing acid reflux. While rare, there are also potential risks of drinking apple cider vinegar to be aware of. Read more:

-Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Treat Acid Reflux? https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/apple-cider-vinegar-for-acid-reflux

All information shared by members on the Mayo Clinic Connect is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the community.
Please check with your doctor if you are concerned about your bone health related to PPIs or before trying anything new like apple cider vinegar.

@carolinlv

I was on Pantprazole for about 1 year for acid reflux and LPR. I am 65 years old. Acid reflux medication is suppossed to reduce the stomach acid in your stomach (i.e, too much stomach acid can trigger reflux). However, after much research I discovered that seniors typically have too little acid in their stomach, which can also trigger reflux. Therefore, by taking Pantoprazole, I was making my condition worse. Initially it seemed to help somewhat, but then it got worse about 2 - 3 months into the treatment. I had really bad coughing spells for 5 - 8 hours every night. I couldn't sleep laying down and had horrible insomnia. My doctor wanted me to stay on it forever, even though it is recommend only for short-term use. Finally, I decided to wean myself off the medication. I did this by going from 2 tablets a day to just 1 tablet for the first 2 weeks, and then totally stopped taking the medication altogether after 2 weeks. I researched this before doing it, so I knew what to expect. You get what the call a "rebound" effect (everything gets worse) for about 2 weeks. However, after the 2 weeks, things calmed down and the coughing spells are now less severe and more managable. The medication was making it worse. Basically I try to control my acid reflux with eating more clean.