Alternative to PPIs?

I can’t help to reply because I noticed your last name. That is my last name.
I hope the aloe vera juice is working for you

@cocacolabear123 strange that sips of water trigger acid reflux in you, yet sips of water ease it in me! Goes to show how differently each of our bodies react to the same thing, eh?

I’ve wondered the same thing as I have Barrett and esophagitis. I’ve been on Prilosec 4 months and G.I. doctors tell me to just stay on Prilosec ? Yet it’s possible harmful to body due to certain side effects. Apparently controlling stomach acid is main concern. Have you been able to stay off the PPI medicine and not have issues with acid reflux ?

I have been on a ppi for years and I daren’t try to come off.

@bigjohnscho same here! It’s really a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation as I see it.

What are supplements recommendations for gerd/ acid reflux?

@jmedj55 there's really an art to going off the PPI. It has to be done on a slow taper or else you will get a rebound effect which is very unpleasant. I'm currently on a very slow taper which will take anywhere from 1 to 3 months. My doctor said it was okay to cut up my pills, even though you're not supposed to. The first few days were quite rough but I have an arsenal of helpful OTC items that are helping to get me through like alka-seltzer, Yogi Ginger tea, slippery elm capsules, and something I really like before laying down, Life Extension's Esophageal Guardian. The theory is that eventually the acid producing cells stop overcompensating, and things settle down, I hope.

@pipp I'm on a taper right now and I found a few things helpful. One is good old Alka-Seltzer. It can be bought without aspirin in it, which I plan to get next time I buy it since aspirin is one of the reasons I got such horrendous reflex. I'm also having some luck with an algae based product by Life Extension called as Esophageal Guardian. I take it after the biggest meal of the day and it forms a barrier on the top of the stomach which keeps the acid from coming up. I take Ginger and slippery elm capsules throughout the day. I am managing okay with just these, but I'm still taking a fraction of my Protonix pill every morning. I know you're not supposed to cut them up but my doctor said to do so. And it is tolerable, not fun, but tolerable.

Water frequently triggered acid reflux in me. I read somewhere drinking warm water instead of cold would help. It seems to help. I'm new to this community. Recently, after an upper endoscopy, my doctor put me on pantroprazole 40mg. I've been taking it since June 26, 2026. Almost immediately I noticed dizziness and about 5 days ago I noticed I had a distended stomach which hasn't gone away. It's quite uncomfortable and increases my back pain. I haven't talked with my doctor about going off pantoprazole. I'm taking notes as I'm reading the posts especially about alternatives to PPIs. I find this community very helpful and interesting. I'm glad I found it.

PPIs were never meant to be taken for years. They were meant for acute situations. I hate it that Doctors over prescribe them .

@dwf75 What was the diagnosis from your upper endoscopy? I'd sure want a diagnosis that warranted immediately going to a PPI , especially at that high dose. Or, did they prescribe just for your complaint of reflux?
In my estimation, I think if your treatment is for reflux without a more serious issue that has been caused by reflux, pepcid/famotine would have been more appropriate. It is a histamine2 blocker.
PPIs are not innocent drugs.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10248387/
Scroll down and look at the bullet point list of issues that this class of drug can cause.

I'm currently taking a PPI to treat a very small ulcer in the lower area of my stomach where the pills land . Probably caused by the very small dose of prednisone , as well as the sulfasalzine that I take for RA. I've been on it for 8 weeks, and so far, it hasn't worked. It is hard for it to heal when I keep taking the 2 medications that probably caused it. My stomach actually feels worse since starting it. And I don't like how it makes me feel and I'm taking half the dose you are on. I've added carafate to see it that might improve outcome. So far it has not.
I'm probably going to need to have another scope to see what is going on.
I had been taking pepcid because I had a previous diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia, probably from previously taking too many ibuprofen for RA.