How to Quit Pantoprazole?

Posted by ksdm @ksdm, Mar 16 8:23am

I have been on Pantoprazole for the last two months to combat the acid stomach I got from taking pain meds. I am feeling good now and want to know how to stop taking this drug. I still feel a little acidy when I wake up but couldn't I take something else for that?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

brittis | @brittis | Apr 11 3:04pm

In reply to @blessedwildapplegirl "I know it’s terrible to live with Gerd, but those proton pump inhibitors are truly deadly...." + (show)

@blessedwildapplegirl

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!

Jump to this post

How did Nexium and Prilosec kill your mom? What happened?

blessedwildapplegirl | @blessedwildapplegirl | Apr 11 3:38pm

In reply to @brittis "How did Nexium and Prilosec kill your mom? What happened?" + (show)

They caused both of her hips to break. She didn’t fall and break her hip - her hip snapped, and then she hit the ground. One broke, and then a month later the other broke. Also, she had a terrible case of C. Difficile and E. coli and her body wasn’t able to fight the infections, even with antibiotics. That’s another side effect of the drugs. She was older, so that’s probably harder on her body, but the problem is your body doesn’t do well without stomach acid, and then, as I mentioned, you get the rebound effect when you try to stop. When I found out that the drugs caused osteoporosis and that people who took them were more up to break a hip, I tried to take her off them, but she had such a horrible Rebound effect that she couldn’t eat for almost a week, and I had to put her back on them. I really didn’t want to, but I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t know why they’re allowed to sell drugs that have such terrible side effects. I hope you can find something else that works for you! Good luck.

baguette | @baguette | Apr 11 5:27pm

In reply to @carolinlv "I was taking pantoprazole for over three years for Gerd and all the uncomfortable symptoms associated..." + (show)

@carolinlv

I was taking pantoprazole for over three years for Gerd and all the uncomfortable symptoms associated with it. The pantoprazole was a dream, until it wasn’t. I had lower stomach pain that would not go away. I still had no symptoms of Gerd, but my doctor was thinking possibly the pantoprazole had changed in formula. Evidently, the non-active ingredients in a med can be changed randomly. He had multiple patients complain of stomach pain and we were all taking pantoprazole. He didn’t think it wise to take me off an antacid completely so he changed me to omeprazole and the same thing happened. Guess that wasn’t my problem. We finally decided I had been on it so long, maybe I didn’t need it any longer, so I stopped taking it. That was four months ago. I’ve needed an occasional dose of Mylanta or Tums, but that was it. Well, this week I have started to have some Gerd symptoms again. I’ve woken up a few times in the middle of the night with nausea and a headache. I’ve had difficulty sleeping, which is not all that odd for me, but waking up at 2:30 and unable to go back to sleep at all. Now I’ve got the stomach discomfort again. Has anyone stopped taking a PPI because it was making you as sick as the illness you were treating? I have read Gerd returning is common, but these symptoms are slightly different. I don’t have heartburn. I have all this other middle of the night stuff instead. I’m afraid to start a PPI again, especially after reading so much about them when I stopped. I have read you can take them for 6 to 8 weeks 3-4 times a year to heal esophageal problems. Has anyone ever done this type of short term treatment? I can handle a lot, but I have to have at least five hours of sleep. Right now, I’m lucky to get that. Just in case anyone has this thought, I had an endoscopy in February of this year, so I don’t think it’s anything serious unless it’s something that came on quickly. I was prescribed medication to heal a very small ulcer that was found, which was also meant to heal the minor Gerd symptoms noticed. Any thoughts out there?

Jump to this post

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!

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Apr 14 3:46pm

In reply to @carolinlv "I was taking pantoprazole for over three years for Gerd and all the uncomfortable symptoms associated..." + (show)

@carolinlv

Jump to this post

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.

ksdm | @ksdm | Apr 15 8:09am

In reply to @blessedwildapplegirl "They caused both of her hips to break. She didn’t fall and break her hip -..." + (show)

I believe when you are taking a PPI and you want to stop, you are supposed to be weaned off that med, not stop it suddenly.

blessedwildapplegirl | @blessedwildapplegirl | Apr 15 4:31pm

In reply to @ksdm "I believe when you are taking a PPI and you want to stop, you are supposed..." + (show)

Yeah, that probably would’ve worked better! I thought we had a good doctor, but apparently not. They’re so hard to find these days.

jerce | @jerce | 2 days ago

Any experience with prescription famotidine (Pepcid) in phasing out of panroprazole for serious GERD?

seniormed | @seniormed | 2 days ago

In reply to @jerce "Any experience with prescription famotidine (Pepcid) in phasing out of panroprazole for serious GERD?" + (show)

You should work with your doctor on
dosage strength and frequency as well as best time to take it.
It may be safer for our kidney function as time goes on.
Works by a a different mechanism.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | 1 day ago

In reply to @jerce "Any experience with prescription famotidine (Pepcid) in phasing out of panroprazole for serious GERD?" + (show)

@jerce - I wanted to let you know I moved your post here to this existing discussion where others were discussing quitting pantoprazole (often known by the brand name Protonix). Please meet @blessedwildapplegirl @baguette @brittis @graceym1 and others, who may have some thoughts about phasing out/tapering down pantoprazole and potentially substituting famotidine (Pepcid).

jerce - wondering what has made you think about phasing out the pantoprazole in favor of famotidine (Pepcid)? What does your doctor recommend you do?

jerce | @jerce | 1 day ago

In reply to @lisalucier "@jerce - I wanted to let you know I moved your post here to this existing..." + (show)

@lisalucier My doctor is concerned about the length of time I have been on pantoprazole. She has given a detailed process to switching to prescription Prevacid. I should complete the transition by 11/6.