Nexium and/or Antacid users

I have been meaning to share this.  As I am a newbie, I find out new things every day.  This is important.  These are things my old GI Dr nor the surgeon NEVER told me!!!

If you take Nexium (which I do), you need to take it first thing when you wake up, then 30 minutes later have food in your mouth even if it's just a couple of bites of yogurt.  It needs the food to continue to work.  The surgeon, his NP or the old GI Dr, never explained that to me!

The other thing is this:

Wait 2 hours after you take Nexium or any antacid to take your vitamins.  They will affect how much or little is absorbed. 

Funny how Drs. are different my DS surgeon, just told me the same, take the priolsec , wait 30 min eat something , 1.5 hours later start my vit s

I have had doctor's and pharmaceutical reps tell me to take my nexium first thing in the morning.   What I found over time was that it really interfered with the absorption of vitamins and minerals unless there were several hours in between.   Because nexium is a PPI and prevents acid production (rather than meds that only neutralize the acid), it actually can prevent the breakdown of certain vitamins and minerals that need some acid for absorption.

I take my vitamins in the morning on an empty stomach to increase the vitamin absorption.  To make this manageable (and to not kick up my GERD), I do not take any compressed vitamins. I usually take my nexium a few hours after lunch, then have a snack about 30 minutes later.  This has worked for me for years. 

Sharon

What are "compressed" vitamins?

They're Pills. 

All dry medications start out as powders, are measured into doses then compressed into tablets or caplets (oblong pills). 

Back in the old days, most medicines either came in liquid or powder form in a bottle.  Some still do...Goody's headache powders come to mind, only they put them in little paper envelopes now.

Yes, they are any solid pill.  For those of us with stomach issues, it can be difficult to get these to break down.  Many years ago, prior to having the DS, I was on a fasting diet and kept getting violently ill every time I took my vitamins.  I finally figured out that my stomach acids were kicking into overdrive trying to break down the vitamins and, combined with the empty stomach was making me very sick.

While I don't do the whole prescribed 12 Vita4Life vitamins, I do use 4 a day as my multivitamin because they are not compressed.  I have found all my other vitamins and minerals in capsule form, sublingual or in chews.    It has worked well for me. 

Sharon

I take Omeprazole (generic Nexium), and I take it first thing in the morning, eat a cracker or egg, wait 30 minutes, then take my *cut* vitamins.  I cut every compressed pill I take into eighths,  as this exposes the inside, and the decreased acid ( or rather, lack of an acid "pool" as with unaltered stomachs) doesn't have to work so hard to get through the coating.  It's the coating that blocks the acid.  I use powdered calcium citrate in juice.  I seem to always run low in calcium, and my doc and I think that even though I cut them, the pills are just too hard for my stomach acid to break down. Sometimes I break down and buy the flavored liquid cal/mag/D, but the powdered in juice seems to work better.  I have wrecked plastic pill grinders trying to grind the calcium pills, and I have yet to find a metal one! I'm also on long-term Creon, so this further helps the vites and calcium break down.

Another solution is a Ziploc bag and a hammer. but wait until your neighbors are awake, especially if you live in an apartment, like I do!

This is nothing my docs told me to do.  I figured it out from my chemistry class!