Tell me about your experience coming off PPIs

My surgeon had me on 30mg of Lansoprazole for 3 months post surgery. I had read that going off it cold turkey can cause rebound acid issues so the doctor writing the article suggested tapering off. So after I finished my prescription I took over the counter 15mg Prevacid for 14 days. I stopped that a few days ago. The first day I was fine, the second day, I felt a little acid after dinner, and today I've had a lot of uncomfortable heartburn.

I'm interested in hearing about your experience going off post-surgery PPIs. How long were you on them? Did you experience rebound heartburn after stopping? Did it lessen over time? Did you go back on PPIs?

I am really hoping this is temporary and not a sign of things to come!

p.s. - I plan to talk to my surgeon next week, just trying to get a sense of what other's have experienced!

Personally, I have never gone off of them. I have a touch of Barrett's Esophagitis, and a good gastrologist. I have been on PPI's mostly since the end of surg. HOWEVER, I also have a history of alcoholism. Major league contributor, as alcohol relaxes the esophageal sphincter and allows reflux of acid into the esophagus. I have no issue with long term use of PPI's personally.

I had a very mild case of gerd b4 surgery & was likely caused by the hiatal hernia that was repaired at surgery. I was on a ppi for a couple of months, & was off of them completely when I ran out. I haven't had a problem since, but again my gerd was very, very mild to begin with.

Maybe you need a different ppi? That might help.

Me too! I had a hiatal hernia repaired too and very rare mild GERD (like 1-2 days a month at most, antacid took care of it so this was my first PPI experience).

The lower dose Prevacid worked great, but I thought being on a PPI long term was to be avoided if you could? I'm willing to tough this out for a little while if there's a chance it'll improve and I can avoid being on PPIs indefinitely.

I am doing the same thing! Second day on 300mg zantac and will stay on it until I can be completely off. GL

No GERD issues prior to surgery for me and my surgeon did not even prescribe PPI's. I didn't know that was odd until I came here and really started reading. I've had no issues so far, I hope it stays that way.

Prior to surgery I had some acid reflux. After my surgery the surgeon prescribed omepreazole 20 mg and took every day for a couple of weeks and then tapered to every other day for 2 weeks. I was told to go off. Since then I have experienced some acid here and there, especially after drinking strong unsweetened tea and coffee. I started back on the oreprazole every day for 2 weeks and now tapering to every other day again. I too hope that this isn't going to be an ongoing issue.

I was told to take Prilosec OTC daily for the first 6 months after surgery. At my 6-month check up, they said to cut it down and then wean off of it over the next couple of weeks, and if I had future problems to start a regimen again.

I was off for about 4 weeks, and found I did have some heartburn issues, so have been back on it since. I may try weaning off again in a little while. We'll see...

I am 2.5 months out from surgery and still taking a PPI. My surgeon prescribed 2 weeks of omeprazole after surgery and then said to follow up with PCP if I had acid issues. I haven't followed up with anyone (I have terrible health insurance), but when I don't take a PPI, I notice bubbling and mild burning in my esophagus in the early morning and sometimes late at night. Even though the heartburn is not really uncomfortable, I'm planning on continuing the PPI until at least the 3 month mark because I'm worried about gastric ulcers and esophageal damage. I don't know how much heartburn, if any, is safe. I'll plan to start taking the PPI every other and then every third day for two weeks as a taper. I never had acid issues before surgery and am really hoping that this gets resolved.

I didn't take them at all the first 3 months. Never had GERD issues prior to surgery. When I started varying my diet I had some GERD issues rarely, mostly due t over eating by accident when eating out. I took them off and on from months 4 to 9. Then stopped.

I feel like for me it was more of a learning curve getting use to my sleeve than actual acid issues.