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Painless Ways to Stop Heartburn Drugs Despite Rebound Acidity

Q. I know PPIs have tons of side effects, but the trouble is I’ve taken them for years. Now I am stuck with them.

I’ve tried to get off of them several times, and each time it ended in failure. Please help!

A. Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid) or esomeprazole (Nexium) can be extremely difficult to quit. The problem is rebound hyperacidity that can last up to four weeks after the heartburn drug is stopped (Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, May, 2013).

We are sending you our Guide to Digestive Disorders with suggestions on how to ease the discomfort as you withdraw from your reflux medicine. These include using DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) or persimmon tea to prevent heartburn symptoms. Sometimes it helps to use an older-style heartburn pill such as ranitidine or cimetidine to get through the worst of it. We have included advice from Tieraona Low Dog, MD, on how to overcome this difficulty, but you might also be interested in her in-depth book from National Geographic, Life Is Your Best Medicine.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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