Can Nexium just stop working?/Antidepressants

[agauthier]

Hello. I was diagnosed with GERD several months ago, and lived with almost daily pain (no meds were really working) until about 2 months ago, when I started Nexium. I was blissfully almost with any symptoms for about 6 weeks, even if I ate common reflux triggers, but now I'm experiencing pain again. Can Nexium just stop working like that?

I should add that my diagnosis came after basic blood tests, an endoscopy, an ultrasound to check my gallbladder and a CT scan of my abdomen.

I plan on talking to my doctor about this, but when he put me on Nexium he said if it didn't work he wanted to try me on antidepressants because he thought nerves/stress could be making it worse. I'm not depressed or overly stressed, though, so I don't know if I should go with that or talk to a different doctor.

So, I guess I'm asking does it make sense for Nexium to just stop working all of the sudden, and do you think antidepressants are a viable treatment option?

Thanks!

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
Over a period of time some amount of tolerance do occur with PPI. You can switch to another PPI.
In addition to PPI lifestyle modifications also needed to prevent breakthrough pain.
Lifestyle modifications -
1. Head elevation while sleeping
2. Small frequent meals
3. Going to bed 2- 3 hours after food
4. Avoiding bed time snacks
5. Avoiding smoking and alcohol
6. Avoiding tight fitting clothes
7. Avoiding cola, citrus drinks, carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, spicy food
8. Weight reduction

[fc_hat]

when I was first diagnosed with Barretts I was taking aciphex.  Two years later when I went for a re-check endoscopy the gastrointerologist suggested that I go on nexium.  He said he thought it worked better than aciphex.  Well about 8 weeks into the nexium I was getting great pains, I thought my desease was getting worse.  I went back to the Dr. and asked to be put back on the aciphex.  I beleive those pains were a side effect of the nexium.