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Harvoni/acid reflux

I started Harvoni April 6 and so far so good. Only thing is I can not take my Lansoprizole for my acid reflux. I am having issues with heartburn after meals. I suffer with it until I can take a couple of TUMS 4 hrs. after Harvoni. I usually wait 5 hrs. to be sure it won't interfere with Harvoni. I have been reading a lot about Aloe Vera Juice. They say if you take it before each meal 2-4 oz. that you will not get heartburn. I will call the Pharmacist on Monday, but has anyone else tried either AloeCure or 100% organic Aloe Vera Juice thru Walmart for their acid/heartburn. It says it is 100% all natural with no known sides. If this is so, then I think I'll will try to stop taking these meds after treatment is done to see if I can get by without them. They say that all these acid reducer meds either Prescription or OTC can be dangerous long term. I have been taking them for years. Thanks Liz
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Avatar universal
Thank you for confirming that for me! Do you know how long after taking harvoni and omeprazole that she can eat? Or does it not matter?

Trying anything I can to make her comfortable :-)

We've been avoiding teas, but there had been a few that seemed to work for acid reflux like peppermint or even chamomile.
Helpful - 0
683231 tn?1467323017
The 4 hour instructions apply to antacids like Tums and Rolaids

Not to Omepresole

Antacids (e.g., aluminum and magnesium hydroxide)

It is recommended to separate antacid and HARVONI administration by 4 hours.
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683231 tn?1467323017
Prilosec (Omepresole)  or Nexium AT THE SAME TIME as Harvoni on an EMPTY stomach ONLY

Harvoni prescribing information sheet see table 3 page 5

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2014/205834s000lbl.pdf

Proton-pump inhibitorsc (e.g., omeprazole)

Proton-pump inhibitor doses comparable to omeprazole 20 mg or lower can be administered simultaneously with HARVONI under fasted conditions.
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Avatar universal
My mother just started Harvoni, day 2! She has terrible acid reflux and takes Omeprazole.. she was told by her GI doctor to take it 4 hours before or after taking the Harvoni pill as long as it was 20mg or lower... However the information says to take it with it on a empty stomach. Anyone have any input on this?? I just want to make sure she does everything right so we get as good a chance as we can for a recovery! I have her eating healthy foods, though she can't eat much... it seems her ascites has got the best of her lately.. I'm hoping some of these symptoms will improve soon!

Thank you!
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Avatar universal
I took Omapramazole to prevent the nausea from HCV and not for Heart-burn. I stopped taking them and haven't gone back since I not longer have nausea.
Gluten is as bad a eating a bunch of sugar. Look up all the things that gluten is in. Bread on and on....not good for the gut. Why not eat probiotics yogurt instead of jello? Don''t you need more than a spoonful of something for the digestion to kick in?
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Avatar universal
Oops!!! Thanks for catching that.  I liiked at my post after you said you had soda envy, and, wow, leaving out ONE word makes a world of difference.  What I was TRYING to say is that I DO NOT drink soda or sweetened tea or coffee.  If I have tea, it is weak, with nothing, and coffee is 4 oz mild roast coffee wiith 8oz hot milk.  In other words, instead od cafe con leche I have leche con cafe : -).

Hope that clears that up.

DWBH:  See what I mean?  

All:  I really begin to believe that all these digestion problems are a side effect of the virus ---  if not all - at least the heps is an aggravating factor.  

DWBH, I am glad to know that I am not the only one who improve so much after SVR!  Something to keep our eye on in discussions to see if this is a real pattern and not just My own humble opinion.

Blessings, All,

Pat
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your post. I can handle the acid after lunch and dinner with Tums. I am diabetic also and take insulin at night. Watching what I eat and am starting to lose a little weight which I need to do. So sugar counts are way down and amount of units of insulin are down to 17 from 30. I just skip breakfast now and have my 1/2 caf. coffee and water. I take the Harvoni with a spoonful of sugar free jello. No heartburn. I also have Barrett's. The last endoscopy showed it was in good shape. So no treatment for that YET. Maybe have another endoscopy done after tx to see if acid did any further damage. Hope not. I just do not want to take anything to lessen the affect of Harvoni. How did your tx with Harvoni go? Good luck to you in the future. Thank you, Liz
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Avatar universal
Oopsie auto correct... That's proton not protocol pump lol

Also, like Pat & KoKo I had to eliminate all trigger foods.... Missed my eat cake while cooking dinner thing( had to gain weight) but eating healthy again has put weight back on me... Yay so eat well! Good luck!

Pat, I have soda envy :-)  R

Still love my coffee
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Avatar universal

Hi Liz~

All good info, aloe will help heal, it reduces acid, tho also. I'm with Patra on not laying down.  Also loads of water can reduce acid. That being said, have you asked your doctor? I ask that because you mention difficult swallowing & so I don't know the condition or needs of your esophagus, you & doc do! I have Barrett's so imp to keep reflux down. However, I did not take it during Harvoni Tx. ( same reason) and oddly, daily GERD went away on Tx. It returned & I'm back on just Zantac now, and do aloe vera.

Many have chosen not to take PPI's and many have during Tx.

On Gilead's patient info it reads:
Protocol- pump inhibitor doses comparable to omeprazole 20 mg or lower can be administered simultaneously with Harvoni under FASTED conditions.
So you take in morning, before eating with Harvoni.

It's a personal/ or necessary choice.
Hope this helps. If bad CHECK WITH YOUR HEPA.
Again, tons of water really helped.

You probably have already read that, but just a reminder :-)
For sure, we want to cure so at what length & is that excessive ? Dunno lol
Hope you get to have 3 squares & a good Tx!
Blessed treatment,
Randy
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Avatar universal
There are foods you can eat to cure it. Try a non Gluten diet. It's cause may be from high gluten diet.
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Avatar universal
It's okay!  We've all been there (some of us, like me,more than others.  hee hee).
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2059648 tn?1439766665
geez......I give up
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2059648 tn?1439766665
"If" use a half teaspoon of baking soda in .........Sound say "I" use

Sorry confusing typo
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2059648 tn?1439766665
I treated with Incivek.  It's been 2 years since SVR.    I used to take the acid reflex meds your on.   Don't need them anymore.   One of the changes I made was no more eating food additives. Stay way from fast foods.   Both of these will help.   If use a half teaspoon of baking soda in a full glass of room temp water if needed for heart burn.   But that's next to never and it does work ever time.   I don't know if you can use this on Harvoni.  But it does help.  

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Avatar universal
What was your treatment for your Hep C? And how long have you been CURED? I just started Harvoni April 6,  and so far no side effects other than being a little tired.I was like that also on Interferon and Ribavirn for 48 weeks. No sign of HepC while not the meds, but it came back. Lower viral load but back none the less. I really hope this works this time. I do not want to have to worry about everything any more. I have lived with this since I was 17-18 years old. Never knew I had C always thought it was A+ B and done with it. I am now 62 with no symptoms. Found out by accident on routine blood work. They ran everything and came back + for Hep C. Not a drinker, no drugs, do not smoke, so I think all that helped with very little scarring on liver and all liver functions are good. So I say a prayer that this will work and I can breathe a sigh of relief that it's done and gone. Liz
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Avatar universal
Thank You I hope it helps me also. They say taking these meds Lansoprizole for long term can be dangerous. I'd like to get off them also.
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Avatar universal
Thank You it was a big plus. Pharmacist said they do not have any info on AloeCure or Aloe Vera drink so I am not going to chance it. This morning I skipped breakfast and tookHarvoni with just a spoonful of sugar free jello (I have problems swallowing pills with out something to help them down. No heartburn even with a cup of 1/2 caf. coffee. So I am just going to give up my breakfast and after lunch if I need it I will stick to the TUMS 4 hrs after meals.
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2059648 tn?1439766665
After I cured my hepatitis C.  I no longer had to take acid reflex medication.
I had taken prescription acid reflex medication for many years.

Hope you have the same results.
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Avatar universal
Also, as a long time heartburn sufferer, I offer what Drs have told me for years:  Do not lay down for - this depends on who is telling you, and how you body reacts - 1 and 1/2 to 3 hours after eating.  I have received benefit from this - and now that I am post treatment, have found that, by sitting up, standing, etc., but not laying down for approximately 2 hrs after eating anything, I have cut my heartburn meds in half, and have hopes to do away with it althgether in a few months- just not that brave, yet.

In addition, I have cut sugar and salt from my diet.  Not that I don't get any, but I no longer add either to my food, do drink soda or sweet tea/coffee, cut out all candy, chips, etc  and reduced pie, cake, cookies, to a minimun, AFTER food,and only once in a while, not every day.  That, I did to help my liver, but found that it reduced heartburn, too.

Hope this helps.

Pat
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