Shit Happened (Part 6)

I had to fast for the blood tests and was off Nexium for two days. I had tried numerous times to wean off Nexium but it had always failed. I did the cutting-the-dose-down slowly but yet I still could not wean off it. (The same thing happened with Xyzal!)

This time after two days, the gum swelling and teeth pain disappeared. Not only that, my mouth and throat burning was gone! I was always tasting blood. The every morning and everyday reflux cough where I had loads and loads of sputum/phlegm disappeared too. This was the first time I had a breakthrough since god-knows-when. I can't even remember. I decided to persevere. I had to. Nexium/PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) had weakened my stomach to the point that many food which I could eat were now giving me problems. I get stomach upset/diarrhoea/stomach problems so very easily. It became a every month affair. And then it progressed to a few times a month. My stomach was never like this.

I made a small bottle (approximately 500ml) of baking soda plus water to rinse my mouth and also to gargle with consistently throughout the whole day. This was to protect the teeth, gums and throat from the acid reflux that was coming up to the mouth. I sipped the water once or twice when it got a little too acidic. As baking soda is high in salt, people with kidney problems and on a diet with strictly-limited salt should consult their doctors before drinking this. Too much of baking soda water can also cause diarrhoea! Click on LINK to read about the side effects of baking soda.

I restricted my food to really bland and steamed food. I adhered to the low FODMAP diet in order to not trigger the IBS as IBS mimics acid reflux for me. I ate so frequently to the point that I became afraid of food. But things slowly improved.

Day 4 was bad as every fibre and atom in my body were screaming for Nexium! But I could persevere on as I had been through this before while weaning off Xyzal. I knew how bad a withdrawal from a drug could get. I was much more prepared than I was when I was weaning off Xyzal.

I started to develope a withdrawal headache. But I knew this would be part of the process. I trudged on.

And then Day 6 came. Hell arrived and I could have spat acid out from my mouth and wherever the spittle would have landed, it would have melted whatever it was. By evening, I took one Zantac/Ranitidine which is a H2 Receptor Blocker. People who try to wean of PPIs gradually and slowly usually downgrade to H2 before slowly weaning of the H2. My gastroenterologist adviced me to do so.

To understand the difference between PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) and H2s (which is actually a histamine blocker) and how they function, click on LINK.

Also click on LINK to view on the difference between a PPI, a H2 and an anti-acid.

Ranitidine worked within 1/2 an hour and I felt such GREAT RELIEF! Oddly, a very mild version of the reflux cough returned.

P.s.: My blood test results came back fantastic. Everything was fine.


.... to be continued