Okay to take Proton Pump Inhibitors with Paxil?

[Juwane]

I'm thinking of starting pantoprazole, which is a proton pump inhibitor, for my heartburn problems. Is it okay to take it with Paxil? I understand that MAO inhibitors cannot be taken with Paxil, but since this is also an "inhibitor" it is giving me scares.

[pax80]

i dont think there's any problem!!

[LCrawford67]

Actually, you may want to PM member Since95 regarding PPIs. He had quite an issue while tapering Paxil.

[since95]

I'll jump right into this one LC!

Like any prescription drug, there are side effects that PPIs can bring. I strongly suggest that anyone that is looking at going on a PPI really investigates how these drugs work. First off, they are only intended for short term use!!! Just like many MDs will say "you should stay on Paxil the rest of your life", they also say the same thing about PPI and acid reducing medicine. If you do your research, that is just not the case. And much like SSRIs, the drugs are newer (15 - 10 years old) and people are just starting to realize the long term ramifications that they can cause.

I am not totally against PPIs. If someone has a bleeding ulcer and needs relief and the ability to heal, well then giddy up! However, if you are experiencing horrible heartburn or acid reflux, I would say a large part of it has to do with diet and how someone eats. Here is a good article to read:

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Drug Companies and Quick Fixes for Acid Reflux

Many times, we have problems, especially a health related problem, we want relief, and we want it now. The drug companies are quite aware of this impatience. Therefore, they introduce drugs on the market that seem to give a quick fix solution. The problem is that in most of the cases they do not tell you the long-term side effects of that quick relief.

Let us look at some of the workings and side effect of some of the common drugs we take to get immediate relief from Acid Reflux Disease.

Symptoms are our Body Crying out for Help

Our body has evolved in such a way that it can tell us that something is wrong. Our intestinal tract tells us that something is wrong when we get nausea, heartburn, acid indigestion, excessive intestinal gas and bloating, uncontrollable burping, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, blood, mucus. The symptoms are not the problem, but the body saying, 'Hey, I need some attention here!' However, what do we do? We focus not on finding what is causing the problem but we find medication to quiet that voice which is crying out for help. The problem remains, and the drug companies make billions because we do not treat the root of the problem but the symptoms.

Like other ailments, many people treat the symptom of the acid reflux problem and continue to have the problem and then treat the symptoms again and again and again. However, what makes this even more dangerous, is that the treatments for reflux acid that are used are also the seed to even greater health risk than the ailment itself.

Let us look at some of the more popular over the counter treatments for acid reflux disease, what it is that they do and some of their side effects.

Antacids

This kind of treatment depletes the acid that promotes digestion and prevents the absorption of mineral. Without a sufficient quantity of minerals, we are vulnerable to many diseases, from depression to cancer. In addition, antacids often contain aluminum, which, collects in the brain and can contribute to early senility and memory loss. Using antacids that relieve the symptoms also causes a false sense of security ignoring the real cause of the distress, which can lead to dangerous consequences.

H2-Blockers

These drugs actually stop the stomach from producing acid, or reduce the amount of acid that the stomach produces. This has to raise eyebrows because these drugs actually prevent a natural bodily function, which the body saw a need to evolve over countless eons.

Another problem with H2-Blockers is that they compete with the body for the same detoxification enzyme. This means that the body cannot get rid of poisons that might have invaded its system, so these poisons will accumulate and eventually destroy or damage vital organs.

A very important consideration is that these drugs do not affect everyone the same way and while some people will get away without much worry for quite a long time some of us are quite susceptible to the side effects of these drugs quite soon.

Diarrhea, yes diarrhea is another side effect of acid blockers. If you are taking drugs like Tagamet (cimetidine), Zantac (ranitidine), Axid (nizatidine), Pepcid, (fanotidine) or Mylanta AR Acid Reducer (famotidine) and other acid blocker including some of the newer acid blockers on the market.

Another side effect is that they can intensify the blood alcohol level making it higher than normal, making one alcohol drink seem like two or three depending on the individual physical tolerance.

Proton-Pump Inhibitors

Prilosec (generic name, omeprazole): This is a much stronger type of Acid-Blocker but it cannot be sold over the counter without a prescription, in other words, it must be doctor recommended. Proton-pump Inhibitors actually stop the stomach from producing acid.

Its side effects include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, gas, constipation, reflux acid, and the development of cancerous tumors in the gut.
However, it does not stop there. Prilosec can cause fatal liver rot (necrosis), fatal pancreatitis, headache, back pain, hair loss, toxic epidermal necrolysis (a condition where your skin becomes red and scaly, then finally, painfully oozes and peels off), or it can stop the production of blood cells. Like Tagamet, Prilosec can severely distort or compromise the detoxification of other drugs.

However, Prilosec and similar drugs, which include Prevacid (lansoprazole), reach further into the workings of the cell to stop more normal function than other acid blockers. As proton-pump inhibitors, Prilosec-type drugs stop the stomach cells from producing acid altogether, curtailing normal stomach function.

Prilosec type drugs can also turn off other important stomach functions, which controls the absorption of B12 vitamin, which, in effect, can accelerate arteriosclerosis, depression, or fatigue to undiagnosable numbness, tingling and other nerve dysfunctions. If you happen to be a person with chronic disease, like diabetes or arteriosclerosis, you accelerate the side effects of that disease. Early aging, cataracts, painful neuropathy, even early death from heart attack, are only some of the side effects you may encounter. Why use these drugs when there are natural treatments for heartburn.

Research Findings

Another side effect from the use of artificial prevention of reflux acid is the reduction of the body's ability to absorb calcium efficiently. Imbalance of calcium in the body can lead to osteoporosis because of incorrect mineral bone density. UK research showed a 44% greater chance of breaking a hip, for sufferers over the age of 50 who had been using Proton-Pump Inhibitors for over a year, compared to acid reflux sufferers not using Proton-Pump Inhibitors. The types of Proton-Pump Inhibitors referred to included Medium, Prilosec, Cipher, Proton and Prefaced

Please remember that some of the many functions of the stomach acid include killing fungi, viruses, and bacteria also to provide a medium for initiating the absorption of minerals, digestion of food, and regulation of body pH, balance - functions we need to stay healthy.

In conclusion, there are too many ways to beat acid reflux naturally than to risk our good health with quick fixes.

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Stomach pain and heartburn were the first symptoms that I had that were the early signs of "poop out". Like many, I wanted a quick fix and went on a merry-go-round of PPIs. Sure, at first it helped with my heartburn but my pain never went away. After many months on them, I would start to see a lot of undigested pieces of food in my stools. Some of my vitamin levels were down (not at optimum levels). I also have been living with horrible nerve pain for the past 5 months and truly believe that it is due to both paxil w/d and the PPIs. I will probably never know for sure but I just have that funny feeling in my stomach (and it’s not heartburn!) that says that it is probably a mix of the two!

My advice to all of you suffering from heartburn / acid reflux is the following. Take a good, long look at your diet and look for trigger foods. Tomatoes, spices, caffeine, dairy, gluten, carbonated beverages, etc.. these are all items that could possibly be your worst enemy. Also, the North American diet consisting of 3 major meals a day is horrible for anyone with heartburn or acid reflux. 6 smaller meals a day is a must for those that suffer. No eating 2 hours before bed, raise the head of your mattress 4-5 inches, I could keep going on and on. However, there are many different ways to help this annoying and painful condition. They take patience and effort to implement and can be challenging at times. But these are reasons that many of us turned to SSRIs in the first place, as we all wanted a quick fix.

If you want to suggestions in how I changed my diet and what worked for me, send me a PM and I'll gladly share!

[Junior]

I take Pariet (a PPI) because I have a small hiatus hernia. I have taken it alongside Paxil for many years with no problems.

I agree with Since95 though, in that causes should be investigated before starting on a medication for heart burn.

[imokay]

hhmmmm I wish I had read this a few months ago when I started taking omeprazole..... thanks for the info since95! I just discovered that drinking pickle juice has worked FAR better than the omeprazole has and after reading the above post I will not be taking anymore omeprazole.

[imokay]

I spoke to soon. I was awake all night again last night with SEVERE stomach pain. I almost called 911 and went to the ER the pain was so bad. I just spoke to my gastro Dr and after I described the pain to him he said it sounds like my stomach was spasming and that is what the pain was from. I just took some dicylomine and I am waiting for that to kick in so I might have a chance of getting some sleep. He also told me to double up on the omeprazole but I am not going to do that after reading this post.

[Juwane]

Originally Posted by since95

My advice to all of you suffering from heartburn / acid reflux is the following. Take a good, long look at your diet and look for trigger foods. Tomatoes, spices, caffeine, dairy, gluten, carbonated beverages, etc.. these are all items that could possibly be your worst enemy.

Even though my heart burn is not severe, it is getting worse day by day. It is not going away on its own accord. The food that since95 has mentioned is what I eat everyday, and I have no choice except of eating all that. Tomatoes are always present inside canned foods. Carbonated beverages I like. Caffeine I must take since Paxil makes me very drowsy, and I am student.

So I must take a PPI (pranoprazole is what I am thinking of taking) before the problem gets severe. Not everyone suffers from the same side effects.


imokay, are you saying your stomach pain was caused by omeprazole? How long have you been taking it?

[eileen]

I've been taking Pantoloc which is the PPI that you mentioned. This is what it's called in Canada. I've been taking it a lot of years now for a hiatal hernia, which my shrink told me was from work stress. Could be but I'm now leaning towards the Paxil I was on. I seem to be okay on it but I do have some sharp pain in the side of my right leg from time to time that I think might be nerve pain.

I didn't take it one morning and I had the cursed reflux again. Having said all of that I had terrible stomach problems in withdrawal from Paxil and now at a year off, can eat just about anything again without any problem. I still get a lot of gas but at least it passes.
Eileen

[Songbird]

You could try ginger, or cider vinegar. Docs here seem to give out Losec like candy!

[LCrawford67]

Originally Posted by Juwane

Even though my heart burn is not severe, it is getting worse day by day. It is not going away on its own accord. The food that since95 has mentioned is what I eat everyday, and I have no choice except of eating all that. Tomatoes are always present inside canned foods. Carbonated beverages I like. Caffeine I must take since Paxil makes me very drowsy, and I am student.

So I must take a PPI (pranoprazole is what I am thinking of taking) before the problem gets severe. Not everyone suffers from the same side effects.


imokay, are you saying your stomach pain was caused by omeprazole? How long have you been taking it?

If your heartburn isn't that bad yet, why take a medication that may complicate things? Why not try other, natural methods first? The only time to take something like this, is when all else fails.

You've just started Paxil, which is more than likely the cause of your worsening heartburn, so now your adding another pill to counter the side effects of the first one. And so the cycle begins...

[Juwane]

Originally Posted by LCrawford67

You've just started Paxil, which is more than likely the cause of your worsening heartburn, so now your adding another pill to counter the side effects of the first one. And so the cycle begins...

I should have added that I'm going to start weaning next week.

[LCrawford67]

Then I wouldn't do anything, at this point. Try things like ginger and vinegar (dill pickle juice, actually) and other natural remedies.

There's no sense in adding another drug, if it's not necessary.

[Rachelina]

If you take a PPI, read all the drug info carefully! I took Protonix for a short time, and buried in the tiny-print info sheet were studies showing it causes cancer in rats. I told my doctor I was concerned about that since I have a family history of cancer, and he just shrugged as if to say, "Oh, you don't want a cancer-causing drug? Whatever," and gave me Pepcid instead. Also, he had told me I had to stay on the PPI forever, when the info sheet says it should only be taken for 8 weeks. I don't take anything now; doing the things in the article posted by since95 seems to have made the problem go away.

[since95]

One quick note when it comes to PPIs. Much like SSRIs, it is important to taper off these drugs, especially if you have been on them for a while. Many people experience horrible rebound heartburn when trying to come off. I had my MD write a compounding prescription for mine.

[eileen]

Originally Posted by since95

One quick note when it comes to PPIs. Much like SSRIs, it is important to taper off these drugs, especially if you have been on them for a while. Many people experience horrible rebound heartburn when trying to come off. I had my MD write a compounding prescription for mine.

Dan, you are so right. I was talking to one of my pharmacists and she told me to make sure that I weaned off it when I was ready to go off. This is something that I didn't know. She also told me that these are what they call maintenance drugs and not meant for long term. I'm too afraid to go off mine, having had stomach issues for so long. One thing at a time!
Eileen

[imokay]

I only take my omeprazole for a few days then I dont take it again for a few weeks. I took some dicylomine (anti spasmodic) last night and I actually got a full nights sleep. That is something that the Dr said I should take every nigh but I only take it once or twice a month.

[since95]

When you are good and ready Eileen let me know and I can give you some detailed tips on how to come off. Much like Paxil, a lot of people can't come off scott free at first but the uncomfortable period lasted much quicker!

[eileen]

Originally Posted by since95

When you are good and ready Eileen let me know and I can give you some detailed tips on how to come off. Much like Paxil, a lot of people can't come off scott free at first but the uncomfortable period lasted much quicker!

Thanks Dan, I'm starting my Ativan withdrawal in January, so it probably won't be for a while yet, unless of course, something happens. I have to do one thing at a time. Why, oh why do our doctors prescribe this stuff when they should know better.
Eileen