Hi everybody,
I've read about pepto-bismol but I don't really understand how it works. Is this a heavy drug? Is it dangerous? I am currently on litican 50 mg (4 times a day) and Nexiam (esomeprazole, 40 mg a day). Is pepto-bismol heavier than litican?
What were your experiences with pepto-bismol?
Thanks!!
Julie
pepto-bismol
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pepto-bismol
It doesn't matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up en go for it again. HOPE !!!!
Hi Julie,
I took 7 pills a day for 2 months and weaned off the last month and had no issues. Some people have gotten ringing in the ears or hearing issues which doctor advised me to get off if that should happen. Some of us react to some of the ingredients in it. It does have an aspirin-like chemical in it that helps reduce inflammation. It's supposed to coat the entire digestive track and is an absorbent as well. It is often used with patients who have ulcers along with antibiotics as it's known to kill bacteria. My MIL was just on that treatment. So it does quite a few things. My doctor told me it was a healing drug....but I honestly don't know whether I believe him or not. So sad. So people can develop a toxicity to it if taken in high dosages. I definitely wouldn't take more than 8 pills a day for an extended period of time. Tex informed me though that the body does purge the Bismuth if there are no liver issues and if not taken in very high dosages. So I'm cool with taking it every now and then if need be.
Some of us react to some of the inactive ingredients. I honestly thought I would have a problem with the Mannitol and Saccharin but I didn't have any issues. They do have the pills which probably don't have that in them....I just couldn't swallow them.
Overall I think it's a safe drug if you don't react to it. Imodium however, if probably the safest of all. I've known people who have been on that for many years with no issues.
I'm sorry but I don't know what Lithican is? But I do know that Nexium can trigger MC symptoms in some people. Pepto helps with heartburn as well.
Hope this helps. Unfortunately, we all react differently to meds. I hope you find one that works for you. My doctor told me know more Pepto after 8 weeks and to stick to Imodium if symptoms come back.
Terri
I took 7 pills a day for 2 months and weaned off the last month and had no issues. Some people have gotten ringing in the ears or hearing issues which doctor advised me to get off if that should happen. Some of us react to some of the ingredients in it. It does have an aspirin-like chemical in it that helps reduce inflammation. It's supposed to coat the entire digestive track and is an absorbent as well. It is often used with patients who have ulcers along with antibiotics as it's known to kill bacteria. My MIL was just on that treatment. So it does quite a few things. My doctor told me it was a healing drug....but I honestly don't know whether I believe him or not. So sad. So people can develop a toxicity to it if taken in high dosages. I definitely wouldn't take more than 8 pills a day for an extended period of time. Tex informed me though that the body does purge the Bismuth if there are no liver issues and if not taken in very high dosages. So I'm cool with taking it every now and then if need be.
Some of us react to some of the inactive ingredients. I honestly thought I would have a problem with the Mannitol and Saccharin but I didn't have any issues. They do have the pills which probably don't have that in them....I just couldn't swallow them.
Overall I think it's a safe drug if you don't react to it. Imodium however, if probably the safest of all. I've known people who have been on that for many years with no issues.
I'm sorry but I don't know what Lithican is? But I do know that Nexium can trigger MC symptoms in some people. Pepto helps with heartburn as well.
Hope this helps. Unfortunately, we all react differently to meds. I hope you find one that works for you. My doctor told me know more Pepto after 8 weeks and to stick to Imodium if symptoms come back.
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Julie,
I can understand why you are taking the Alizapride (Litican), if you are bothered by nausea/vomiting, but why are you taking a proton pump inhibitor (Nexium)? As Terri pointed out, anyone who knows anything about treating MC knows that proton pump inhibitors have a history of causing not only microscopic colitis, but also various other problems such as an increased risk of fractures, C. diff infections, etc. No one should take a proton pump inhibitor unless they have a very, very good reason. Proton pump inhibitors are prescribed to treat GERD, but if you take one for longer than a week or two, you have a relatively high risk of developing GERD, whether you originally had it or not.
Pepto-Bismol is simply bismuth subsalicylate with some added sweeteners and dyes. It is available all over the world without a prescription, to treat diarrhea. Compared to any prescription drug, Pepto-Bismol is a very safe drug.
Tex
I can understand why you are taking the Alizapride (Litican), if you are bothered by nausea/vomiting, but why are you taking a proton pump inhibitor (Nexium)? As Terri pointed out, anyone who knows anything about treating MC knows that proton pump inhibitors have a history of causing not only microscopic colitis, but also various other problems such as an increased risk of fractures, C. diff infections, etc. No one should take a proton pump inhibitor unless they have a very, very good reason. Proton pump inhibitors are prescribed to treat GERD, but if you take one for longer than a week or two, you have a relatively high risk of developing GERD, whether you originally had it or not.
Pepto-Bismol is simply bismuth subsalicylate with some added sweeteners and dyes. It is available all over the world without a prescription, to treat diarrhea. Compared to any prescription drug, Pepto-Bismol is a very safe drug.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi everybody,
to answer to your question Tex, my specialist made me take Nexiam because I have a hiatal hernia + chronic reflux since I was a baby. He started this up before we even diagnosed LC. Nexiam protects your stomach (I did one stomach inflammation after another without it because of the acid that comes from the reflux, now I haven't got that problem anymore).
The reason I asked about Pepto-Bismol is because I read that Nexiam can trigger a flare, and I don't want that. But if I don't take anything, I get stomach inflammations within a week. Is pepto-Bismol a drug that protects your stomach? Does it calm the chronic reflux down?
So, I don't have just LC, I also have a chronic reflux + hiatal hernia. And I'm looking for a drug that calms the reflux down without triggering a flare of LC.
Grts
Julie
to answer to your question Tex, my specialist made me take Nexiam because I have a hiatal hernia + chronic reflux since I was a baby. He started this up before we even diagnosed LC. Nexiam protects your stomach (I did one stomach inflammation after another without it because of the acid that comes from the reflux, now I haven't got that problem anymore).
The reason I asked about Pepto-Bismol is because I read that Nexiam can trigger a flare, and I don't want that. But if I don't take anything, I get stomach inflammations within a week. Is pepto-Bismol a drug that protects your stomach? Does it calm the chronic reflux down?
So, I don't have just LC, I also have a chronic reflux + hiatal hernia. And I'm looking for a drug that calms the reflux down without triggering a flare of LC.
Grts
Julie
It doesn't matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up en go for it again. HOPE !!!!
Hi Julie,
I have a hiatus hernia as well but it's very mild. But my doctor didn't want me on PPI's like Nexium as I have stomach polyps which he says the kind I have are caused by taking PPI's for a long period of time. (Though I've only taken Alka Seltzer.) He just told me to be on a low acid diet.
You may want to try the Pepto to see if it works to help your reflux/inflammation. It's supposed to coat and protect the stomach which is why it's used for ulcers until they have healed. Maybe you'll find that it works and you won't need it every day. It definitely helped with my acid reflux/heartburn the 3 months I took it, but again my hernia is very mild. You know it's tough in your situation because a hernia like that just doesn't go away as far as I know. So sometimes, IMO, meds would be needed.
You say you weren't diagnosed with LC until after you started taking Nexium? That makes me wonder if taking Nexium has triggered your LC after all.
Are you having any LC symptoms at all right now? That stomach inflammation actually sounds worse the the chronic D I was having.
I honestly don't know what doctors do for a Hiatus Hernia but it sounds like to me the Nexium is working wonders for you. It's just too bad that they are known to cause flares in some of us with MC.
Wouldn't hurt to try the Pepto.
Terri
I have a hiatus hernia as well but it's very mild. But my doctor didn't want me on PPI's like Nexium as I have stomach polyps which he says the kind I have are caused by taking PPI's for a long period of time. (Though I've only taken Alka Seltzer.) He just told me to be on a low acid diet.
You may want to try the Pepto to see if it works to help your reflux/inflammation. It's supposed to coat and protect the stomach which is why it's used for ulcers until they have healed. Maybe you'll find that it works and you won't need it every day. It definitely helped with my acid reflux/heartburn the 3 months I took it, but again my hernia is very mild. You know it's tough in your situation because a hernia like that just doesn't go away as far as I know. So sometimes, IMO, meds would be needed.
You say you weren't diagnosed with LC until after you started taking Nexium? That makes me wonder if taking Nexium has triggered your LC after all.
Are you having any LC symptoms at all right now? That stomach inflammation actually sounds worse the the chronic D I was having.
I honestly don't know what doctors do for a Hiatus Hernia but it sounds like to me the Nexium is working wonders for you. It's just too bad that they are known to cause flares in some of us with MC.
Wouldn't hurt to try the Pepto.
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Julie,
As Terri pointed out, the Nexium is very likely the reason why you have LC.
Pepto-Bismol does have certain antibiotic properties, and it coats the stomach and helps to prevent D, but I'm not sure that it will help to prevent reflux.
You probably would have been much better off if your doctor had originally prescribed an H2 blocker (antacid), such as Zantac, instead of the Nexium, but it's probably too late to do that now. If you have been on Nexium for years, then your body is dependent upon it, and weaning off it will be almost impossible, because if you try to wean off, your symptoms will become worse than they have ever been. Nexium causes the lower esophageal sphincter to slowly become weaker, and that makes reflux problems worse than ever, if you try to stop taking the drug. At this point, you may have no choice but to continue taking the Nexium, because it's not something that is easy to give up.
Tex
As Terri pointed out, the Nexium is very likely the reason why you have LC.
Pepto-Bismol does have certain antibiotic properties, and it coats the stomach and helps to prevent D, but I'm not sure that it will help to prevent reflux.
You probably would have been much better off if your doctor had originally prescribed an H2 blocker (antacid), such as Zantac, instead of the Nexium, but it's probably too late to do that now. If you have been on Nexium for years, then your body is dependent upon it, and weaning off it will be almost impossible, because if you try to wean off, your symptoms will become worse than they have ever been. Nexium causes the lower esophageal sphincter to slowly become weaker, and that makes reflux problems worse than ever, if you try to stop taking the drug. At this point, you may have no choice but to continue taking the Nexium, because it's not something that is easy to give up.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi everybody,
So, I basicly can't stop nexiam? How horrible is that. Can't I just take the Zantac instead of the Nexiam? Won't that control the symptoms I would have because I stopped the Nexiam? I can't believe that I'm taking a drug that was supposed to help me but gave me LC instead. I really want to get off it. If I take Zantac instead of Nexiam, maybe I won't feel sick?
I am so tired of dealing with ignorend specialists who give me drugs that make me feel worse. Isn't it strange that a lot of people on this forum know more then specialists do and that specialists continue to make such mistakes?
Grts
Julie
So, I basicly can't stop nexiam? How horrible is that. Can't I just take the Zantac instead of the Nexiam? Won't that control the symptoms I would have because I stopped the Nexiam? I can't believe that I'm taking a drug that was supposed to help me but gave me LC instead. I really want to get off it. If I take Zantac instead of Nexiam, maybe I won't feel sick?
I am so tired of dealing with ignorend specialists who give me drugs that make me feel worse. Isn't it strange that a lot of people on this forum know more then specialists do and that specialists continue to make such mistakes?
Grts
Julie
It doesn't matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up en go for it again. HOPE !!!!
I feel for you! I'm currently taking a med that I've been taking for years and years and getting off of it is pure hell so I stay on it. It's also known to sometimes trigger MC but I know that the beta blockers I was taking did me in. I will never take those again.
If you don't feel too bad getting off the Nexium, it wouldn't hurt to try the Zantac and see how it goes. Don't know if it would work as well as a PPI.
I had a friend who took Nexium for years and finally got tired of paying for it and had surgery done. Every time he tried to get off the Nexium the Acid reflux would come back with a vengeance. The surgery worked 100% for him and he's now med free but he definitely can't eat the way he used to. Though I'm sure he still drinks his beer.
Terri
If you don't feel too bad getting off the Nexium, it wouldn't hurt to try the Zantac and see how it goes. Don't know if it would work as well as a PPI.
I had a friend who took Nexium for years and finally got tired of paying for it and had surgery done. Every time he tried to get off the Nexium the Acid reflux would come back with a vengeance. The surgery worked 100% for him and he's now med free but he definitely can't eat the way he used to. Though I'm sure he still drinks his beer.
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Julie,
Yes, it's possible to stop taking a PPI if you substitute an H2 blocker for the Nexium. Research shows that patients who substitute an H2 blocker for a PPI are able to successfully switch in about 50 % of cases. Just stopping the PPI, though, or even slowly weaning off of it, is successful only about 15 % of the time, according to research. Here are some examples of H2 blockers that can be used: ranitidine, famotidine, nizatidine, or cimetidine. Those are the generic names of the drugs. I'm not sure what the names of brands that use them would be in Belgium, but you can look them up, or ask your pharmacist.
Here is an article on the Medscape website, by a doctor who discusses trying to stop taking a PPI:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/741721
You have to register to be able to read the article, but registration is free, and Medscape is an excellent reference for medical information, because it contains information written by doctors, to educate other doctors.
Lower dose H2 blockers are available in most countries without a prescription, but the higher dose versions require a prescription, so you may need to consult with your doctor if you need a higher dose than the over-the-counter H2 blockers offer.
Good luck if you try to make the switch.
Tex
Yes, it's possible to stop taking a PPI if you substitute an H2 blocker for the Nexium. Research shows that patients who substitute an H2 blocker for a PPI are able to successfully switch in about 50 % of cases. Just stopping the PPI, though, or even slowly weaning off of it, is successful only about 15 % of the time, according to research. Here are some examples of H2 blockers that can be used: ranitidine, famotidine, nizatidine, or cimetidine. Those are the generic names of the drugs. I'm not sure what the names of brands that use them would be in Belgium, but you can look them up, or ask your pharmacist.
Here is an article on the Medscape website, by a doctor who discusses trying to stop taking a PPI:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/741721
You have to register to be able to read the article, but registration is free, and Medscape is an excellent reference for medical information, because it contains information written by doctors, to educate other doctors.
Lower dose H2 blockers are available in most countries without a prescription, but the higher dose versions require a prescription, so you may need to consult with your doctor if you need a higher dose than the over-the-counter H2 blockers offer.
Good luck if you try to make the switch.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Gabes-Apg
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Julie
most of us on this forum have been (and some still are) trapped in the maze of uninformed doctors / meds to mask the symptom rather than treat the cause.
You can change the protocol, and as tex has suggested you can transition to a H2 blocker.
with any change in treatment protocol and in the case of rebuilding the adrenals, it will take time, patience, a bit of determination to do this - it is not impossible just hard work.
Vit D will help the gerd/hitatus hernia and the adrenals.
most of us on this forum have been (and some still are) trapped in the maze of uninformed doctors / meds to mask the symptom rather than treat the cause.
You can change the protocol, and as tex has suggested you can transition to a H2 blocker.
with any change in treatment protocol and in the case of rebuilding the adrenals, it will take time, patience, a bit of determination to do this - it is not impossible just hard work.
Vit D will help the gerd/hitatus hernia and the adrenals.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama