Is anyone on Protonix for GERD? Does it work for you and how long did it take?
I need advice so here goes. Back about 4-5 months ago I started having major irritation and congestion in my throat, & this horrible lump that wouldn’t go up or down. My regular doc thought it was allergy & gave me meds for that, but none of them worked. I finally went to an ENT, and he told me I had GERD & put me on Protonix. It’s been 7 weeks. I’m under 30, I don’t smoke, and I ate healthy before, but I went ahead and cut out all the trigger foods, chocolate, tomatoes, caffeine, etc, (now I only drink water) thinking surely I would start to feel better. ENT said the Protonix could take up to 3 months to work. My regular doc said it should only take 3-4 weeks. All this said, I don’t feel better. I get heartburn almost daily no matter what I eat, and my throat is constantly congested and irritated. I’m so sick of feeling this way! Did Protonix work for you, and how long did it take? Any other suggestions for relief? Thanks.
Filed under: Heartburn Questions
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I’ve been on it for years! My GERD attacks were nightly and severe. I was told, once you’re on it, you’re pretty much on it for life or until your doctor tells you to stop. Did your doctor suggest an endoscopy exam? If not, he should or you should ask about it. They can see just how bad your GERD has affected your esophagus. A reasonable substitute is Zantac 150mg. But it’s not as good as Protonix. You must get to know which foods cause your reflux and try to avoid them as often as possible. Also, sleeping in a propped up position helps tremendously. Try raising the head of your bed up 6 inches (use 2×4 blocks to achieve this). From one reflux sufferer to another, good luck!
Well, it should be working now. If it’s not you may need to go on something else in addition to the protonix or I’ve seen people on protonix twice a day, but that’s not usual. Reglan is an anti-nausea drug that helps keep things moving in the right direction, and that may help some in addition to protonix. Depending on what caused your GERD there may be surgical treatments that would help too.