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prilosec,nexium(Proton pump ihibitors) increase benzo in your body


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I read the actual medical documents, this is not just hearsay. prilosec,nexium (strong prilosec) and benzo's use the same enzyme in your liver (something like cy or ctp450). the benzo's don't get metabolized like they used to and then they hang around in the body, building up. it explains  what happened to me last year (zombie) on a number of occasions, and why after a few days keeping trying to take nexium then weaker prilosec, i felt very weird indeed.  the FDA now doesn't want you to take them more than 3 times a year cause they hang around too. this affected me with clonazepam. miserable nov/december till i figured it out. 

 

they include a little warning about "affecting other meds within 2 hours" and caution about valium, but it is constant and a benzo is a benzo generally. if you can get off it to zantac for your stomach thats better, i blame part of my mess on the drug combo.

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I've been on PPIs for as long as I was on benzos.  Can't help but wonder if the combo caused problems I didn't recognize.  At least now, there's just a PPI and no benzo.  I do sometimes worry about long term use of PPIs but can't lay down if I don't take it.  :-\
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I did have horrible acid reflux when I was in withdrawal. During my research of it I learned that many many people are misdiagnosed with acid reflux and prescribed the PPIs when in fact their issues are many times related to gallbladder problems.

It might be worth getting checked out.

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I did have horrible acid reflux when I was in withdrawal. During my research of it I learned that many many people are misdiagnosed with acid reflux and prescribed the PPIs when in fact their issues are many times related to gallbladder problems.

It might be worth getting checked out.

 

I'm not sure if this was directed at me but fyi my gall bladder was removed years ago.  My reflux is the real deal I'm afraid.  :(

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  • 4 weeks later...

Regaudio,

 

FINALLY!!! The post I have been waiting for.  I am on Clonazepam and Nexium(until recently) and have been trying desperately to firgure out what the problem is.  I know there's a Nexium connection in there somewhere with my situation. But I'm afraid I didn't quite understand what you were saying in your post -- could you explain again?  What do you mean when you say the Clonazepam doesn't metabolize and builds up -- does that mean it's not making it into my system to help me?

 

Here's my story, I had mild anxiety last April.  The doc put me on 3mg per day of  Clonazepam -- I now realize that was totally too much.  Later it went up to 4.5mg.  I later started having stomach problems.  My GI doc put me on 40mg Nexium in July. 

 

My anxiety was better, so my doc had me start tapering down off clon .25mg per week.  I was doing GREAT -- no withdrawal until I got down to 1.75 mg clon.  I went back up to 2.5, but it didn't help.  Something was holding up my progress.

 

Somehow, I finally realized that my Nexium was causing some of the problems -- jitters, anxiety, insomnia.  I tapered down off the Nexium, and finally stopped 10 days ago.  I am still having these terrible symptoms --sometimes I think they are getting worse.  I have heard some people say that withdrawaling from Nexium can cause the jitteriness, etc. -- not just being on the Nexium. 

 

 

I guess I can't figure out what's causing what now, and what I should do.  I can't tell what's making things better or worse.  I know that Nexium supposedly is not addictive, but maybe that's only when it's not combined wiith Clon.  -- I can't tell if I'm experiencing effects from recently quitting  Nexium  or if I've developed tolerance to clon at 2.5mg.  My doc wants me to increase clon to stabilize and then decrease more slowly.  He doesn't seem to believe there's a Nexium connection. I think there is. I thought I would start to feel better once I was off the Nex. --  I feel just as bad now (if not worse) as I did on the Nex.  Maybe I should give it more time -- if I thought that would help.

 

I don't know what's happening with these meds or what my next steps should be. 

 

twell

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Hi Twell,

 

From what you have said, I would say that it is the Klonopin causing you problems rather than the nexium.  If you can function without taking a PPI then that is great, but it does sound like you are suffering from tolerance withdrawal and the repercussions of a rather rapid taper.  Cutting .25mg a week is not generally a good idea, as it far exceeds the 10% cut recommended.  I think it would behoove you to try to stabilize at your current dose for at least 2 to 4 weeks, and then cut 10% of your dose every 7 to 14 days, depending on how you feel.  I tapered off of klonopin and was also prescribed nexium towards the end of my taper.  I am now 7 months benzo free and, despite still having to take nexium, I have noticed a HUGE improvement in my anxiety levels compared to when I was tapering and in tolerance - especially within the last 4 weeks.  Now I'm not saying that Nexium doesn't cause certain people side effects but from what you have posted, it really does seem to me that the problems is benzo related rather than anything else.

 

I hope that you feel more stable soon.

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Hi Twell.  You mentioned you tapered off Nexium about 10 days ago.  I tapered off Prilosec about two weeks ago.  I am off valium now for over a year but I'm wondering if you are still taking any acid blockers?  I am still taking zantac.  I have a separate thread in this section about my prilosec taper.  I'm now in the process of cutting my zantac dose in half and hope to be done with it by end of the month.  I've heard that the PPIs might cause a variety of s/x but I agree with Bevoir that a rapid taper off any benzo is the more likely culprit.  That being said, I do believe the PPI can exacerbate matters and may impact the absorption of the benzo. I don't recall the exact mechanism but the PPIs do intereact with benzodiazepenes, perhaps in the liver as mentioned at the top of this thread.  Regarding my reflux, I found that it has significantly been decreased by consuming less refined sugar and carbohydrates, smaller meals at dinner and no food several hours before bed.  For example, I'd have terrible reflux when I used to eat popcorn at night after a sizeable dinner/while watching a video.  Or if I'd snack on a bunch of chocolate cookies or other chocolate dessert after dinner.  Also, drinking at night and then eating too late at night like after going to a show is not a good idea for me either.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

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Vertigo,

I am not taking any acid blockers at all.  Once I tried to just stop  taking Nexium, but got a horrible rebound effect with tons of acid. 

 

So then I went back on then I just tapered VERY, VERY slowly and went to a really bland diet.  You're probably not supposed to do this, but I opened up the Nexium capsules and poured out a tiny amount, and then a little more the next day etc.  It worked great for me.  I also ate a very bland, high fiber diet -- oatmeal was my best friend.  A dietician told me that you want foods that don't stay in your stomach a long time -- thus, the high fiber.  I am very gradually adding more foods back into my diet as I feel I can.  And, I must admit that I sleep propped up (for now). But in my case, I believe part of my stomach problems come from the benzos, so expect to feel a little better once I'm off that.

 

I hope you feel better soon. :)

 

 

 

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Hi Twell.  Glad you were able to eliminate the PPI.  Long term use seems to have potential s/x.  I'm happy to be off prilosec but I'm still on zantac but I've cut that in half now so down to 75 (1/2 tablet) twice a day. Hopefully Monday I'll drop the morning dose and within a week or so, drop the evening dose as well.  My diet is not bland but I do eat a fair amount of fiber and pretty good amounts of protein, very little processed garbage anymore.  I've recently gotten back to eating oatmeal a few times a week.  I seem to do well with eggs so I eat about 10 eggs a week.  I'll be getting my cholesterol and bloodwork checked next month so we'll see how things turn out compared to last Fall.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

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Hi Twell.  You mentioned you tapered off Nexium about 10 days ago.  I tapered off Prilosec about two weeks ago.  I am off valium now for over a year but I'm wondering if you are still taking any acid blockers?  I am still taking zantac.  I have a separate thread in this section about my prilosec taper.  I'm now in the process of cutting my zantac dose in half and hope to be done with it by end of the month.  I've heard that the PPIs might cause a variety of s/x but I agree with Bevoir that a rapid taper off any benzo is the more likely culprit.  That being said, I do believe the PPI can exacerbate matters and may impact the absorption of the benzo. I don't recall the exact mechanism but the PPIs do intereact with benzodiazepenes, perhaps in the liver as mentioned at the top of this thread.  Regarding my reflux, I found that it has significantly been decreased by consuming less refined sugar and carbohydrates, smaller meals at dinner and no food several hours before bed.  For example, I'd have terrible reflux when I used to eat popcorn at night after a sizeable dinner/while watching a video.  Or if I'd snack on a bunch of chocolate cookies or other chocolate dessert after dinner.  Also, drinking at night and then eating too late at night like after going to a show is not a good idea for me either.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

I read the actual medical documents, this is not just hearsay. prilosec,nexium (strong prilosec) and benzo's use the same enzyme in your liver (something like cy or ctp450). the benzo's don't get metabolized like they used to and then they hang around in the body, building up. it explains  what happened to me last year (zombie) on a number of occasions, and why after a few days keeping trying to take nexium then weaker prilosec, i felt very weird indeed.  the FDA now doesn't want you to take them more than 3 times a year cause they hang around too. this affected me with clonazepam. miserable nov/december till i figured it out. 

 

they include a little warning about "affecting other meds within 2 hours" and caution about valium, but it is constant and a benzo is a benzo generally. if you can get off it to zantac for your stomach thats better, i blame part of my mess on the drug combo.

for what it's worth, i've been taking prilosec the entire time i've been on benzos and my entire taper..i can't really tell if here would be a difference or not...i know it didn't stop the mediacation from having an effect on me...i take my k at bedtime and my prilosec in the morning so maybe that helps... i have read  that you shouldn't take ppi with valuim, but i haven't heard warnings regarding other benzos

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  • 2 weeks later...

well here we go -how many people here have real reflux? lots it seems. I do, hiatus hernia, gerd, and its rotten making my w/d worse.

now on a low dose of nexium, 20mg, tried 40 but severe trots to the bathroom.

but at least no fresh clonazepam or valium at any high concentrations like last time which blew me away zoned out.

 

pdoc was monday, GI spec. is thursday

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well here we go -how many people here have real reflux? lots it seems. I do, hiatus hernia, gerd, and its rotten making my w/d worse.

now on a low dose of nexium, 20mg, tried 40 but severe trots to the bathroom.

but at least no fresh clonazepam or valium at any high concentrations like last time which blew me away zoned out.

 

pdoc was monday, GI spec. is thursday

 

I feel for you, regaudio! I have the same issues as you and it's awful, just horrid!  I'm on Nexium too, but I can tolerate 40mg.  Did you have reflux before benzos or is this something that sprang up during your taper?  My issues started towards the end of my taper, and having to endure two scopes whilst dealing with wicked withdrawal anxiety, on top of all the pain, is no fun at all.

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I had it probably as a result of chronic pain and muscle relaxants long before benzo w/d. the drugs i was taking for pain relaxed everything  a lot and i think  that had soemthing to do with it. backed off o 20mg tody after montezumas revenge form yesterday's increase until i see the gi guy. Its very annoying to say the least to be in w/d and gerd at this exact time.pdoc was yesterday gi is thurs.
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Regaudio,

 

I did well by eating foods that don't stay in your sytem very long -- oatmeal was my best friend.  I also ate more often and smaller portions.  Frot protein, I found I could tolerate nuts -- but not too many at once.

 

Hope you feel better.

 

 

 

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Regaudio,

 

I waited three weeks after beig off Nexium, so I could hopefully stabilze. But I finally had to give in and increase my dosage (the night before last). I still feel AWFUL, but maybe it takes a few days to notice a change.  I hope that's all it is.  Otherwise, it might mean I'm in tolerance and i don't know how you evern stabilize if you're in tolerance.

 

I mentioned the metabolizing interaction thing to a guy on another website -- and he called me a hypochodriac! Nice.  Not what I really need to hear right now.  These symptoms are real.  I'm really feeling overwhelmed.  I feel like I'll never get out from these awful clonazepam wd symptoms.

 

 

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I mentioned the metabolizing interaction thing to a guy on another website -- and he called me a hypochodriac! Nice.   Not what I really need to hear right now.   These symptoms are real.  I'm really feeling overwhelmed.  I feel like I'll never get out from these awful clonazepam wd symptoms.

 

All the name calling in the world can not change the fact that nexium and other PPI's interact and may interfere with absorption of certain minerals, calcium and benzodiazepenes.

 

Vertigo (no more)

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