Okay, never started no health & wellness thread, the only reason I'm doing it is 'cause I have it in my head that tons of folks are on proton pump inhibitors since they are stacked yea high at the Costco, don't ya know.
And maybe everyone else has been there done that so this little miz can drop off the bottom of the BS shelf and I can go back to humiliating myself more or less in private.
I used the name of a real money making medicine that has saved me pain in the past, making it lower case doesn't change it. I'm trusting the forum gods to know if that is legally okay and to change it out to 'Antacids' or 'proton pump inhibitors' should it be req'd.

About ten years ago my doc prescribed something called protonix. It is a proton pump inhibitor. It shuts off the acid making cells that make the stomach contents, well, acid. I was up at nights with severe acid indigestion.

About eight years ago I shifted from prescription meds to prilosec and Costco's less expensive alternative omeprazole. I understand a high proportion of the population is on this stuff, which works like a charm, BUT:

It bothered me that the individual packages are for two week increments of the drug and the small print indicates you are not supposed to be on it indefinitely although the unwritten understanding is so many folks are (on it indefinitely).

It bothered me that the stomach has acid in it for a reason and the drug relieves one of pain by sustaining an unnatural condition in the body.

It bothered me that when I missed taking it for a couple of days, the re-onset of the symptoms were really painful, the sharp pains that resulted felt ANGRY. I don't get scared often but this felt scary.

It bothered me that missing doses and re-initiating doses could give me sharp chest pains.

Then I read on the web, which is full of useful often truthful information, that people could escape a lot of these symptoms without the drug, but by eating an apple or chewing almonds at the end of the last meal of the day.

I tried it with apples, and stopped cold turkey on the omeprazole/ prilosec.

Discomfort was minimal, I'm off the meds, and back to the original symptoms, which I'm going to try to live with.

I'm curious how many other folks are on this or have tried to wean themselves off, and as usual, the wise ones who scoped this long ago and have valuable experience to offer.