Why is my GERD not responding to medication?

One of the most common reasons that patients with GERD do not respond to PPI therapy is that they are not compliant with the medication. Several studies have shown that at the end of 1 month, only approximately 50% of patients are taking their PPIs appropriately.

What happens if GERD doesn’t go away?

GERD can also cause acid regurgitation when the acid from the stomach comes up through the esophagus and sometimes into the mouth. A few potential concerns that can result from untreated GERD or frequent heartburn are Barrett’s Esophagus and potentially a type of cancer called adenocarcinoma.

What is refractory GERD?

Patients with continued symptoms despite PPI treatment are considered to have refractory GERD, which is generally defined as the persistence of typical symptoms that do not respond to stable, twice-daily PPI dosing during at least 12 weeks of treatment.

Why would PPI not work?

Another reason that patients may not respond to PPI therapy is that they might be on too low of a dose; whether it is 20 mg of omeprazole or esomeprazole, some patients may need a higher dose once daily (ie, 40 mg of omeprazole or esomeprazole).

How long should I take PPI for GERD?

PPIs are commonly prescribed to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn and symptoms are generally well controlled after 60 days of PPI therapy, even when cases are more severe.

Can PPI make GERD worse?

If a PPI is stopped, people who have been taking it may find they have even worse acid reflux than before. This happens because the PPIs are good at shutting down acid production.

Does drinking water help with acid reflux?

Drinking water during the later stages of digestion can reduce acidity and GERD symptoms. Often, there are pockets of high acidity, between a pH or 1 and 2, just below the esophagus. By drinking tap or filtered water a little while after a meal, you can dilute the acid there, which can result in less heartburn.

Why is my acid reflux medication not working?

The reasoning behind this is because you don’t have the added advantage of gravity keeping the food and acid down in the stomach so this puts more pressure on the LES thus increasing the likelihood of acid reflux.

Can a disorder that is not GERD be treated?

This makes complete sense since a disorder that is not GERD, will not respond to medications designed to treat GERD. Unfortunately these problems tend to be diagnosed late, often after years of suffering during which time patients are mistakenly treated for presumed GERD.

Why are GERD symptoms not controlled by PPI drugs?

There are a series of disorders of the esophagus itself that can exactly mimic the symptoms caused by GERD. If you took the assessment, one of the reasons we classify people as a Stage 3 “GERD” patient is that their symptoms are not controlled by PPI drugs.

Are there any drugs that make acid reflux go away?

In fact, most people that I speak to tell me these drugs make absolutely no difference to their acid reflux or GERD and instead make them feel worse, which is no surprise as they are toxic to the body and there use is damaging vital internal organs. (Don’t believe me, look at the side effect listed.)