I Am Taking a Reflux Medication & My Symptoms are Not Improving!

On an almost daily basis, I get an email from somebody with the same exact question or near-variation:

"Dear Dr. Chang,  

I have been taking a [insert reflux medication] for [insert number] weeks and I see no improvement in my [insert symptom]. What should I do?"

The reflux medication typically mentioned include nexium, dexilant, prilosec, prevacid, protonix, or some other proton pump inhibitor.

The most common symptoms typically mentioned include:

• Globus

• Phlegmy throat

• Throat clearing

• Cough

What Should You Do?

Well, assuming you never have taken a reflux medication in the past, proton pump inhibitors work extremely well in suppressing acid; even at low dosages.

As such, if you indeed have been taking a proton pump inhibitor for at least 3 weeks and see no improvement in symptoms, one must consider the possibility that acid reflux may not be the problem.

I rarely if ever just increase the dosage of a reflux medication in somebody who previously was never on one. Increasing the medication dosage MIGHT be considered only if somebody has already been on reflux medication for some time baseline.

So if acid reflux is not the problem, what may be causing above-mentioned symptoms?

There could be an anatomic problem...

• Zenker's diverticulum

• Cricopharyngeal spasms/hypertrophy

• Esophageal dysmotility

• Esophageal web or stricture

etc

Essentially, there's something wrong with your swallowing tube such that things back up into the throat causing symptoms. Think of it like a clogged sink... the pipe (esophagus) has a physical issue that causes water to backup into the sink (throat).

Workup to evaluate these possibilities include trans-nasal endoscopy, EGD, barium swallow, and/or manometry.

It could still be a reflux problem...

Just maybe, it's NOT acid reflux however, but mucus or non-acid reflux. Standard reflux medications do not work for non-acid reflux. The best way to evaluate this possibility is to undergo a 24 hour multichannel pH and impedance testing. Of note, BRAVO or pH monitoring alone is NOT good enough. Impedance must be measured as well as having sensors near the throat level.

In the meantime, one could also try avoiding eating anything that contains dairy, egg, and wheat (flour). These foods are considered highly mucogenic (most people can relate to the fact that when drinking too much milk, the mouth and throat can get phlegmy).

Is it allergy?

Post-nasal drainage can sometimes lead to throat symptoms. If you do have some sino-nasal allergies, try taking a steroid nasal spray and an anti-histamine nasal spray. Oral medications typically do not work as well.

There's also a condition known a eosinophilic esophagitis that can cause throat symptoms. The only way to diagnose this condition is an upper endoscopy (EGD) with biopsies of the esophageal lining.

Summary

Now this article just scratches the surface in FULLY addressing an individual patient's throat symptoms. After all, not everybody is exactly the same. For a more in-depth evaluation and individualized treatment of YOUR throat issues, please make an appointment with your ENT.

Here are some related articles that may be helpful:

• Globus

• Phlegmy throat

• Throat clearing

• Cough

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Reflux Medication Addiction

When a patient suffers from reflux, there is an astounding array of very effective medications to induce acid suppression for symptom relief.

Chief among the reflux medications are the proton pump inhibitors that include medications like prilosec, nexium, protonix, prevacid, dexilant, etc.

When such medications are taken by a patient, especially one who does not normally take proton pump inhibitors, effective acid suppression occurs. It works EXTREMELY well; even at low doses.

However, such medications should not be taken any longer than necessary and should be prescribed along with lifestyle changes to minimize persistence and/or recurrence.

Why?

In some ways, a patient suffering from reflux may become "addicted" to the reflux medication for continued symptom relief.

In other words, the reflux medication can induce the stomach to produce even more acid leading to the need for continued medical therapy... or increase dosages for continued symptom relief. Stopping the medication can cause even worse reflux... which leads the patient to resume the medication.

This "addiction"can occur in as little as 8 weeks in up to 40% of normal, healthy individuals. [link]

What happens?

The way proton pump inhibitors work is by blocking protein channels known as proton pumps in stomach cells (B) from producing acid (C).

The stomach cells realizing their proton pumps are being blocked, start revving up production of even MORE proton pump channels to fix its acid shortage which would in turn increase acid production and potentially lead to symptoms.

Sounds like a vicious cycle... because it is.

Although this "addiction" which is really an acid rebound phenomenon, is typically associated with proton pump inhibitors, it can also happen with H2-blockers (zantac, pepcid, etc), though not as severe.

Should you experience acid rebound after stopping a reflux medication, the unusually vigorous acid production and associated symptoms (the "withdrawal") go away if you can stand to wait it out. Since it takes time for the stomach to re-adjust, this wait can be significant:

• After stopping an H2-blocker, rebound symptoms usually start within two days and usually subside within 10 days.
• After stopping a proton pump inhibitor, rebound symptoms usually start after a week and continue for up to two months.

One can also slowly "taper" down the dosage of reflux medication and address any acid symptoms with an antacid.

Now, in certain circumstances, it is imperative that reflux medications be taken for months if not longer because the benefits outweigh the risks (gastric ulcer, Barrett's esophagus, vocal cord granuloma, etc). There is a specific reason for long-term treatment.

But if treatment is solely due to symptom relief alone, such medications should not be used daily indefinitely.

Talk to your doctor if you have concerns.


References:
Proton-pump inhibitor therapy induces acid-related symptoms in healthy volunteers after withdrawal of therapy. Gastroenterology. 2009;137:80-87. Epub 2009 Apr 10.

Rebound hypersecretion after omeprazole and its relation to on-treatment acid suppression and Helicobacter pylori status. Gastroenterology. 1999;116:239-247.

Systematic review: rebound acid hypersecretion after therapy with proton pump inhibitors. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007;25:39-46.

Results of an intervention in an academic Internal Medicine Clinic to continue, step-down, or discontinue proton pump inhibitor therapy related to a Tennessee Medicaid formulary change. J Manag Care Pharm. 2009;15:344-350.

Safety of the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors. World J Gastroenterol. 2010;16:2323-2330.

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