Pantoprazole for GERD User Reviews (Page 5)

• Goo...
• November 11, 2013

"I have been on omeprazole/pepcid for 5 years and pantoprazole for a couple of months in the middle, if the symptoms became worse. I used to feel a little itchy on my hands 5 years ago when I took pantoprazole for a month. My doc had me switch to omeprazole regularly. After a year, my doc had me switch to pepcid regularly since omeprazole gave me acid rebound! So it became like, if the symptoms show up bad, I would start with pantoprazole for a couple of weeks and switch to omeprazole and finally switch to pepcid ongoing. But since a year ago, pepcid and omeprazole do not work! My doc had me take pantoprazole for the past 6 months regularly. It's perfect, it's working very well for me. No more sleepless nights! Surprisingly, no itching this time!"

• Edw...
• September 16, 2021

"I was given pantoprazole by a GI doctor for long-term use for difficulty swallowing, acid reflux, and GERD. I began taking the medication, and it helped some of my symptoms, however, I became very weak, lightheaded, like I was going to pass out, and felt as though I was dying. I took this medicine for 4 months, in which I lost 40 pounds, could barely get out of bed to walk to the bathroom or fix myself meals. The panic attacks and anxiety were so bad I couldn’t be around people or even drive. I consulted my doctor, in which he stated I must take the medicine for the rest of my life. I continued, and it only got worse. I then called again, and he switched my medication to Pepcid generic. I stopped taking the GI medicines altogether. I’m about 2 1/2 weeks after taking it, my side effects have gotten better, but I’m still not 100%. How long does it take to return to normal after this poison of a medicine?!!"

• lvb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2020

"I have taken it for mild reflux (which was discovered through gastroscopy, but produced no specific symptoms, however, it could be linked to throat problems and bloating). I've stopped taking it after 4 weeks because occasional stomach pains appeared and some old skin problems flared up. After another month, my reflux was becoming stronger than ever, with clear symptoms."

• tAn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 11, 2017

Pantoprazole "I have had acid reflux for 10 years. I've taken Nexium, it takes my reflux away. Now insurance will not pay, so now I have to take Protonix tabs 40 mg once per day. I get heartburn, heartburn so bad I have to take Tums 2 to 3 at a time. Just not happy. I must keep looking for better meds."

• DIM...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 21, 2022

"Was prescribed pantoprazole 9 years ago while pregnant. While this pill did eliminate my heartburn issues, it caused extreme fatigue, anxiety, depression, debilitating lightheadedness, muscle cramps, vitamin deficiency (D, iron, magnesium, and calcium specifically), and probably more issues that I'm unaware of. I've seen every doctor imaginable in the past 6 years: cardio, gastro, bariatric, ENT, ob-gyn, therapist, psych, regular GP, general surgeons, respiratory, sleep lab, you name it. Not one could tell me why I feel so awful all the time. Everything checks out medically, I have 0 issues besides needing to lose 40 lbs. I came across a thread on Reddit regarding anemia and PPI use, this opened up a giant rabbit hole for me. I started reading everything I could about this drug and didn't like what I saw. I stopped taking it cold turkey 4 weeks ago. I have never felt better. I finally feel like the old me again. I cannot believe this pill is what was causing my downfall for so long."

• gay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2016

"I was prescribed this medication because my insurance wasn't covering my previous medication, which worked just right for me. This medication does ease the stomach pain, but it gives me a nasty headache. The last headache that I had, which was contributed by this medication, lasted 5 days! Once I came to the realization that it was the Pantoprazole 40 mg, I stopped taking them, and the headache went away."

• Gol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 13, 2019

"I all of a sudden had terrible GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), much so that my whole throat felt like it was on fire, and I lost my voice. I was put on 40 mg of Protnix (by Urgent Care) for two weeks, once daily. By day three, I could hear terrible 'gut sounds,' and all of a sudden, my stool (it is embarrassing) smelled so bad that I was alarmed. Of course, I could not get into my Primary Care Doctor, so I just stayed on it. I have been off it for about two weeks. The GERD is basically gone, but every time I go to the bathroom, it still reeks. I can't go out and eat anything because I might have to go to the bathroom. Also gave me flatulence and a full feeling in the chest. I don't know what to do since my new Primary Care Doctor is almost impossible to get into. Be very careful before taking this drug! Has anyone had this happen, and if so, any holistic ways to get rid of the stool problem?"

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2022

"I got put on 20 mg twice a day for gastritis, which I don’t believe I had, no heartburn, just a slight pain after eating. Was on them for 4 months until I took myself off them 2 weeks ago. Had very slight anxiety beforehand, but wow! Started having really bad heart palpitations, severe panic attacks, pains in left arm, pains in left calf, left shoulder blade, really bad shooting chest pains, jaw pain (been to A&E loads of times thinking I was having a heart attack). They did ECG bloods, and everything is perfect. Feeling not myself, keep having dizzy spells if I’ve been standing up too long, got really bad health anxiety all because of this medication! Why the hell are doctors giving this with such bad effects on people! After being off them 2 weeks, I am still having the chest pains and jaw pain. Anxiety feels like it’s getting a lot better. So glad I came across this page, it makes me feel a lot better. Wondering now how long I’ll still have the effects of this medication?"

• mtn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2016

"I started taking pantoprazole 6 days ago as my insurance company would not let me continue taking esomeprazole because it was not on the 'formulary.' I had to be able to prove that other meds for the GERD were either not effective or caused too many side effects. At first, the pantoprazole seemed to work. Then last night, I began having severe reflux and heartburn that were not relieved by the usual treatments I have used when I was on omeprazole, before I started taking Nexium (esomeprazole). I was awake all night, unable to find any way of relieving the heartburn and reflux. This morning, I developed severe stomach pain, which also was not relieved by any other home treatments. I refuse to ever take this drug again!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 20, 2015

"Over three years ago, I went to the doctor because I was getting severely ill every morning. The doctor diagnosed me with GERD and prescribed this for me. It worked great, and I never had any symptoms unless I forgot to take it. Now, three years later, it seems to have stopped working for me. I'm back to getting ill every morning with stomach pains. I gave it a 7 out of 10 for this reason. It worked great for me for so long, but now my doctors are trying to find another solution."

• Kri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 21, 2019

"I have been taking 40 mg of Protonix daily for the last 3 years for GERD. I also have severe asthma, and acid reflux is one of the main contributing factors for my asthma attacks and lung infections. I have an extreme reduction in symptoms using Protonix. I do not have any side effects. I do occasionally have reflux, and I will have to use Tums or something, but I'm certain this is attributed to my diet. So I have to know if I'm going to play, I'm probably going to pay (pizza, jalapeños, etc.)."

• Dis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2016

"I've been on Protonix for 2 weeks and feel awful. I have high-pitched ringing in my ears, headaches, a lot of fatigue, and constantly feel like there is a lump in my throat that is very uncomfortable. I just feel beat up and wiped out! Saw Dr., but she found nothing. Didn't look down throat very well, though. Hate not knowing if it's Protonix, but worried about stopping it to see."

• Ren...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2021

Pantoprazole "Prescribed Protonix by my doctor, and after a week and a half, I had to stop. Almost immediately, anything I ate gave me heartburn (I didn't have frequent heartburn before), headaches every morning, extreme nausea, so much that I had no appetite, foggy brain, joint pain in my hands/wrists, abdominal pain, and depression/anxiety. I wish I would have done my research and asked more questions. I'm on day 2 after stopping, and I feel slightly better. I'm going to try a cleaned-up diet and not eating so late. Let us hope it works."

• Anonymous
• September 28, 2009

Pantoprazole "I've had years of GERD without any food triggers and daily heartburn. Protonix was a dream! It is, however, very expensive. My insurance had it on its drug list and dropped it this year. A 30-day supply is $120! I've had to switch to Nexium."

• VA1...
• December 1, 2019

"I started medication when omeprazole quit working. I had to take Gaviscon daily. A friend said his doc had put him on pantoprazole and he was having good luck. I asked my PCP, and he said I could try it. First day, I experienced extreme intestinal cramping shortly after taking it. By the time I got home, I spent considerable time in the bathroom with diarrhea. It subsided several hours later; it left my stomach 'tender.' Not thinking the two were related, I took another one the next morning. By the time I got to work, I had to run to the bathroom-same issues. Day 3, no intestinal issues; however, I broke out in hives all over my body (so I took 2 Zyrtec and 2 Pepcid, which relieved the itching). Day 4, I tried again-this time, MASSIVE headache and hives. I did the 2 Zyrtec and 2 Pepcid and IB800, and the hives and headaches went away. On day 4, I decided to review the side effects-all of my side effects fall under 'rare occurrences.' I stopped taking it, and the symptoms have subsided."

• Ric...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2017

"I went in to the doctor for acid reflux, and he prescribed me Protonix, and after two days, it helped, but shortly after that, I started getting worse acid reflux, along with very uncomfortable chest pains and a ton of anxiety, thinking I was having a heart attack-so bad that I had to take a stress test and EKG to rule out any heart problems. In addition to quitting the drug, I had stomach pain, headaches, and ringing in the ears. However, I did stop cold turkey, but I was only on it for a short time. I'm a 39-year-old male in decent shape. I would not recommend this to anyone I know. I'm sure this medication works great for some people, but definitely not for me."

• Cat...
• February 8, 2018

"I just stopped taking Panteloc (40 mg daily) about 2 months ago, and I think I have discovered that it was the reason I was getting migraines 4 times a week for the last 20 years. I have not been able to work because of these migraines ruining my life for so long. I am relieved to have found this out. Since I have stopped, my heartburn has been almost unbearable, but my migraines were worse, so to help the GERD, I will just have to be certain to avoid citrus, tomato, chocolate, and coffee... and eating a few hours before bedtime. Please let others who have migraines know about this. It might save them their jobs and a lifetime of misery."

• pan...
• August 14, 2023

"Well, since I took this medicine, my symptoms I get are bloating, increased hunger, weight loss, just really feeling worse than I did before I took this medication. I don’t recommend it, and I think it should be pulled off the shelf. The gas pains are horrible, and the bloating for some reason, all in my left side, and I feel so nauseous too. So I will stick to Pepsid one a day, I’d rather have a little heartburn than to feel like crap."

• Air...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2018

"Took Protonix for about a week and had terrible side effects. The burning in my chest was excruciating, even when drinking water. Also, my chest hurt and my muscles felt very sore. I was miserable. I switched to Nexium and symptoms improved within 4 days. Never taking that drug again."

• Anonymous
• September 17, 2008

Pantoprazole "Having suffered severe gastroesophageal reflux disease for many years, I have tried many remedies. Protonix gave me much-needed relief. Later, we also added 10 mg of Reglan at bedtime, followed by 1 oz of Gavison an hour later for extra protection. It's been 2 years since I had a severe attack and the overall reflux/acid has disappeared."

• Han...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 16, 2019

"Would only last about 10-12 hours and still experienced acid creeping up my throat at night and difficulty swallowing, especially rice. Switched to generic Prilosec, so much better. Quells all symptoms and lasts a full 24 hours."

• Alm...
• March 29, 2022

"I think doctors have to screen their patients better before giving them pantoprazole or any other of the PPI inhibitors. The first time I took pantoprazole, I felt terrible with feeling out of it, dizzy, and chest pains, and a general feeling like I was going to die. Went off it right away, another year went by, and the doctor said to go back on it as my GERD was acting up. So I tried it again and had the same symptoms, and I told my doctor, and then he prescribed Dexilant, and again, I had terrible severe reactions to it, like I could not breathe and feeling dizzy and high anxiety. Went to the hospital, and the doctor there said maybe I am allergic to magnesium and said to take pantoprazole NA with sodium instead of magnesium in it. Well, I took one of those the next day, and they are time-released, and every 20 minutes or so, I would get a terrible metal/chemical taste in my mouth, and then dizzy and left arm feeling funny and more anxiety and headache and pains in my stomach, and that kept building and getting worse."

• nat...
• May 31, 2017

"With horrible acid reflux, I have been on this medicine for years. In the very beginning, for a short year or two, it seemed to help quite a bit, but then afterward, it really didn't do anything. Then when I reached the 5th year, it seemed to do more harm than good. My acid reflux problem was worsening, let alone all the side effects I encountered. So one day, I decided to drop it completely, and since then, my acid reflux actually got better. So this medicine, like many conventional medicines, is just for a quick short-term fix."

• flo...
• February 26, 2013

"Overall, an exceptional medicine with perfect symptom control UNTIL I received the generic put out by a manufacturer in INDIA. Symptoms returned immediately, and pharmacy replaced the remaining pills immediately on reporting my experience."

• Tea...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 9, 2018

"I have taken Protonix 40 mg for acid reflux for years, and it worked wonders; I did not have to take it each day (long term), but whenever I had issues with swallowing (dysphagia), heartburn, acid reflux, feeling that something is stuck in my throat, esophagitis, etc., I would ask for this medication, and it provided instant relief. Other PPI medications did not work well for me. Hopefully, I will be totally relieved from any symptoms in their entirety. Good luck, all."