Barrett's Support Forum: Lansoprazole after surgery

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   Hi Everyone,

My consultants detected Barretts Syndrome while looking for Coeliac Disease.  Then, far more by luck than good judgement, they bumbled upon the very early onset of cancer.  It was lurking beneath a tiny ulcer.

I was at the time taking 60mg of Lansoprazole a day.

Their  solution was radical replumbing, I now have 1/3 of my stomach living in my chest and look as if  I have met a distinctly cheesed off Ninja Warrior. :(

I am still on 60mg of Lanzopazole a day. There are warnings on the packet that say if you take one too many "Hie thee to an apothecary!" , or something similar.

My maths says that, viewed simply , 1/3 of a stomach needs one third of a dose.
A maintenance dose can be as low as 15mg.

So the bottom line could be a need for 5mg, Multiply that by 6, to allow for errors and my medical ignorance, and you get 30mg

I am taking 60mg, which taking the worst case scenario, is 12 times too much.

I am having a lot of trouble with what I think is malabsorbtion due to low stomach acid.
Pale interesting end products, fatigue, taste anomalies etc

Has anybody else been over prescribed? What were the symptoms?  What seems to be a typical dose?

Phil
Aged 69 and glad to still be here :)

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Phil Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Topic: Lansoprazole after surgery Posted: 15 Jul 2009 at 10:54pm
	Hi Everyone, My consultants detected Barretts Syndrome while looking for Coeliac Disease. Then, far more by luck than good judgement, they bumbled upon the very early onset of cancer. It was lurking beneath a tiny ulcer. I was at the time taking 60mg of Lansoprazole a day. Their solution was radical replumbing, I now have 1/3 of my stomach living in my chest and look as if I have met a distinctly cheesed off Ninja Warrior. :( I am still on 60mg of Lanzopazole a day. There are warnings on the packet that say if you take one too many "Hie thee to an apothecary!" , or something similar. My maths says that, viewed simply , 1/3 of a stomach needs one third of a dose. A maintenance dose can be as low as 15mg. So the bottom line could be a need for 5mg, Multiply that by 6, to allow for errors and my medical ignorance, and you get 30mg I am taking 60mg, which taking the worst case scenario, is 12 times too much. I am having a lot of trouble with what I think is malabsorbtion due to low stomach acid. Pale interesting end products, fatigue, taste anomalies etc Has anybody else been over prescribed? What were the symptoms? What seems to be a typical dose? Phil Aged 69 and glad to still be here :)
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chrisrob Admin Group Joined: 01 May 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2601	Posted: 16 Jul 2009 at 6:05pm
	Hi and welcome. Sorry to hear of your condition. Glad you've been "saved" (hallelujah!) and still have your sense of humour. You pose an interesting question, Phil, and one I am nowhere near qualified enough to answer. Do you actually need the lansoprazole any more? What happens if you don't take it? Or you could try cutting down to see what effects it has? I have written elsewhere on this forum my concerns of side effects of high doses of PPIs over a long time. But I think, if you are concerned, you need to discuss it with your pharmacist or GP and if he isn't sufficiently knowledgeable on the subject ask to be referred to specialist for advice. Chris
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Phil Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Posted: 16 Jul 2009 at 7:02pm
	Hi Chris, I've seen the Consultant and got a "Dr knows best!" response. But, putting it in terms that are easy to understand, If my Lansopazole dose was a tea bag designed to make a cup of tea of a specific size, then switching to an egg cup would make an awfully strong cup of tea! This gulf between Surgeons and Medical men is almost tribal, I'm going to raise it with the McMillan nurse next. What I'm looking for is somebody or bodies who has had problems with this drug but were ok after the dose was reduced. I've seen the GP, well a GP from a group of about 9, and wasted a fair amount of time with him before realising he had read the date of the operation wrong and thought it had happened last year. This coloured his view somewhat because he couldn't see why the problem had arisen so long afterwards. But he triggered a full blood test, so we'll see how that turns out. I've not approached the pharmacist, but it's a good idea and I'll do that tomorrow. As to needing Lansoprazole, it's an interesting point. I never had reflux that often but I've also got Ulcerative Colitis which causes bloating on a vast scale. This used to drive my stomach upwards and squash it,. Mega-reflux and hence Barretts! But eating is so different now, continual, and my stomach has climbed further up the rope out of the way.. I'm not sure I do need it. I'm going to halve the dose tomorrow and see how it goes. My body is sending pretty clear signs that it would like some more acid. I get through about a kilo of Acid Drops a week and have aquired the ability to eat peeled lemons. Vinegar or Brown Sauce have become part of meals instead of a garnish. Having knocked our medical services a fair bit, may I suggest that a statue of a District Nurse be erected in every town centre, they were great!! One was even called Gladys, :) Arkwriight would have been so happy.. Phil
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Phil Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Posted: 17 Jul 2009 at 6:02pm
	Hi all, and Chris in particular. I just checked with the Hospital Pharmacy that originally gave me the Lansoprazole. The original dose was 30mg! It had morphed, probably while I was in a different hospital, and become 60mg. I had queried this and was told by a GP face. "The Hospital knows best! Stick with their recommendation!" So for four months I have had a double dose. The "curative" dose was 30mg,. Almost everything I have read, including the manufacturer's notes said that a maintenance dose of 15mg should be introduced if things looked better after about 8 weeks. Thus, From September 2008 I was on 30mg instead of 15mg. From March 2009 I have been on 60mg instead of 15mg This doesn't take into account the reduction to 1/3 of the target zone, my stomach. I have now stopped taking them for two days. I have an appetite, my ankles are not swollen, I have saliva, I fancy food, my balance has improved., meat no longer seems like biting bits off a fibre optic Xmas tree, output has already swung towards normal colour. Haven't touched an Acid Drop all day. Tomorrow I will select the truly disinterested GP, from out of the bunch, and suggest that if he changes my prescription to 15mg capsules, I will go away and not bother him. :) Phil Edited by Phil - 17 Jul 2009 at 6:07pm
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chrisrob Admin Group Joined: 01 May 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2601	Posted: 17 Jul 2009 at 6:38pm
	Great news Phil, I reckon, if you don't need 'em don't take 'em: you don't know what the little blighters may be up to! Chris
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Phil Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Posted: 17 Jul 2009 at 9:35pm
	Hi Chris, I don't know where on the Forum to post this but you may be able to Cut/Paste what I am about to write. I intend it as a message of hope to you all. At some time you will all take a sneaky look at what happens if things don't go well. You will find few accurate figures for survivng the surgical cure or treatment. The figure for getting through the most likely surgery is often quoted as 9/10. It is an estimate and should be viewed as such. It varies with age, and how soon trouble has been detected. My surgeon, in his pre-op talk, said his success rate for the surgery was 99/100 . I was detected very early, but I am 69 years old. This is the figure for getting over the operation not getting permanently cured It is the biggest operation.going, major heart surgery comes second My advice is to get as fit as you can and eat only the best food you can afford. The right attitude and positive thinking may well help, but they don't come close to being at the absolute peak of health and fitness that you can achieve.. Good luck to you all and I hope it never happens Phil One for you Chris! http://www.guardian.co.uk:80/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/2009/jul/01/could-heartburn-drugs-cause-rebound-symptoms I Edited by Phil - 18 Jul 2009 at 5:30pm
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