Dyspepsia Your doctor will be able to tell you if you Reduced dose - Your doctor may reduce the have a condition which requires you to take PPI to a lower dose or prescribe a different The main symptom of dyspepsia or a PPI long-term. medicine to keep your symptoms away. indigestion is pain or discomfort in the stomach. People taking medication which can cause Take the PPI only when needed - You may peptic (stomach) ulcers may also require be advised to take your PPI only when you Heartburn long-term treatment with a PPI. have symptoms. When the symptoms are relieved, normally after a few days, you Another symptom of dyspepsia is heartburn Starting your stop taking the PPI. (acid reflux). This is a burning feeling which Medication rises from the upper stomach or lower Stop PPI - You may be advised to use an chest towards the neck. To start with, you may antacid or alginate when you experience be given a prescription symptoms. If this fails to help, you should Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) for four weeks. If your discuss this with your doctor. PPIs (omeprazole, lansoprazole, symptoms continue If you have been taking a PPI for more than pantoprazole, esomeprazole, rabeprazole) then you may be prescribed another four eight weeks at a high dose, your doctor may can help to relieve the symptoms of weeks of treatment. advise taking a lower dose for a few weeks indigestion and heartburn; by reducing the Many people find that after this time, their before stopping completely. amount of acid which your stomach makes, symptoms are better. However, it is by lowering the acid level. common for symptoms to come back again, Stopping or reducing your PPI How long should you take a PPI for? sometimes after a number of months. Some people find that when they stop or reduce the dose of their PPI their symptoms This will depend on why you are taking it, as Long-term Management are worse than before. This can be a they can be used for a number of different After you have finished a course of PPI particular problem if you have taken a PPI conditions. treatment, you may have your treatment for a long time. This is because if you do People with certain conditions such as ‘stepped down’ to one of the following take a PPI for more than a few weeks, your severe oesphagitis, strictures, Barrett’s options: stomach will increase its ability to make oesophagus or Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, acid. need long-term PPI treatment. This means that for a while after you stop or Can I do anything to improve my reduce the dose of your PPI, the acid levels symptoms? in your stomach may be higher than before  Try to keep to a healthy weight. you started your treatment.  Avoid food and drink that make your symptoms worse for example, spicy or If you have symptoms when you stop your Proton Pump fatty foods, chocolate, coffee, cola drinks PPI or when the dose is reduced, ask your and orange juice. doctor or pharmacist for a type of Inhibitors (PPIs)  Avoid large or late meals and avoid medication (indigestion remedy) called an bending over or lying flat immediately antacid or alginate. after eating. An antacid or alginate can help until your  Eat meals at regular times. For the treatment of acid levels return to normal. For most  Avoid tight belts or restrictive clothing. people acid levels return to normal within  Avoid buying medications that could dyspepsia and one to two weeks. make your symptoms worse, such as heartburn What should I do if I develop problems? some types of painkillers. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist which You should see your doctor if your medications are safe to take. symptoms do not get any better, get worse,  If your symptoms are worse at night and or if you develop any of the following: disrupt your sleep, try raising the head of  Vomiting, especially if this contains your bed by 10-15cm or use a wedge blood or material that looks like coffee shaped pillow to raise your head. grounds;  If you drink more than two standard  Dark, sticky bowel movements; units of alcohol a day, think about  Unexplained weight loss; or reducing the amount you drink.  Chest pain, that gets worse with or  Stop Smoking: after exercise or chest pain that goes CAMQUIT: into your chin or left shoulder. This 0800 018 4304 may be a sign of a heart problem. PETERBOROUGH STOP SMOKING: 0800 376 5655