Prilosec + baking soda in pill form costs $14,000 for 90 day supply.

[Cattledog]

These are called "combo" drugs. In this case an over the counter drug Prilosec plus baking soda in one capsule.

WTF

ABC news story this evening.

[Doodley]

1. Old home remedies that cost very little, like baking soda, work. Drug companies want to

scam us by keeping that fact from us.

[CousinIT]

13. Baking soda is extremely high in sodium so be careful w/ that. n/t

[Hoyt]

2. I'd buy the generic Prilosec and bicarbonate. $25 a month, or so. Doubt they sell

much. Most insurance companies don’t cover junk like that.

[KT2000]

3. price gouging

in times of war and disaster is illegal. It should be for illnesses as well.

[kimbutgar]

4. I never take those pills and drink apple cider when I get heartburn

5-10 minutes later heartburn gone.

[mahina]

5. Wow

Sauerkraut works for me. Grandma said all those antacids don’t help. It’s not too much acid, it’s too little. Idk but works for us.

[emmaverybo]

6. Prilosec actually can heal lesions. It is true bicarbonate and cider can work and quickly. Just not

enough real medicine for those of us with serious GERD caused by hiatal hernias and at risk of Barrett’s esophagus (can be risk factor for cancer of esophagus) or who have been diagnosed with.

We have to be monitored by scoping and may have to take prescription Prilosec or other drugs the rest of our lives, despite side effects. Lifestyle changes can help and some are candidates for surgery.

I am happy though that Bragg’s or baking soda and some otc help in a pinch and for some are like a miracle for occasional bouts. I am very lucky that medicine discovered Prilosec.

Anyone having to live on tums, prescribe themselves prilo on a regular basis—if you have Med insurance, see a GE and get an endoscopy.

[safeinOhio]

8. That's me.

Had and have Barrett’s for 20 years. You are 100% correct.

[emmaverybo]

14. Well, gives me hope. My GE believed it can go into remission, and mine appeared to. Two scopes

BE free and this last one BE. Some Med professionals believe that some scopes just miss the BE and there is no “remission.” Anyhoo, if I stick to the omneprazole regime and a bit of OTC as allowed I am mostly not symptomatic, though with enough BE carpeting over the nerv3 endings one can feel no pain. I just stick to the screening schedule.

Good news is that a very low percentage, less than once thought, of BE folks progress to EC.

So we stay good, ok?

[safeinOhio]

16. During that time I've had

3 friends die from Esophageal Cancer. I get a scope and biopsy every 3 years.

[emmaverybo]

17. I am so sorry. My friend's death made me finally keep my first scope appointment, and now, like

you, every three years.

[htuttle]

7. BEWARE: Prilosec (omeprazole) gave me terrible joint pain after a few years

I've weaned off of it now, and the pain is subsiding, but it's a less-common side-effect to watch out for.

[Blue Owl]

9. Prilosuck

No thanks...

[Grasswire2]

10. prilosec is bad for you anyway

It's a proton pump inhibitor and only meant for very short term use. It can cause esophageal cancer.

[emmaverybo]

18. No study has shown any link between EC and Prilosec use. Although proton pump inhibitor use is

safest short-term, it is the best and safer option for some GERD sufferers, when life-style changes
alone do not completely relieve GERD, which is linked to EC, and the surgical option is quite radical. Not all GERD will respond to the surgery to tighten up the valves (as that not the cause in all cases) so then a far more extreme surgery must be undertaken.

There are definitely draw-backs to long-term use. The possibility that long-term use could mask
gastric cancer and other implications mentioned on this article:


https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/by_the_way_doctor_does_long-term_use_of_prilosec_cause_stomach_cancer

[crimycarny]

11. I buy from Canada

I have a condition that requires the amount of the drug in my blood levels to remain very consistent. Because of that, I've never trusted generics--the FDA allows 80% to 120% of active ingredient which is too much of a swing. I don't doubt that some (maybe even most) have anywhere close to that range anyway (read: "Bottle of Lies" by Katherine Eban.) The brand name for my drug is $998 a month in the US. I can get the brand name from an online Canadian Pharmacy for $123.62. Supposedly you are only allowed 90 days worth, but this is a gray area that isn't really cracked down on. I found a legit, certified online pharmacy and haven't experienced any issues so far.

Here in the US, there is an online pharmacy, Valisure, that chemically tests all the drugs it sells. This is the online pharmacy that sounded the alarm about NDMA being detected in Zantac. The company was founded by two guys from Yale after one of them suffered complications due to the wrong amount of active ingredient in his anti-convulsant medication. I haven't tried them yet, but if I'm no longer able to purchase my prescription from Canada I plan to try their chemically tested generic version. (They don't make the drugs, it's the same suppliers as all pharmacies, but they crush up and test all batches for accuracy and quality before selling).

Something needs to happen here in the US to make drugs more affordable, and generics aren't the answer due to quality concerns.

[TwilightZone]

12. The OTC version is cheap.

Here's 42 for $21:

https://www.amazon.com/Zegerid-Heartburn-Inhibitor-Omeprazole-Bicarbonate/dp/B0033AGVBG

It's a serious abuse of the system and intended to fleece insurance companies, because cash or copay consumers rarely (if ever) pay the full price. Consumers often wouldn't have any clue how much it's costing their insurance. Of course, it jacks up insurance rates.

Doctors get around the high price of the prescription version by specifically prescribing the generic (when available), suggesting the OTC (when available) or prescribing them separately.

[PADemD]

15. Avoid Foods With Carrageenan

That’s how I got rid of my GERD.

[ck4829]

19. Wow. K&R.