Aciphex symptoms and conditions

ALERT!!!

If you have been having any one of these side effects, then AcipHex may be causing nerve damage.

-- tingling or numb hands or feet
-- confusion / "fuzzy head"
-- ringing in the ears
-- vision changes
-- anxiety
-- depression
-- apathy
-- fatigue

It may be serious. In my case it certainly is. I can barely use my hands. Why it happens:

AcipHex cuts down on stomach acid. Sometimes it cuts down too MUCH acid. In that case, you are unable to break down animal products enough to absorb vitamin B12 from it. Without vitamin B12, your nerve sheathing erodes. My advice would be to stop AcipHex and get a good vitamin B12 supplement (sublingual -- the type that dissolves underneath your tongue, and at least 1000 mcg). I would also advise to get the book -- Could It Be B12? By RN Sally Pacholock. Before starting supplements, insist on a urinary MMA test. It is the only B-12 test that does not give false positives or negatives often.

This book has literally saved my life.

I had to stop taking AciPhex because of side effects such as sleeplessness and heartburn. Sleeplessness normally causes heartburn too. So that would only make matters worse. Every afternoon I would get heartburn. Duh.
I think FDA have put their IQ on mortgage to approve medications such as this.

10 days ago, my doctor switched me from Aciphex to Nexium. Within 30 hours, I was having severe nausea, painful acidic diarrhea, major abdominal cramping, headaches, muscle pain, and such severe reflux that I have gone through about half a bottle of liquid Maalox. I am not taking even 1 more of this pill.

Be very careful if you start this med.

i have had problems with acid reflux for approx 5 years now and have tried everything pretty much. i first went for tests and they did the one where you swallow the liquid metal stuff (barium?) and then a endoscopy. my regular doctor said i had a slight hiatal hernia after the barium test and after the endoscopy my stomach dr said i had acid reflux and didn't have a hernia so he started me off with nexium which worked good for a while but i began to have side effects . i would just feel not right mentally cloudy all day, extremely dizzy.after that it seemed like every drug he put me on (prilosec,aciphex,prevacid) seemed to have the same results. so i decided to see if i stopped completely if these feelings would go away and sure enough they did but the acid was soon to follow. i started taking zantac 150's and they worked but now i feel like i cant sleep at night and sure enough thats one of the side effects. i also read not to drink alcohol when using these drugs. so now i pretty much sit here not knowing what move to make next

Have been taking Zantac for about a week. 300 mg at bedtime along with Aciphex, 20 mg in the morning. I've been on Aciphex for several years.
These are all for GERD.

I have been taking Yaz for about 6 months. I am astounded at this website. I never even thought that the symptoms I have been feeling could be attributed to my BC. I am 38 and overweight. BC is a necessity for me and I changed to YAZ for headaches. At first, the headaches were better, but now I am having them quite frequently. I am also having mood swings and anxiety about things that normally wouldn't bother me. Added to the fact that I have been diagnosed with acid reflux and take Zantac and Aciphex, I am beginning to wonder. I am going to call my gyno tomorrow and see if I can make a change over the phone. I doubt it, but maybe. Thanks for all of your posts. K

Hello! My name is Lisa and I had a HORRIBLE experience with Yaz. I took Yaz for 2 months after 3 months of Seasonique. I had switched because Seasonique made me extremely moody (all of a sudden I hated everyone on the planet). My OB gave me a few months worth of Yaz. Within weeks I noticed a strong stomach pain. I contacted my OB and he thought I just had a stomach virus. This pain continued on for several more weeks. I called my OB again and he just said, "The pill doesn't do that." I got a second opinion from another OB and he also agreed.... "The pill doesn't do that." Then out of desperation I made an appt with my Fam doctor and he diagnosed me with Gastritis.... said that he thought my diet was the cause of my pain. Uh, let me mention this.... this stomach pain is so severe you literally CAN'T eat anything cause if you do, 5 mins later you will be in SEVERE pain. To get a better picture of this pain just think of glass shards piercing through your stomach walls (I thought just maybe I was getting an ulcer). My Fam doctor gave me a months worth of Aciphex (which never never never helped at all) and I also saw him twice more in that month (which was my 2nd month of Yaz). He got so frustrated with me... it was Gastritis and if I wanted it to go away I had to be willing to make changes in my diet (I still was not eating and was losing weight) and also be patient enough for the Aciphex to take effect. Finally, out of frustration I quit Yaz. Within weeks my stomach pain was completely gone.
Let me say this to all women reading this. I don't care what your OB says.
There is no need to tolerate any pain from a medication.... especially when there are other options out there. To have a doc tell you to "wait it out for a few months" is ridiculous. To not be able to eat for days or even weeks is dangerous to your health. I eventually googled Yaz + Side Effects and found that the severe stomach pain I was having was a possible side effect and it even instructs you to tell your physician if you experience such pain. Why is it I opted to tell not 1 but 3 docs this and no-one would listen??????? Personally I would like to see all 3 docs lose their jobs because they should have known this.
Ladies, tell anyone you know about this pill. Get the WORD out about this pill. I frequently go on Yahoo Answers and girls are always asking advice on birth control pills and I jump at every chance to spread the word. Let's get this pill OFF OF THE MARKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, I found this site looking for answers to why I have ED. I have had a little problem with it for years but now it's major. I am seeing a urologist about it on 04/18/08. I wanted to see if medications I am currently taken were the cause. My BP was going up into the high 130's and I was concerned about it. So my doc put me on 5 mg of Lisinopril daily to bring the BP down. It's now less about 116/86 which is great but I have the ED problem. I also take 10mg Aciphex for acid reflux and 10mg Singulair for allergies & asthma. I am happy with the blood pressure reduction but really unhappy with the ED. I really do not have any other side effects with Lisinopril that I know of. I am wondering if I should wean myself off it. I do not want to have this ED problem for so long that it develops into permanent problem which I read can and does happen. Any comments?

my symptoms were with Prevacid, I believe that these drugs all have the same dangerous side effect. It started with extreme weakness, numbness and pins and needles in my legs and arm. Now after 9 weeks of stopping the Prevacid I feel shaky and tremors. I take b-12 injections because it seemed to have depleted me of my normal b-12 levels. I am hoping this is the problem and will improve . until than my doctor has me going to a neurologist to assure it is nothing else . mri of brain is normal and thyroid is normal. HOW LONG UNTIL THESE SYMPTOMS SUBSIDE , PLEASE TELL ME THEY WILL GO AWAY.

I was on Prilosec for 3 days, then switched to Aciphex for one day. Within hours after starting the medication, I was extremely drowsy, dizzy, and just "out of it." I also have dry mouth and facial numbness. The side effects are pretty incapacitating, and the most distressing thing is that I stopped the meds 5 days ago, yet the symptoms persist. My doctor has run a series of tests to rule out other problems, and agrees this may be a bad reaction to Prilosec. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this, and if so, how long until the side effects went away?

I was having terrible heartburn and would start vomiting this acid stuff from my stomach in my sleep. It was awful...actually coming up my nose as well. My doc gave me prilosec and after about 10 days my face was so swollen I couldn't even open my eyes. Now my doc gave me about 30 days samples of aciphex and I am having severe prickly feelings in my legs and arms. I still don't have a diagnosis for my problem....guess it's GERD or something. This has been six months for me and I am just at a loss what to do. For now I think the prickly feeling is better than choking half to death in my sleep.

I too have been taking Aciphex for acid reflux for about three weeks and although it seems to have helped with the burning and nausea, I have just recently (four days ago) been experiencing a slew of symptoms. They include headache, blurred vision in my left eye, facial numbness, both forearms numbness, leg (knee down) numbness, and tingling sensation in head. I went to the ER yesterday due to the left arm and left side facial numbness. They ruled out heart attack, blod clot, stroke, bleeding in brain, and brain tumor via a CT scan and a host of other neurological examinations. Doctors have suggested an MRI to rule out something else neurological (MS, neurofibromatosis, etc.) that a CT scan might not pick up. Also, will do a neck MRI to rule out a bulging disc or pinched nerve. I am hoping that it is just the Aciphex.

I started on the Acphex a couple of weeks ago and have experienced itching or prickling sensation all over my body especially my scalp and legs, on the legs I have a rash that started on the calves and is now working its way up to my thighs and buttocks the rash started out as red bumps but it dry's up and starts flaking off it looks horrible and is getting worse by the day. I am going to stop taking it to see if the symptoms clear up. Also some constipation and my athsma symptoms seem worse.

Been on Aciphex about 3 months I have daily tingling feeling throughout my spine.

I have only been on Aciphex for 1 day, and I have tingling/burning in my arms and hands! My stomach feels great, I can actually eat without curling up into a ball on the floor in pain, but I don't like this tinging, almost funny bone, feeling.

About three or four weeks into the aciphex, i started getting strange tingly almost numbness sensations in my arms, elbows, face, around the mouth/jaw, back of the head/scalp, sometimes it feels very "whole body"ish. It feels like i'm being pricked with something with electrical current and getting a shock. It's very strange and quite worrisome! Searching the net it sounds like this is a possible side effect of the aciphex. I hope that's all it is, but I will ask my doctor if there are any other possible causes we should rule out. At this point if it turns out to be a side effect and it doesn't go away (it's been 4 days now), I'm not sure if i'd decide to stay on the aciphex or try something different. It helps the reflux but doesn't solve it.

About 2 years ago, I stopped Aciphex because I was getting muscle pains and ocasional pins and needles. I went Pepcid AC. About 6 months ago I decided to give Aciphex another try, feeling that maybe it wasn't causing those symptoms. Now, I've started getting ocasional pins and needles again, only worse than last time--so now I'm back on Pepcid. I hope the pins and needles go away.

tingling and prickly feeling - have been taking it for years..this is new development.. have had neuorological tests..negative.
Any input?

I have been on prevacid 30mg 2x for 8 months it help me quite a bit, but I'm still not 100% better. I tried all the other such a Nexuim didn't work at all, Aciphex made me feel like I was choking & protonics gave me horrible headaches.

the only mild side effect I have experience with Prevacid is rosey cheeks & and dry skin patches on one of my arms and both legs.

I've been reading tons of articles on apple cider vinger. It's suposed to work. better then any of the meds listed above, with no side effect,also a close friend of mine is a certified nutritionist and swears by it.

I'm 45 (male) and never had asthma until a year ago-- it came on after a severe bout with bronchitis. The doc gave me Prednisone for a week, I also took Advair, Flonase, Aciphex (a stomach pill), and Singulair. After a few months, the asthma seemed to be gone, but the doc had me stay on Singulair (one per day, at night before bedtime) to be sure it didn't return.

Before the asthma and Singulair, I had stomach problems (diagnosed as gastritis) and some stiffness in my lower back. But for the past year, my stomach has been AWFUL-- even the meds don't help. And the stiffness has been really bad: I would have to stretch my hips, legs and feet, and stay in the hot shower as long as possible. I even had frequent bouts of diarrhea, which I attributed to the Aciphex-- but now I'm thinking it might have been the Singulair.

I discovered this site a few days ago and stopped the Singulair. I THINK my stomach is getting a little better, and some flexibility has returned. Of course, my nose has started running and my breathing isn't the greatest--but I'd be willing to deal with it if my stomach and muscles feel better.

IS IT POSSIBLE MY STOMACH PROBLEMS AND STIFF MUSCLES/JOINTS HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED BY SINGULAIR? If you've had this problem, please post a reply. How long will it take for the side effects to disappear?

Hi - I have been taking Aciphex for just over a week and have noticed that I have muscle aches in my arms and legs with ocassional pins and needles and that my face tingles. I was begining to think I had some other major illness but it just sounds like the medicine. Do many of you have the same?

I switched from Prevacid to Nexium....that was a mistake. Like others have said on here, it is like taking no pill at all. I still get chest pains that wake me up in the middle of the night. These pills have made me lose tons of sleep. Something new now, is actually having intense heartburn, taste of acid, and dry mouth, along with all of the other symptoms. (Constant nausea, etc.) One thing that helped me while stuck on Nexium was a teaspoon of apple cidar vinegar. Sounds nuts but research it and read the results! Anyway, I'm going to the Dr. today to hopefully switch to Aciphex.

I had headaches with prilosec and nexium so I switched to aciphex which is great for my headaches but I still get frequent heartburn which I guess could be a result of my esoph. ulcer which is not yet healed. I have chapped lips, sometimes anal pruritis, pins and needles in my legs and I was having very large b.m.s in the beginning but now am contstipated.

I've been taking Aciphex for a couple of years now. It has taken care of my heartburn very well. However, for some time now I've experienced difficulty breathing when I lie down along with a cold tingling sensation in my feet that at times is almost unbearable. My Doctor can't tell me why. A friend mentioned that she has just received a prescription for aciphex and read that these are some of the soide effects. Can anyone expound on this?

Constipated, headache, weak, extremely tired, fuzziness in head/ears as if too strong, felt like lungs/chest was tight/pressured/beginning of congestion.