I have been taking Nexium for over 7 years. I started on Prilosec...

I have been taking Nexium for over 7 years. I started on Prilosec but when that became available over-the -counter my doctor switched me to Nexium, 20mg once per day. Not long after that I started seeing a new doctor. I was still taking the Nexium, 20mg, one per day. But I was still having a little of that burning pain just below my sternum. I told my new doctor about this thinking he would probably increase my dosage to 20mg twice a day or switch me to the 40mg capsules once a day. Instead he switched me from the 20mg Nexium to the 30mg Prevacid capsules. I had horrible side effects immediately. I would have sudden and unpredictable loss of appetite. Not just loss of appetite but the sight of food would actually make me feel queasy. I lost over 10 pounds in a week and wasn't even trying. But the worst, and most frightening, side effect was the severe shortness of breath. I was in the Navy for 10 years and kept myself in pretty good shape. At one time I was even running 3 miles a day. Immediately after starting on the Prevacid I got so short of breath I could not climb a flight of a dozen stairs. It made me feel like I was 80 or 90 years old. And I was only 48 or 49 at the time. My chest would heave up and down. Air was going in and out. But it felt like my lungs weren't getting any oxygen from the air that was going in and out of them. I wanted to trust my doctor but I was actually becoming afraid of going home from work and taking the Prevacid. I got back in to see my doctor as soon as I could and he put me back on Nexium. Not long after this he took a job at another practice/clinic to be closer to home and family. I had to find another doctor. When I went to see my new doctor (the 3rd I've had since the reflux started) I told him about the Prevacid and the shortness of breath. It wasn't as bad since I stopped taking the Prevacid but I still had some shortness of breath and burning pain in my chest when I exercised. He said he had never heard anything about the Prevacid and breathing problems. He sent me to the hospital for the treadmill stress test to make sure it wasn't my heart. It wasn't my heart, but then again I knew that. Even after complaining about the shortness of breath during several visits over the years he never said or did anything about it. About 2 years ago I had a bout of bronchitis. My doctor was busy all day so I took an appointment with another doctor at the same clinic. (I've had to do this several times) While seeing this other doctor for my bronchitis I mentioned to him the whole shortness of breath story. He said I should consider having a pulmonary function test because "you're not too young to have emphysema". Then early in January, 2008 I had to see another doctor at the same clinic, again for bronchitis. I told her about the Prevacid and the shortness of breath. Finally someone sent me to the hospital for the pulmonary function test (PFT). Two weeks later I had an appointment with my PCP for an annual physical check-up. I asked him about the results of the PFT. He said he hadn't seen them but he would check on it while the nurse was giving me and EKG test. Some time later he comes back into the exam room and says "yep, you have a little emphysema". The nurse-practitioner who sent me for the PFT had already started me on Advair. Besides that my doctor seemed to have little to say about my newly discovered condition. I'm not sure if the Prevacid or continued use of Nexium had anything to do with me developing emphysema. But I do know that after complaining to MY DOCTOR of shortness of breath for 3 or 4 years it shouldn't have been someone else that discovered that I have emphysema. Anyway, I guess my real question is has anyone else had a problem with SEVERE shortness of breath on Prevacid, Nexium, or any of the other PPIs?