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Generic Name: Dexilant for GERD (dexlansoprazole)

Dexilant for GERD Reviews

"After trying Omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and other over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors over the years, I found they were not doing the trick. I had a perpetual sore throat for a few months, and finally went to the ENT who said the acid was burning my esophagus. He put me on Dexilant, which cured that after about 3 weeks. I stayed on it for a few months, the sore throat went away completely, and I never had acid problems after that. This is expensive but worth it! It is the best thing out there, and the trick to taking it is you have to take it first thing in the morning, 30 mins before any food on an empty stomach. If you have ANY food in your stomach, you will get diarrhea."

"I have GERD. Doctors have prescribed medicines that have not been effective. I have tried Nexium, Prevacid, Protonix, Prilosec, with no relief no matter the dosage. When the GERD is not under control, I cannot keep anything down. I have thrown up more acid than anyone can imagine. Thanks to my doctor who prescribed Dexilant, the horrors of GERD are behind me. I have suffered no side effects. My advertisement for this medicine would be DEXILANT IS EXCELLENT."

"Dexilant saved my life. That sounds dramatic, but it’s true. I’ve suffered with severe GERD since I was a teenager. I had been on a very high dose of omeprazole for years. I’ve also tried all of the other PPIs. I continued to have “silent reflux” symptoms. For four years, I would get stomach aches and chest pain so bad I would go to the ER and be given opiates. I suspected it was all heartburn, but nothing worked to stop the pain. Dexilant was recommended to me once before for my allergy symptoms (possibly worsened by GERD), but I brushed it off because there wasn’t a generic available and I didn’t think it would work better than omeprazole. Let me tell you, it does. It did take a full two weeks to take effect. I haven’t had any pain or GERD symptoms nor any side effects. I don’t know why it’s so effective, but I do believe it has to do with the unique formulation and the fact that it only has to be taken once a day at one dose to reduce user error."

"Dexilant gave me every side effect on the label. Not good. I have never had diarrhea like this before. Pain in my stomach, chest pain, like having a heart attack. This has been the worst experience I have ever had. I sure hope others read this before taking this medicine. It should be taken off the market."

"Initially diagnosed with esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus from acid reflux) 1 month ago. Was on Dexilant 60 mg once per day. Had a lump feeling in my throat every day and worse at night while I sleep. Went to see an ENT specialist a few days ago, and I was diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (larynx/pharynx) acid reflux. Cannot get hold of the specialist who did the initial endoscopy for esophagitis diagnosis, so I informed the receptionist of my experience and was informed he is at the hospital for 2 weeks, and I have to wait to see him when he returns to the office. I was told to go to my family doctor to follow up. FD prescribed taking the Dexilant 60 mg twice per day. I am feeling worse since taking Dexilant twice per day. I have a choking sensation nonstop and at night I am not sleeping. Awaiting to see the specialist who did endoscopy in a few weeks. Has anybody else had this experience taking Dexilant 60 mg twice per day?"

"Been taking Dexilant for over a year. Have had diarrhea almost daily and have now begun having joint pain and a general tiredness and ill feeling. Works great for reflux but seems to be having an adverse effect on my entire system."

"This medication after using it for a month plus has ended me up in the emergency room for severe chest pains, dizziness, high blood pressure, occasional diarrhea, tightness in the chest, cramps, and muscle aches."

"I developed GERD as a result of taking medications for Parkinson’s disease that irritated my stomach. Once I’d tried a few acid-reducing medicines that failed to work, my doctor prescribed Dexilant. The first time I took it, I had horrible stomach pains and several of the ‘rare’ side effects listed by the manufacturer. Most were what I’d call moderate to severe. Nonetheless, I took the medicine again because I’d been told that it can take a few days for the body to adjust to the drug—and indeed on Day 2, the side effects were much milder and I had no acid reflux. Success!—or so I thought. But Day 3 was a nightmare from the beginning. I had lots of pain—stomach, joint, muscle, throat—terrible diarrhea, and more. And to add insult to injury, my reflux returned and continued at regular intervals throughout the day and night. I have never had a medicine make me so miserable or scare me so much. Need I say I can’t recommend this drug?"

"I have had GERD since 1997. I have used Prilosec, Nexium, Aciphex, Prevacid, and Protonix (most recently). NONE of them worked. I was on a double dose of Protonix when my GP sent me to the GI Specialist for an upper gastrointestinal scope. After that, I was prescribed Dexilant. Not only has it 'CURED' my GERD symptoms, it has also settled my IBS symptoms. I used to have to go to the bathroom almost immediately after eating, and more than once a day I would have 'emergency' moments where if I didn't get to the bathroom quick I was in trouble. All of those symptoms are gone. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but if you're like me and you've tried it all, you need to give this medicine a try. It is amazing."

"I somehow contracted H. pylori. This bacteria causes damage to my stomach lining. As a result, I began to suffer from severe burning in my stomach, and everything I ate gave me heartburn and acid reflux. After seeing a gastro doctor, they put me on Dexilant (60mg). It was a lifesaver. I don't get the burning feeling in my stomach anymore and no reflux, which was starting to damage my esophagus. My insurance pays a portion of the cost. Then I went to the Dexilant website where they offer a program for reduced cost. I pay $20 a month for a pill that allows me to eat without suffering. I have had no side effects from this medication. I have been taking Dexilant for six years every day. If I miss a day, it still works, but I can't go longer than two days without it."

"For 6 to seven weeks, I started terrible acid reflux. I was 55 years old and always considered I had a steel stomach, could eat anything, the hotter and spicier the better. I broke my foot working and continued to do a roofing job, going up scaffolding with one foot and 60 lbs rolls on my shoulder, this is about the time I started getting reflux. It was a suspected hiatal hernia, it may be, still waiting for test results. I have tried everything OTC. Lost 10 lbs in 5-6 weeks because I was scared to eat, not knowing what to eat. Finally made it to the doc, and he gave me Dexilant 60 mg. Took it a couple of days to kick in, and wow... I can eat now... no real side effects as of yet, except some minor stomach aches if I eat too much. I can't stop eating now... ohhhh feels so good. Here I pay $20.92 for a month of Dexilant, yeah, I'm in Canada... God, thanks for our Medicare system... just to say... this has worked magically."

"I have been taking Dexilant for about 5 years now, and it is definitely helping with my GERD. Before taking Dexilant, I tried all the other acid-reducing over-the-counter medications, and they did not help me. I know Dexilant is expensive, but it is worth it so that I start off each day feeling good."

"My Dr. prescribed this after 80mg of Nexium stopped working, but after a week of Dexilant, I'm stopping it because of the awful flatulence and abdominal pain starting about 12 hrs after taking it. So glad to get validation here that others have had similar problems since the patient info says this only happens for a small amount of users."

"Dexilant is a godsend! I experienced acid reflux out of the blue for the first time that was very severe. For three days straight, regardless of the position I was in, my doctor gave me a sample of Dexilant, and I felt better within hours. By the end of the day, my reflux subsided. I take 60 mg every day, once a day, and have been well. I did experience constipation for a few days, but it went away, however, my stool is not fully normal. The medication is more expensive than other ones on the market, but talk to your doctor and see if he will give you a month's worth of samples to see how you feel before you get it prescribed. I eat lots of dairy and spicy foods, and all is well."

"I personally had a terrible experience with Dexilant. I have acid reflux and an eroded esophagus, and my GI recommended that I take Dexilant to help lessen my conditions because no other PPIs were working thus far. Dexilant seemed to help my acid reflux, but after a few weeks of being on it, I found myself becoming extremely anxious and depressed. I was crying all the time and having multiple panic attacks every week and sometimes multiple every day. This is the lowest I have ever been, and for months, I thought I was going crazy. The moment I realized Dexilant was causing my emotional problems, I got off of it. However, the side effects took several months to dissipate. I would not recommend Dexilant to anyone."

"I would rate this a 10 for treating GERD; however, I am giving it a 7 due to side effects. I have had no problems with GERD since beginning the medicine, but I am experiencing an increase in blood pressure. I am also experiencing dizziness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, tightness in my throat, pressure in my chest that makes me feel like I am going to vomit (although I do not feel nauseated), and just a general overall bad feeling. This does not happen until the extended release of the medication occurs at about 4-5 hours after administration. Although it treats my GERD symptoms great, I have decided it is not worth the other side effects that I am having."

"I have been taking Dexilant 60 mg for more than 3 years after taking Nexium for 9 years for GERD. The Nexium quit working, so I went on the Dexilant, and it saved my life. I started with one every 3 days, then every 2 days, and once a day now. I had some anxiety attacks last spring and did not think it had anything to do with this drug. After reading some of the comments, it is possible, but has been okay all summer. I am 60 and rode a motorcycle from Seattle to Los Angeles in July and traveled Europe in August and September with no acid reflux problems. Just back in Florida after a trip to Vegas and can eat or drink anything. No problems with alcohol, milk, or spicy food. Without it, I am up all night eating Tums every hour. Good luck!"

"I was taking 60 mg at the same time every day. It seemed to work better at controlling my GERD symptoms after about a month. But around the same time, I developed debilitating diarrhea. I continued to take it for another month, and the diarrhea didn't go away, so I stopped taking it. It's only been a couple of days so far, and it still hasn't gotten any better."

"Dexilant seems to work better than Prilosec for me, although my symptoms wax and wane. Some days I feel good, other days, I can tell the medicine isn't working well. Not really sure how that is possible since I take it at the same time every day! I do get horrible gas and diarrhea and always end up stopping the meds for a day or two. However, I recently read that Kefir could help with acid reflux, so I started drinking it. It prevents the horrible gas and diarrhea that the Dexilant causes. One glass a day, and I am good! Now I can take the medicine daily as prescribed and hope that it resolves what is causing my GERD. I highly suggest the Kefir for those not tolerating the medicine otherwise."

"For 10 years, I had daily heartburn. I tried every prescription and over-the-counter medicine with minimal relief. I continued to have daily breakthrough heartburn. I ended up eating Tums like candy, then took Dexilant. Five days later, I realized I hadn't taken any Tums and not one episode of heartburn. This is an awesome new medication!"

"I have Barrett's as well as severe GERD! I have tried everything you can think of! I have been on Dexilant for almost 2 weeks and not one episode! I am so happy my doctor gave me this! It has literally changed my life! I have suffered so long with feeling miserable! I had almost lost hope of feeling normal again until I took this! From the first day I took it, not one single pain or waking up at night!"

"After reading several of these posts, I decided to leave mine. I have severe GERD. My doctor, after prescribing several different medicines, gave me samples of Dexilant. Ever since then, my life has changed for the better. At first, I was taking 30 mg twice a day, then I went to 60 mg once daily. Never had I been prescribed more than 60 mg total daily. I have read that others were taking way more and more frequently. I think they might want to get a second opinion on dosages. I was on Dexilant for several years without ever having any side effects. I recently had corrective surgery and hope to never be on meds again for this condition. I would absolutely recommend Dexilant to anyone in need of this kind of medication."

"Nothing worked for me until my doctor gave me samples of Dexilant. I had tried everything over the years. My world changed, the pain went away, and I have no side effects. I know it's very expensive, and I have to get authorization from my insurance company, but it's well worth it. I wouldn't be able to function on a daily basis without it."

"I had excessive throat clearing after meals for ten years and it seems after coffee/tea especially, I did not know why. Some days were worse than others, I thought maybe it was sinus draining or something. Recently, I had reflux in my sleep, I had it every night for about 4 weeks straight, terrible stuff! I tried Prilosec OTC for 15 days, and nothing changed. Then I saw a specialist and was put on Dexilant. After 15 days on Dexilant (1-60mg daily), 15 days later I was still having the night reflux. The doctor said to take two Dexilant a day (morning/night dose). I did, and three days later the night reflux was gone. It has been 3 weeks now, and there is no night reflux. I have had some dry throat days and light throat burn, but not anymore, no throat clearing, and no side effects except for green stool though."

"I've had severe acid reflux for 15 years. Tried every PPI out there. Several years ago, I was prescribed Dexilant 60 mg once daily. I thought it worked very well. Then, adverse effects came in, such as leg, hand, and feet cramping. I developed headaches, and my magnesium level is at 0.5, critical at this point. I was hospitalized two days ago with severe muscle cramps in my back. Thought it was kidney stones. I have not been able to move freely, and my quality of life has changed dramatically. I have been prescribed Valium 40 mg a day to be able to sleep and move around. If someone had told me that this drug would cause these effects in the future, I PROMISE you I would never have taken it to start. There is a dependency issue too."

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Related treatment guides

  • Erosive Esophagitis
  • Barrett's Esophagus
  • GERD