# throat phlegm...



## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

Hi...I seem to have some degree of phlegm in my throat every day, and sometimes (a few days a week) have a feeling of irritation in my throat too. I was on Nexium and other PPIs for over a year, and because I'm not absorbing as much calcium as I should (according to doctor), I've been taking only half my usual Nexium dose (20 mg) each morning. I do okay on this, except that by late afternoon or evening I get the phlegmy thing in my throat, and sometimes the irritation in my throat. Also, sometimes it feels as though the food is stuck in my esophagus and I belch. Not every day, though. I'm taking DGL licorice before my evening meal to soothe my throat and esophagus, and sometimes take a mylanta tablet or two near bedtime. Those seem to help some. I'd rather not go back to the 40 mg dose of a PPI, since I don't want to sacrifice bone health. Any of you doing the same thing as I am?I've tried Zantac and ranitidine a few times too, but always get stomach aches. And the other PPIs I took gave me headaches and/or severe constipation (I already have IBS with constipation). Just wondering whether others have some of this throat phlegm despite taking a PPI.


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

HiI very occasionally get this, although i am really not sure whether mine is because of the PPI or GERD -- it happens only when I have a heavy greasy meal (which I haven't had for ages)... Do all PPI drugs block calcium intake? My dr never told me this! Thank you for the info! Hmm... I'm wondering what else my dr hasn't told me about the med I'm on...Cherrie


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## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

As my doctor explained it to me, all PPIs decrease your stomach acid to the point that you're unable to process and absorb the calcium well. So even though I was taking extra calcium, I wasn't absorbing enough. (Didn't have enough stomach acid.) That's all I remember of what he said. I think there have been some research studies on this. I'll have to do a google search sometime.


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

Thanks for the info, Madge!I'm on 30 mg daily... Think I'll ask my dr if I could take it every other day or something...Hope your phlegm problem has gotten better...


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## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

Hi, Cherrie..Are you on 30 mg of Nexium, or another kind of PPI? Sure wish I could take something cheaper that Nexium. I still have the sourish throat phlegm most days, toward evening, and then I take mylanta or something else to get me through. I'm not bothered much by reflux at night, thank goodness. Maybe you won't have to cut back on your meds. The reason I have to is because osteoporosis (and not enough calcium) runs in my family. I'll need bone density tests regularly too. You may not have to worry about that. Hope not, anyway. Happy holidays!


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

Hi Madge ~Thanks for the info!  . In that case I probably don't need to reduce it, i better call my mom and ask so i'll know for sure that it doesn't run in my family. I take Prevacid 30mg, you know, the yummy strawberry taste one... it's a prescription drug, my insurrance copays, so I'm probably paying half the regular price... It's worth checking if your insurance covers part of it, too...Oh, and I just bought a big wedge pillow -- works really great! While i still need to get used to the position to sleep better, it sure helps with keeping the acid down. If you haven't tried already, it's definitely worth a try Thanks again and Happy Holidays to you, too!Cherrie


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## madge (Oct 1, 2006)

Cherrie,I just went on Medicare last fall, and my Medicare RX plan pays for part of the Nexium. But the problem is that when the total of what I pay + the part my RX plan pays each month ($140), plus any other meds I need, reach a total of $2400 or so, I then have to pay 100% of all my meds from then on for the rest of the year. That's called the "coverage gap," and is something almost all Medicare RX plans do. If I could take a generic med for reflux instead of Nexium, I wouldn't have that problem, because I'd never reach the coverage gap. Trouble is, a lot of seniors have to take meds that aren't generic, and they reach the coverage gap rather fast...and end up paying a lot for their meds.I wish I could just take Prilosec or the generic form of it. So much easier and cheaper, but the side effects aren't pleasant. Prevacid didn't work for me either. Awful headaches.


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

I see... I'm sorry everything costs so much and nothing elses works well for you... sorry I don't know much about Medicare (my insurance is blue cross blue shield something, it's so confusing that many times I have to call them before the dr can prescribe a drug)... When Nexium's patent expires, they may develop a generic based on it -- although I'm not sure when...


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