Hello, Michelrstone01,
You mention that you have had GERD symptoms for a number of years.
I am assuming that you have had a good endoscopic evaluation done
by a gastroenterologist. You also said,
Nexium did work for a while and
stopped being effective. This can happen with any of the PPIs (Proton Pump
Inhibitors) although failure is more common with H-2 blockers such as Zantac
&
Tagamet.
The reasons for failure are multiple.
One, is the timing. You should take the drug about an hour to hour and a half
before your main meals even if you take it twice a day.
Second, you should watch your diet. Avoid alcohol, excess caffeine, dairy products,
tomato based products, pain killers like
aspirin,
ibuprofen,
naproxen etc.
You should not go to bed within two hours after your evening meal.
If your
endoscopy was many years ago , you do need a re-evaluation at this time.
The doctor can look for any complications such as ulcers or erosions, narrowing by
scar tissue etc. He can also do a
biopsy to look for H.Pylori bacteria that causes
persistent symptoms. If positive , you need treatment for that.
Sometimes, switching to a different PPI may be helpful.
I hope , now that you have enugh information, you can discuss these with your
own doctor who can guide you properly.
I wish you well.