I have GERD and a hiatal hernia. I have been on Prilosec (20mg/day) for three and a half years. I started taking antiinflammatory drugs for arthritis, but I can't find one that works with my stomach. If I take anything for more than a few weeks, it starts bothering my stomach. When I stop taking antiinflammatories and double my dosage of Prilosec, the problem goes away, but when I start taking antiinflammatories again it comes back. Is there anything out there for me? Should I double my Prilosec dose? I feel like I'm running around in circles. I also take Tums almost every day to ease stomach discomfort.

Faye

The stomach side effects of antiinflammatory drugs can be troublesome. I do not know the nature of your arthritis, but you might ask your doctor about antiiflammatory drugs that are less toxic to the stomach (trilisate is one example). If pain is the major problem, you may be able to use a drug like acetaminophen (Tylenol).

There are some patients for whom it is appropriate to double the dose of Prilosec, but I would not recommend doing that without checking with your doctor. Tums are okay to take as needed, but if your symptoms are persistent, you may need evaluation to rule out a medication-induced ulcer.