I have been suffering from Gerd for a few years and just recently was put on medication by my primary care physician. My Gerd can get bad at times, so bad that my entire digestive system is attacking my body and I’m unable to keep any food in. I was doing well with certain medication until the medication gave me vertigo; so I had a choice to either eat or live with vertigo.
It wasn’t easy; I lost a good 15 pounds in 7 days and my head was spinning as well. I called my Dr. and she never responded. I knew I had to come up with answers quick before I lose too much weight. I’m hungry, honestly nothing will stay with me and I’m starving. The pain when I eat is just horrendous and something has to change.
I went online the other day to Google what other medication I could take, since my Dr. never called me back and I came across Walgreens online chat section. It looked interesting and to my surprise I saw that #WalgreensAnswers has a 24/7 free online chat that is staffed with a real pharmacy staff that can help you answer any non emergency health or medication questions you may have.
I quickly sat down and checked out if this would be right for me and read through the Q&A to make sure the pharmacy staff would be able to give me some kind of advice over the internet.
I was ready; it took me no time at all to log into my Walgreens Account and to get a chat session for FREE with a pharmacy staff. I asked her lots of questions regarding my current medication, all my issues that I have and I found out that not only does one medication counteract the other but she also told me what would be the best time to take each medication to hopefully eliminate my issue. She also recommended a different medication for me to try instead of the Omeprazole that I was taking that gave me vertigo issues.
I learned that the iron supplement that I was taking totally negated my Omeprazole and therefore my horrendous stomach pains appeared and I was unable to consume any kind of food. Meaning, the medication, even though I was taking it every day, to my body was like I never took it, because the Iron Supplement totally wiped it out. That was interesting.
I was willing to give anything a try and after my chat session ended I quickly checked out the product she had recommended online at Walgreens.com to see how much it would be and what the product was all about.
I could have ordered the product online, but I really did not wait any longer to see if I can maybe fix my digestive issue and eat again. I grabbed my car keys and off to Walgreens I went to see what products they had available and if the product that she recommended was in stock.
I found an entire section of digestive health and had no idea that they had that many different products for heartburn/Gerd available on the market. I found pamphlets in my area regarding the Walgreens Answers with lots of useful information; many different pamphlets for different health related issues as well. I loved that! Totally made me feel like Walgreens does care about me and any of their customers.
Well, this all happened about a week ago and I’ve been following the recommendation from #WalgreensAnswers and can happily announce that I’m able to eat and stopped losing weight. Thanks to the recommendation to switch my medication to Prevacid (or the generic brand), I no longer have vertigo issues and since changing my Iron Supplement to the night time a full 15+ hrs after taking my Prevacid, I have no issues at all.
I’m so glad that I found Walgreens Online Answer Chat and was able to get some answers quickly. I’m actually still waiting to hear back from my Dr., going on 2.5 weeks now…. Well, yes… it’s time to find a new Dr. as well, but until then I know I’m in good hands with any non emergency questions I may have for my #WalgreensAnswers pharmacy staff.
So, if you need Answers and need them quick, I highly recommend you check out the 24/7 online chat at Walgreens and see what they recommend for your situation. The chat is totally private and confidential and you can tell the pharmacist as much as you need to get the help that you need, be honest and give it a try. I know I’m glad I did and I’m a happy camper once again and love my Walgreens even more.
For more information be sure to visit Walgreens on the Web or follow on Facebook and tweet along on Twitter. I also did a little Google Plus Story for my trip to Walgreens to show you how the online chat worked as well as what I was able to find at my store. Be sure to check it out.
Brett says
walgreens has SO much more to offer consumers than “just” a pharmacy. it’s our go-to for sure. they take the time to actually listen to your questions and help find an answer!
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Marina says
I didn’t know Walgreens had a 24/7 chat line. That is so helpful especially in the middle of the night if you need a quick recommendation/remedy, right?
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Beeb says
Holy cow, you poor thing! I’m impressed with what you learned and so happy you are feeling better. One thing I’ve learned with health care is that it seems like you really have to consult with specialists for your particular issue to make sure that something isn’t being omitted or handled incorrectly – in this case, a pharmacist who knew all about the medications that were interacting with each other, since your doctor apparently overlooked that and never called you back.
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Pam says
While I wouldn’t have minded the weight loss (ha!), I totally sympathize with you. I have GERD and I lost 20 pounds (gained them back though) because I couldn’t eat. This was before the Walgreens hotline. I am glad to know about this. Thanks for sharing.
Liz says
Ok, now that is brilliant and I’m so glad that you found some answers but BOO HISS to your doctor for not calling back. I’m going to remember this Walgreens chat info. They’re my drugstore of choice anyhow!
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Janel C says
Wow, I can’t believe all that you were going through!!! My son has a horrible cough right now, like really super bad. We’ve been to the doctor twice and we’re still awaiting results on a lab that was taken over a week ago. It is so extremely frustrating. I’m glad to hear there are resources like this available!!!
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Dawn Lopez says
Oh wow! I had no idea about this awesome resource, how convenient.. especially when it comes to health. Good for peace of mind too! Walgreens never ceases to impress me!
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Angela says
It’s great to have answers for medical treatments so readily available.
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Kristin says
You are not going to believe this…I have the SAME exact problem that you do! I take both of those medications and neither my pharmacist nor any of my doctors have realized that’s a problem! I’m really annoyed about that…the suffering has been unbelievable for weeks, if not months. Wow. I am so frustrated and disappointed at the lack of attention to my condition and history. But in about 2 minutes, a Walgreens pharmacist was able to tell me that the two medications interact with each other. What the heck!
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Melanie Roberts says
WOW Kristin… for real?? I’m soo glad I could help … I have suffered for weeks as well and it also bothers me that WE have to figure out our own medication and treatments and no help from the Dr.s,… I’m glad I was able to chat with someone and get help in no time. I sooo hope this helps you as well.. keep me posted and pls e-mail me if you need to vent.. I know the feeling and it’s not nice and no one listens to you…:-( … Keeping you in my prayers and thanks for giving Walgreens Chat a try… Soo glad #WalgreensAnswers
Jennifer says
This is awesome! I was just at Walgreens to check out the new Healthcare Clinic. They really do know how to have it all! It’s becoming a real one-stop shop.
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Jai says
This is really cool to know about. Our closest Walgreen’s is about a 15 minute drive away so we don’t go there or use their services all that often. It’s probably worth it travel just a little further to get better service like that.
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Danielle says
I did NOT know that Walgreens provided all of this help! It’s great to know they have a 24 hr chat line too. Thanks for all of this great info!
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Kristyn says
i think its so cool that Walgreens offers online chat like this, especially if you have a personal or embarrassing medical question to ask
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Sandy VanHoey says
I have read a lot about Walgreens today including their clinics I didn’t know about. Besides being a great store, their pharmacy is awesome. Love Wags!
Stefani says
Thanks for the great information. I shop at Walgreens often and didn’t know that they had the 24/7 free online chat. That is very helpful for sure!
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Kelly says
That’s so helpful you were able to learn about drug interactions while chatting with the pharmacist. What an amazing turn around you’ve had in such a short period – such a relief!
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April Yedinak says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I am so glad I read this. My oldest daughter has had GERD her whole life because her cardiac sphincter never developed properly. Lately she has been having such terrible problems and her food and acid has been coming back up and it is making her so sick. I had taken her to the doctor once and he sent her to a specialist who refused to see her due to her age. So, now we are waiting to see another doctor next week. Meanwhile, I always made sure to tell the doctor what my daughter takes including her St John’s Wort for mild depression that she has been on for years. Now, because of the info you provided today, I just found out that her stomach medicine is counteracted by the St. John’s Wort and makes it virtually useless. My poor girl. I feel so awful and I want to kick her doctor in the shins, though I am going to be sure to tell him off when we go back. Thanks again for sharing this info.
Pam H. says
I have a Walgreens about five minutes from my home, and it’s one of my favorite stores. Great deals, a reliable pharmacy, and now health questions answered in minutes – I love Walgreens! This is better than searching for answers over the Internet, as you get to consult a trustworthy professional.