Preparing for Your 24-Hour pH Study

Questions after reading this?

Call the GI Triage Line at 720-723-6166, Monday – Friday and leave a message. An RN will call you back within 48 hours, or on Monday if you call on the weekend. For questions at night or on weekends, call 303-399-8020, select “0” and ask for the GI doctor on call.

What is a pH study?

• A small flexible probe will be guided through your nose, and down your esophagus. It will measure the number of times acid comes up from your stomach and into your esophagus to determine if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease.
• You will keep this probe in place for 24 hours and wear a small device to store the data it creates. Prepare to stay in, or return to, the Denver area to return the equipment the next day.
• You will not be sedated for this exam, so you do *not* need a driver.
• Please plan to arrive 30 minutes before your appointment time.

10 days before your pH study

• Please review these instructions again and call us if you have any questions.

5 days before your pH study

Unless we’ve told you otherwise, STOP taking the following:

• Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)
• Esomeprazole (Nexium)
• Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• Omeprazole (Prilosec)
• Pantoprazole (Protonix)
• Rabeprazole (Aciphex)

2 days day before your pH study

Unless we’ve told you otherwise, STOP taking the following:

• Cimetidine (Tagamet)
• Famotidine (Pepcid)
• Nizatidine (Axid)
• Ranitidine (Zantac)

12 hours before your pH study

• Stop taking sucralfate (Carafate) and any antacids such as Tums unless instructed otherwise.

The day of your pH study

• Stop eating and drinking SIX HOURS before your appointment time!
• The GI Lab is on the 3rd floor of building D, Mount Harvard. Take elevator number 1 to the 3rd floor, and our waiting room will be on the east side of the building.