How should I taper GERD medications safely without rebounds?

Hi All

I have been diagnosed with GERD 3 months back around Aug 7, 2008 through an endoscopy. As per the results in the GI Dr's own words the biposies show some small inflammatory changes and the he believes that I have mild reflux problems which they call GERD. No evidence of Barretts, erosive eosphagitis, hiatus hernia cancer, ulcer, cancer etc.

I am currently on Prevacid 30 mg (twice a day), once in morning and once at bedtime. My reflux episodes have come down a lot.

Initially when I started the drugs I was put on Prilosec OTC (twice a day), which did not seem enough and I needed 2 more zantacs (75 mg) before lunch and Zantac (150 mg) at bedtime. Once I shifted to prevacid (from Aug 27, 2008) twice a day, once before breakfast and once before dinner, I took away the zantac (75 mg) before lunch.

Then around Sep 21, I tried reducing the Z150 at bedtime to Z75, but I had a rebound with nightime reflux, so shifted the Z150 before dinner and prevacid to bedtime. And slowly from Oct 15 have removed the Z150 before dinner as per Dr's advice.

Hence currently  I am on 2 prevacid before breakfast and at bedtime.

My reflux symptoms are not heartburn, its mainly some shortness of breath (my cardio and lungs have been tested and they are fine), which occurs witthin half to 1 hour after food or if I get hungry (now in the past 1 month has become quite rare), very rarely bloating, very rare very slight heartburn, fluid travelling up symptoms somewhat like when we feel depressed, sometimes light dizziness, if a symptom occurs then I feel quite tired after the same.

My bad times are in the early ams (from 6 am to 8 am) and by 9-10 am I am usually fine.

Given my conditions if I need to taper medication to one prevacid per day, probably in a month - what are my options, since that is what my Dr would prefer me to do?

I would prefer to hear from people who have actually tapered their medication or have heard of such experiences. What would be considered a safe period to start tapering medications and what would one do if a rebound occurs when tapering the same?

Thanks for your help

VGerdhelp