Omeprazole experiences anyone?

Just lost longish post I was writing but will rewrite briefly!

Omeprazole and other PPIs, and Bicarbonate of soda, can interfere with calcium absorption so long term use can increase risk of osteoporosis. Rennies or similar antacids containing calcium carbonate, provide a bit of calcium as well as neutralising acid.

Ranitidine, though working for shorter time than PPIs, seems to have fewer side effects. I manage to control my acid reflux, caused by hiatus hernia, with a combination of ranitidine ( try not to take all the time) and Rennies as needed. I take an occasional Omeprazole, especially if I know I’ll be going out and may get food likely to cause problems.

You might have no side effects from taking Omeprazole Floradora, many people do and they are often worse than what the supposed cure. It’s a good idea to not just read the insert in the packet, have a look at online forums where people discuss the side effects of the particular prescribed drugs they are or have taken. Prescribed medication causes many deaths and I am astounded at how people just meekly take the medication their doctors dish out without any questions.

This year DD was rushed to hospital because of prescribed medication. She has had to get herself off of it, the side effects have been horrific, the withdrawal symptoms as bad and we wondered at one stage if she was going to survive. Some people have no problems with this drug and don’t get side effects, it doesn’t mean that others won’t. I can’t imagine the damage this particular drug has done to countless people though.

I have been using bicarbonate of soda for around four years now, of course people would have to be foolish to overtake any thing. It’s worked for me and since late last year I feel my eosophagus has healed. I very seldom get heart burn, I now don’t experience indigestion and I can now swallow my food. Six years ago I could not swallow my food, it’s a horrible feeling when your food sits at the top of your throat and won’t go down. My eosophagus has taken awhile to heal but relief of taking bicarbonate of soda was immediate. A side effect I have from bicarbonate of soda is I don’t have arthritis anymore.

Bicarbonate of soda is an old remedy and is an ingredient in cooking, Alkaseltzer and baby’s gripe water.

Do not take Faye's advice re bicarb if you have high blood pressure this is dangerous . I have taken Omeprazole for years with no side effects . If it helps take it .

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I pretty much went cold turkey this time.2 years ago when I had been on them longer had terrible rebound so expected the same and was going to take alternate days.But was so fed up, and wanted an idea if the digestive enzymes were helping ,I just stopped. I'm keeping a food diary and apart from feeling a bit 'gastric ' the other morning -which was probably down to having a strong coffee and using up some tomatoes to make a pasta sauce ,have felt great.I'm going to have a chat with my GP when I return from a few days away with a friend next week.She's a very good cook ,but I haven't made any dietary requests.I have told her I've had another flare up of gastritis recently and won't be drinking,and will just pile on loads of veggies and fresh stuff and otherwise see how things go.
I am going to stress to my GP that I feel if I had been a male smoker,drinker and overweight but happy to guzzle PPIs indefinitely I get the impression that consultant would have kept me in the system and recalled for a repeat endoscopy.Instead I was a female that very politely questioned wether there was an alternative.

Thanks Celebgran I did the same with Omniprozale and it seemed to work for a while I was thinking of taking a probiotic instead of a ppi every other day , another point is I take thyroxine (starting to rattle when I walk? ) and I read that taking a ppi can have an effect on the thyroxine working effectively, another question for GP when I go back ?

Tinaf1 I cut mine down from2 to 1 for week then this week nothing
I am having gavisgon though

Thanks Washerwoman will give these a try , went to doctor last week because of problems with Omniprozale but he has replaced them with another type of ppi ☹️
did you just stop Omniprozale cold turkey or gradually.

On the strength of your recommendation Washerwoman, I have just bought some Nature's Best GI (on eBay). My digestive system has been awful in recent months, I'm guessing probably gastritis, but reluctant to see GP, as the usual answer is to take PPIs, which I REALLY don't want to do.
So I hope they do the trick, even just a little bit! However, I'm not too good with large tablets, so hope they don't choke me! (Can you cut them in half?)

Well I have stopped lansoprmole similar tablet cut it down to one then zero and my diarrhoea completely stopped, had no idea this could be causing the wind, pain and diarrhoea! It's meant to protect stomach will tell gp tomorrow,
I now have had go back to laxatives as am on 60mg codeine 4 times a day and morphine as needed (constipating)while waiting for back operation. End July.

It's disturbing that a stomach protector ca. Cause such problems,

I am still on gavisgon and can't go back on naproxen my gp says

Hi there Tina.Taking Nature's Plus GI natural Digestive Wellness (Enzymes ,probiotics and essential cofactor combined)
It's a good job I don't have problems swallowing tablets as they are huge !After a long chat with the chap in the health food store said he thought they would be beneficial.

Washerwoman can I ask what probiotics and digestive enzymes you are taking as I would like to stop taking ppi's

Quick update.Just over a week since I stopped Omeprazole and been taking the probiotics and digestive enzymes and don't know if it's a coincidence but feeling the best I have in weeks.Bowels back to normal,no reflux and although still eating very healthily -did have dessert at the weekend at a special family birthday and a glass of red wine - hard to describe it but feel something has 'cleared' in my system.That may sound a bit far fetched,and I realise it's early days but instinct tells me diet and probiotics is far better long term for me than PPIs.
Then today received a copy of a letter sent to my GP from the consultant I saw previously who signed me off very curtly when I very politely said could a try without PPIs as things had settled.Basically said I told this woman that I wouldn't do a follow up endoscopy, and if she wants one will have to go through Open Access and Choose and Book, whatever that means ?I guess it means go somewhere else.So I will go back to the GP and discuss,as she stressed on or off PPIs she thought I should have one more endoscopy as a precaution.

Like Nelliemoser I had the antibiotic bombardment when I had H Pylori a couple of years back. It was diagnosed after only a couple of months of indigestion,and some reflux, and seemed to work well. I was given Omeprazole to take while the results of my tests came through and during the treatment, about 4 weeks in all, and then I stopped taking them.

After a year or so with no problems, the indigestion started recurring. I was more concerned about taking so many antibiotics again than about taking Omeprazole, so tried the probiotic tablets from Holland & Barrett. They have many times the probiotic levels of the drinks and seem to have worked a treat for me. Might be worth a try for some of you with only minor symptoms?

My DH was on Omeprazole for several years. Like Nelliemoser, he had the heliobacter pylori diagnosed via a gastroscopy. I can't help but feel that the constant use of omeprazole masked his symptoms when, three years ago, he was found to have oesophageal cancer which took his life two years ago.

Celebgran.
That sounds miserable.At the back of my mind with PPIS is a memory of having full blown shigella dysentery when I was much younger.Absolutely vile and took months to get over it.Knowing that PPIs of all type reduce the stomach acid to the extent that harmful bacteria like c.difficile and clostridium can proliferate, and overtake the gut's own friendly bacteria, is one of the reasons I'm keen not to take them long term.Especially now I've had episodes of sudden ,watery diarhoea when on 2 a day dose.Obviously needing an operation your situation is much more complicated. Wishing you well,and hope you get relief soon.

Morgana.My leg pains were like weird spasm,cramps in my upper thighs and back of my legs radiating down.In the evenings when I sat down,and very painful.Quite unlike any other cramp I've ever felt,say in the calf after exercise.Just checked and listed under rare side effects are leg pains and spasms.So your GP was so wrong to be scathing,as I feel the consultant was with me when I said after months on the drug I preferred to try dietary and lifestyle modifications to keep things settled.
I stopped taking it 2 days ago,and am taking the probiotics and digestive enzymes only.Dringing lots of water,fennel and chamomile tea and eating fish,chicken and lots of leafy veg with the odd complex carbon snack .Plus finding almonds very soothing to nibble on.No pastries or processed foods.Have to say maybe I was on the mend,thankfully, but already feeling so much better.Last time I stopped I had an awful rebound effect but had taken it much longer,this time not at all thankfully.

There is another lanospromole may spelt wrong that I am on, myngp prefers it to omezapromole
Also gavisgon 4 tines day
I have had awful diarrhoea now referred to gastroentologist as a level was high in faces sample,
However I am on 60md codeine and paracetemol (solpadol) also morphine as and when plus specialist just prescribed gabapentin

I don't think main relief I am on helps roll on my operation

So interesting Washerwoman that you too had leg pains with Ome. My Dr gave me a scathing look when I asked if it could be causing the pains - I could hardly walk. Needless to say I ignored the Dr and cut the dose to one a day. I am a bit sceptical of doctors!! Don't know if I can cut out sugar and pastries - this would be a major heartache! Maybe worth it though?

Incidentally my son says that they add 'stuff' to flour which of course goes into bread. He has to be v. careful and can only eat a certain brand of white bread, in small doses.

About ?three years ago now I developed the heliobacter pylori bug which can cause ulcers. This was discovered at a gastroscopy after getting regular indigestion and taking omeprazole.

NB I did not have any reflux. Just plain indigestion which is quite a different situation to some of you. Reflux is a more complicated issue than I had.

I took the heavy duty antibiotics for the bug and it seemed to clear up. I was still taking the omeprazole and still had some discomfort.
No evidence but there are concerns by some, that taking regular PPI medication can make matters worse.

In the end I weaned off the Omep and just tried Gaviscon liquid which largely acts as a barrier to stomach acid rather than being a drug that interfere in quite a major way on normal body function. That worked for me and I stopped taking it. I do think the omeprazole might have been making me worse.

I have recently stopped eating sweet peppers as my stomach discomfort seemed to be related to meals when I had eaten these. I asked a few friends about this and a number of people say they they also get bad stomach ache from eating peppers. Do think about what you might be eating.

I take Omeprazole for laryngo-pharyngeal reflux which did some damage to my vocal chords. I've never had a problem with it and if it contributed to saving my voice, I'm more than grateful. I also take Ranitidine and Gaviscon Advance. I did try to knock off Omeprazole but after a few days was getting awful reflux.

I've taken alot of Omep in these last years but not any more. I am strict about not mixing foods. No desert or sweet stuff after other foods. Let the proteins get digested first.
As to coffee I drink a milky coffee and make it an instant decaff and a proper one just once a day
Give yourself time and cut out cakes and pastries for a while.

Discontinued them after two months of constant diarrhoea, it has taken over 6 weeks to get right. Having to be careful what I eat though, completely cut out sugar and any food with preservatives in.Fingers crossed.

I was prescribed one tablet per day of Omeprazole by my GP a couple of years ago or so because I was suffering from a chronic cough and awful indigestion and within a month my cough had completely gone. After six months or so, my GP said that I didn't need to take it daily just as and when required and this is what I now do. Not noticed any side effects.

In all fairness the GP I saw this time is new to the practice and ,unlike the other one 2 years ago, did say PPIs were not suitable for long term use,and permanently reducing the amount of stomach acid threw up other health issues so seems far more receptive to me stopping them and looking at other ways of managing my hernia.I too seem much better one one a day,and also had bad leg cramps on 2 per day.I'm going to go back as feeling so much better and ask if I can wean myself off now.I'm also looking at ways to improve my diet further,a lot less acidic and supported by probiotics and a digestive enzyme after advice at our local health food store,who were really helpful.I've cut back on bread consumption and only buy from a local organic bakery and eat organic,preservative free food wherever possible.
Thanks for the tip about soda bic.I think Apple Cider Vinegar has similar benefits and have some in so may try .
My biggest concern is if /when I have another endoscopy I will see the same consultant he will be equally scathing that I had a break from PPIs.Prior to this latest ,sudden flare up I really felt ok and it only occurred to me the night before I it started DH cooked moules mariniere,which in hindsight I didn't enjoy ,and it all started from there.At the health store they did say maybe some bacterial element had kicked off the gastritis, and again PPIs reducing stomach acid could possibly make things worse,as it's harder to digest food.Hope that all makes sense!