Omeprazole

I too am on these, one a day normally if I watch my diet, more if I dont. I have gallstones.

The only person I know who has ever been prescribed it was GS who had it as a baby but thankfully out grew the problem

Omeprazole and all its PPI relatives are the next big problem for the NHS. There is a wealth of information to show its linked with certain cancers and increases the risk of dementia. My husband was on it and one of his clients warned him about the dangers. We researched it intensively and it seems the cure (PPI aka Omeprazole) is worse than the illness. He switched to a mix of apple cider vinegar (must be organic and contain the mother, manuka honey and curcumin (8grams per day in tablet form). He's feeling a lot better. He also follows a gluten free and dairy free diet. His gastric symptoms have totally disappeared. The advice is also to take probiotics after stopping the PPI to allow the good bacteria to come back into your gut as the PPI damages this.

Omeprazole and all its PPI relatives are the next big problem for the NHS. There is a wealth of information to show its linked with certain cancers and increases the risk of dementia. My husband was on it and one of his clients warned him about the dangers. We researched it intensively and it seems the cure (PPI aka Omeprazole) is worse than the illness. He switched to a mix of apple cider vinegar (must be organic and contain the mother, manuka honey and curcumin (8grams per day in tablet form). He's feeling a lot better. He also follows a gluten free and dairy free diet. His gastric symptoms have totally disappeared. The advice is also to take probiotics after stopping the PPI to allow the good bacteria to come back into your gut as the PPI damages this.

I was just pondering my repeat endoscopy next month and the fact that I have taken myself off Omeprazole when I saw this thread.Have posted before about an 8 month spell on it after a major flare up of gastric reflux -I have a small hiatus hernia -and having a physical outdoors job,and a tenancy to do loads of gardening .However I'm slim,eat very healthily,don't smoke, rarely drink and restrict coffee to one small cup a day max as that's a trigger.When I saw the consultant a couple of years ago and said I didn't want to be on PPIs longterm and my symptoms had resolved ,so could I just see if dietary and lifestyle changes would continue to do the trick he was very offhand and told me he would 'take me out of the system' .My GP recently said she thought I should still have a check up endoscopy as there had been a tiny patch of Barretts like change to my oesophagus.Although histology of cells was fine.My GP also said she thought PPIS were advisable.
Well call me an awkward moo but after a few weeks back on them I just instinctively felt No.Not taking them.Have read so much lately about the longterm effects,osteoporosis, dementia etc.Plus feel strongly that reducing my stomach acid and messing with my digestive system is worse than the odd bit of heartburn I may get -hardly ever get it now.My local independent health food store was brilliant, and I now take probiotics with digestive enzymes and feel brilliant.
So I will be interested to see what my endoscopy results are, but I'm not looking forward to telling my GP I'm not taking the Omeprazole she's put on repeat prescription for me. And yes every other person I talk to seem to be prescribed PPIs ,then left on them indefinitely.Hopefully more information about these drugs is becoming available,so we can make a more informed choice.I will now find the Radio 4 programme on I player and have a listen.So thanks Jollyg for alerting me to it.

I had no idea that PPIs were linked to cancers and dementia. Scary. I shall have to do some reading on that one. I have been on them for years - started on Omeprazole but now cannot take it as it makes me ill, so take Ranitidine. My doctor seems to be reluctant to let me come off them.

What are PPIs please? (not payment protection insurance presumably!)

They are Proton-pump inhibitors devongirl They reduce the amount of acid produced in your stomach

even my dog is on them! hopefully they will find the cause of his problem soon

I stopped them because my stomach is full of tiny polyps which I am told have been caused by the omeprazole. I take half a dose of Zantac a day and no doubt someone will now tell me that this is doing me a lot of no good!

My gastric symptoms are caused by bile duct spasm - it darn well hurts!

I was prescribed it for a very short time only. The Dr seemed very wary of it. Glad he was by the sound of things here!

I was put on them, but came off within 2 months, I have reduced fats, sugars, wine and try to heat healthily, if I get in trouble, I find a small amount of Pepsi or Coke helps, failing that Gaviscon. I think these Ppi's encourage you to overeat on the wrong types of foods.

When I first started taking statins (10+ years ago) the doctor prescribed them as statins could cause stomach upsets. But I never needed them.
Perhaps this is recent research?

I find the best thing against heartburn is not to eat desert or pudding if you take take a nap after lunch. If there is apple pie or similar I have it mid afternoon or evening. I got the tip from a leaflet Living with Hiatus hernia and have not taken OMEP since except occasionally

I have heard that up to now nothing has been proved to cause dementia yet. To make that claim is attention seeking and makes people frightened and makes them buy something else and increases profits etc etc.
If this is serious research I'd be gald to read it.

My DH was on omeprazole for several years. I have no idea if it caused the oesophageal cancer that killed him, but it certainly masked the symptoms.

You run a greater risk of developing oesophageal cancer if you have reflux and don't take ppi's. Although the risk is small anyway. The programme is typical BBC,just-for-entertainment rubbish. Doubt if there is any real researched evidence to support the suggestions made.

Wonder how much Mark Porter gets paid.

Like you, Jollyg, I took ibuprofen for years but had to come off it due to severe stomach and digestion problems and was then prescribed omeprazole which was very effective. But after reading about the side effects I decided to stop taking it except when I had a flare up and felt I needed it. I am mainly off it these days.

I tolerate a lot of pain rather than take ibuprofen which is demon stuff on the gut mucosa.

Me too *Luckygirl.
OTOH I appreciate the painkilling qualities of Flector gel, a locally applied NISAID which soothes painful arthritic joints.

A very good point Notme. Excess acid reflux can damage the vocal chords over a period of time. Like most drugs there are always pros and cons. I try not to take much notice of what is in the media.

Thanks Luckygirl and Luckylegs9.

I suffer with what I assume is bile duct spasm (having had my gall bladder removed but still experiencing some painful episodes). I shall try the Pepsi and Gaviscon remedies if/when it occurs again. Though at the time, I am in so much pain I cannot immediately ingest anything.

Like others here, it seems folly to me to take something like ibuprofen for any kind of digestive problem. Oil on flames surely?

Btw, on a lighter note and for info, how is Omeprozole pronounced? When my mother took it, I always thought to say all five syllables so it sounded rather like 'Only the Lonely'. But then I thought, no, that can't be right

Btw, on a lighter note, how is Omeprozole pronounced? When my mother took it, I always thought to say all five syllables so it sounded rather like 'Only the Lonely'. But then I thought, no, that can't be right

Sorry, just trying something out and accidentally posted twice...