Has anyone come off or cut down Omaprazole, what’s your experiences.

Dies anyone know if you can take anything else with omeprazole to help with acid reflux and or indigestion ?

Dr took me off Omeprazole , he said that a link had been found with long term use of this drug & developing early dementia.
More or less left me to my own devices, sadly nothing comes close to Omeprazole.

I took Omeprazole for years to protect my stomach from another medicine. Last summer I decided to cut down on my tablets so just stopped taking it. After a few weeks, I was diagnosed with silent reflux (long story - they fast tracked me as they thought it could be throat cancer) and put on Lansoprazole. I wish I'd never come off Omeprozole as I reckon I caused the silent reflux myself. I'm still suffering from side effects of reflux daily but it could be worse. Take advice from your gp.

I have been taking Lansoprozole for about 2 months. My doctor wants me to cut down on them and hopefully only need the occasionally.
I would take advice from your doctor.

Same as you barmey although I have only been taking Omazaprole for about five years.
Really thought it was a heart attack happening before I started taking them.
No ill effects at all so far.

I have cut back. I tried to cut them out but started getting GERD symptoms plus constipation. But I probably only take 1 or 2 a week now.

I have a leaking bile duct and need to take them. I know within two hours if I forget and the pain has often been mistaken for a heart attack. I have been on them about 25 years and don’t think I get any bad side effects, you just have to weigh it all up.

My DH was on it for years but when he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes he went on a low carb diet and didn’t need to take it any more. The foods that caused him the most problems were fried food and pastry based foods.

I have now been prescribed Lansoprazole(sp?) due to new medication being added. So far no ill effects.

I take Omeprazole to protect from the effects of Naproxen - anti inflammatory for arthritis. The Naproxen can only be taken in short bursts of a couple of weeks and so there’s a gap of about a month in between, when I don’t take either. I haven’t noticed any side effects - either of taking the drug or after pausing it.

On the strength of this thread I’m off to the surgery later to try and sort something out as it’s all getting to me. Stomach pain is constant and now nausea and headache added in….

Gajahgran I have restless legs and muscle aches, it drives me mad. I’ve always guessed I’ve got a problem with a lack of magnesium - even before the menopause I was being prescribed extra magnesium to help with PMS

I was on 20mg Omeprazole up to about 2 years ago. I had a stomach problem from taking blood thinning meds, Clopidagrel, now changed. The Omeprazole was causing me a lot of muscle pain in my legs. My doctor recommended taking Magnesium to ease the muscle aches and it not only stopped the pain but also helped with acid reflux and indigestion. The result was I was able to wean myself gradually off the Omeprazole and I now take 10mgs only very occasionally.

itsnell I’m not sure that you should be taking the advice of Gransnetters instead of your GP.

Wow lots of replies. I’m just back from DHs eye appointment - I was his escort as they were looking at a cataract
Had a bad night with stomach cramps only eased by taking two buscopan

I’m realising through reading your posts and googling that a lot of what I’ve come to accept as part of getting old -I’m 70 - is actually side effects of omaprazole Yes, it can be a godsend but I don’t think it’s good for some people long term.

I’m going to go over your posts this afternoon and make notes and try to come up with a plan

I used to take Omeprazole, it made me feel awful….like a very old woman. (I was in my sixties then). I just stopped when the prescription ran out and started to feel better immediately.

What do people think is particularly bad about it, as opposed to say, something diazepam or pregabalin?

I am also worried about the long term effects of Omeprazole.
I have taken it for years after being diagnosed with Barretts Esophagus.
I don't know whether to try and stop taking it. The doctor seems to think its OK. I am extremely concerned though.

I have a hiatus hernia and duodenitis and gastroenteritis and have started in omeprazole. About ten days now. No improvement . Have I understood correctly Shropshire lass that I should be drinking lemon juice in water ?

Omeprazole is a nasty drug, my DH is taking it. Stomach acid is very strong but most problems, heartburn and acid reflux are caused by too little stomach acid so that the stomach muscle does not close sufficiently and allows stomach acid to leak out. By increasing the acid, drinking apple cider vinegar, with the mother in it, and lemon juice in water (through a straw to protect tooth enamel) this increases the acid and causes the valve to close properly. I take acv daily and no problems now. I used to have shares in a well known indigestion remedy company! Fine for over two years now.

Although I was prescribed it many yrs ago, I did take it for a while, but now only take it when needed (if I feel bit acidy) then I will take it a couple of days, not taken any for about 8 mnths now, but always have it on standby.

Go to your GP for a review, your other health issues might not be related to Omeprazole.
If the reasons you were prescribed it in the first place still exist, your GP might prescribe something else.

Madgran77, another vote for Kefir. My friend's mother had acid reflux and frequent UTIs until she started taking it.

This thread is interesting.

It's also prescribed alongside some medication eg blood thinners to avoid damage to the stomach lining. I don't take it but DH does, perhaps we should ask the GP to review this.

I've been on Omeprazole for at least a decade. I did try to do without it but the reflux recurred. If Ranitidine had not been withdrawn, I might have succeeded. Gaviscon Advance is also essential and the ENT consultant who first prescribed these medications said that it was the best barrier against reflux.