Omeprazole how to come off it after long term use.

I am using Omeprazole but I asked my GP to prescribe 10 mg instead of 20mg daily which has worked, try that and then I'm afraid you have to stop eating/drinking whatever causes the problem. Get advice from a pharmacist after you have lowered the dose because they are probably best for suggesting alternatives. I must say again, it's whatever food that causes the problem that needs to be cut down/stopped, unfortunately, we can't eat what we used to enjoy when we were younger.

I went on a diet to improve my gut bacteria 18 months ago. I had previously had episodes of acid reflux, especially when I needed regular Ibuprofen for osteoarthritis and was prescribed lansoprazole which didn’t suit me. I also used to use Gaviscon tablets fairly often. Since making some big changes to my diet I have lost 21 lbs and I have rarely had any issue with acid reflux or indigestion. Main changes have been - dramatically increasing daily fibre intake (to around 8-10 portions a day) with vegetables, fruit, nuts, and things like beans and lentils; minimising processed foods especially ultra processed; reducing sugar to a minimum & reducing fat. Adding in things to my diet like regular kefir & sauerkraut have helped too. Leaving more than 12 hours without any calorie intake overnight has been a good change too. I can now much more easily tolerate the ibuprofen I need to take occasionally, without taking anything such as Gaviscon or omeprazole.

Hi, I did this successfully last year, though the acid rebound was horrendous, a good dose of Gaviscon Advance regularly definitely helped, and within a week it was much better. My consultant switched me to Famotidine which is much less harmful, and 4 weeks in, I'm feeling much better, it doesn't have the nasty side effects of the PPIs either. Definitely worth mentioning to the GP. good luck!

I use something called IQoro. It’s a natural remedy.
I am now off esomaprazole and Gaviscon.
I was having Gaviscon for desert after breakfast, lunch and supper !!!
I didn’t notice much change to start with but after a month I didn’t need anything as I had no reflux. I have a hiatus hernia and that is an ongoing issue, but my chest pain has also subsided.

IQoro (MYoroface AB) is a neuromuscular training device and exercise regime used to relieve symptoms related to hiatus hernia by strengthening the oesophagus and diaphragm.

The device is made of acrylic and consists of a crescent-shaped panel that sits between the teeth and lips and a handle for pulling. The panel, or screen, is gripped between closed lips and the teeth and the handle is pulled outwards with the hand. To exercise, the user presses their lips together and pulls forward strongly for 5 to 10 seconds, repeating the exercise 3 times with 3 seconds of rest between repetitions. Training should be done 3 times each day, preferably before meals.

The product is marketed for use in people with dysphagia and in people with a hiatus hernia and reflux symptoms. This briefing focuses on IQoro for treating people with hiatus hernia. NICE has also published a medtech innovation briefing on IQoro for stroke-related dysphagia.

Lovetopaint037

Just this. I am now anaemic and have low sodium. Tried to come off it a year ago and I was in agony. Now awaiting a bowel test as doctor is concerned about my anaemia. Now I see that Omeprazole reduces iron absorption. I have all the symptoms of anaemia and so want to feel better. Any .
long term user who has managed to come off it and could help before speaking again to my doctor and could help I would be grateful.

I’m don’t have an answer for you I’m afraid Lovetopaint037, but you have my sympathy. I know how very tough (and painful) it is without these meds. I’ve been on them since 2004 and the research available of the various issues from taking them makes scary reading. The GPs at my surgery seem to have no interest when I enquire. That said, I couldn’t cope without them. Even missing one day I get GORD so bad it has actually burned the top of my throat, where the skin stops being protected from the acid. I’ll watch and see what, if anything, others can suggest. I was without them for a three day trip recently and literally could not eat a thing, I only drank milk for the entire trip which eased the pain slightly. Good luck.

Weirdly, gaviscon makes mine worse.

My partner decided to come off omeprazole after being prescribed it for 20 years. He was anaemic a blood test showed. His surgery pharmacist didn't like him coming off it and tried to talk him out of it. He insisted and made a telephone appointment with the most helpful doctor at his surgery. He was prescribed famotidine which seemed to work ok. He still get occasional bouts of heartburn. If that happens he takes a low dose of bicarbonate of soda or milk or Rennie's and sometimes Gaviscon.
I keep heartburn away by having a lot of vegetables in my diet and strangely lettuce always on the side always seems to help even with eating curry! The worst things are pastry and bread with cheese. It was interesting to read these comments seeing that others had made the decision to come off it too.

Looking at Gaviscon I noticed it said not to be taken with aspirin. I will have to speak to my doctor as soon as I can. Will ask about Famotidine. Perhaps I could alternate that with Omerprazole to begin with. Although she is concerned about my anaemia she doesn’t seem aware it could be caused by Omeprazole. I told her about the low sodium connection and she wasn’t aware. Also a pharmacist I spoke to said he had never heard of it. I’m having now to wait for my results to see if there is any blood in my poo. Once I see it come up on my NHS I will contact the surgery.


sodium).

Lovetopant my GP was pretty switched on re the low sodium, I’m flagged anyway as my natural sodium is low at 130, I’ve required a saline drip before now, tricky as too much salt raises BP, for which I take medication.
I’ve been given 10mg omeprazole to be used very sparingly, in the last year probably only 3/4 times, when my reflux has been very bad.

I went ‘cold turkey’ and changed my diet too: decaf tea and coffee, small portions, no alcohol, chocolate or baked goods and take care with onions. Occasional Rennies needed if I veer off piste

If you Google "proton pump inhibitors and iron deficient anemia" (Omeprazole is that type of drug), there are a good few scientific articles linking them, even if your GP is not aware, Lovetopaint! Doctors can't keep up with all the research, but it does seem from a quick glance that omeprazole is a possible cause of your anaemia. However, it would be a good idea to have other causes ruled out, so if offered a test for blood in stool, take it.

Thank you everyone. I am now looking every day to see if my stool test has appeared on the NHS app.

Jaxjacky

I was prescribed Omeprazole for reflux caused by a hiatus hernia, swiftly taken off it because my sodium dropped and prescribed Famotidine, different family of drugs. I also take Gaviscon advance at bedtime.

Same as above for me too. I stopped taken any meds. and as Dickens, I changed my diet, no tomatoes or spicey foods, lactus free milk, sour dough bread, no white wine or any wine, no pastry. I think milk helps settle the stomach.

Both the above meds have severe side effects; hair loss, memory loss, to name but a few! I had severe vertigo which freighted me, so that's when I stopped. I take Rennes when needed [hardly ever now] and have definitely stopped the acid indigestion through diet change.

The brain needs acid!

Oh and footnote:

The meds go into the blood stream, therefore the brain, Rennee & Gaviscon just sit on the stomach, so safe.

Cut the tablets in half and when ready just stop.

After this bad experience, I will be very wary of taking any meds again, never took anything before this and now don't want to take anything again!

Maggieanne

I am using Omeprazole but I asked my GP to prescribe 10 mg instead of 20mg daily which has worked, try that and then I'm afraid you have to stop eating/drinking whatever causes the problem. Get advice from a pharmacist after you have lowered the dose because they are probably best for suggesting alternatives. I must say again, it's whatever food that causes the problem that needs to be cut down/stopped, unfortunately, we can't eat what we used to enjoy when we were younger.

Yes quite right Maggie. I did cut down from 40mg to 20mg before cutting in half and then stopping.

I eat Spinach every day now too.

I read somewhere that if you take omeprazole you should take a multi-vit and calcium in the evening. So I do and my blood tests seem to be ok

I was on Omeprazole for 10 yrs. I had 3 colonoscopies during that time to find the reason for bad stomach pain cramps and diarrhoea- nothing showed up( think of the cost to NHS) In despair , I asked a new GP if it could be the Omeprazole. She said of course and to come off it and try Gaviscon Advance. No more cramps and diarrhoea!! Repeat prescriptions are doled out and not revised. It’s up to us the patient to ask if we still need a drug. I wish I had and not felt so miserable for so many years. A relation of mine who does medical research told me that Omeprazole is only meant to be used short term.

It depletes the minerals in the gut and after time your gut starts to complain about lack of acid and minerals. It stands to sense. Drs prescribed it as a magic drug but new research tells a different story!

My husband was on it for a few years then he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes so we researched how to cope with it and a low carb diet was recommended. So we got rid of all unnecessary carbs in the house and cooked low carb meals and the result was my DH was able to ditch the omeprazole because he didn’t need it any more.

Just an update. Seen on my NHS app that my poo sample is clear. So relieved. Meanwhile asked the surgery if I could have a prescription for 10mg to help me to come off my 20mg. I have these and have substituted them for the.last three days. So far no sign of the terrible agony I experienced a year ago when I tried alternating the 20mg. Not sure if I should only use these and not revert to the 20mg for a day or two. Hoping I will soon be able to miss out the 10mg on alternate days and then perhaps stop altogether. I am upping my oats to protect my stomach from the aspirin and am having toast or similar after breakfast so food before and after the aspirin. Will have to ask Doctor about something to help with the anaemia. She wanted the test done first. Haven’t heard from her but thank heavens for the NHS app which shows results.

Well done Loveto and thanks for update on your poo

When I first went on Lansoprozac [same as Omeprazole, pump supresser] I was desperate for some relief from the terrible acid indigestion I'd suffered for 8yrs or more, I thought I can't live the rest of my life like this, from first thing in the morning, all day & during the night too. I thought it a miracle when the meds completely stopped it all.
But the side effects were too much and I was afraid I was going to damage my brain.

Today, after changing my diet, I am truly amazed I am not suffering any more! So it is all about diet. I have old fashioned porage every morning too.

When I was onLansoprozac, I had such server virtigo, you would assess it as I'd had a mini stroke, twice, but it was the meds. As frieghtening, was the time I had food poisoning; dashing to the loo, both ends BUT couldn't vomit, my whole body was convulsing, trying to get rid of my stomach contents but nothing would come up, all night like this, until finally I vomited. So, I thought; it must be that blooming Lansoprozac!

I took the Lansoprozac with my night time horlicks before bedtime, so thinking that the meds had worn off enough by early morning for my pump to work enough to get rid of the contents of my stomach, so frieghtening!

Never intend to take any meds again. Be warned!

Yoginimeisje what a terrible time you have had. I am so pleased that you have discovered a way to deal with your previous troubles. It just informs us how careful we need to be before taking medication on a regular prescription. My sister-in-law used to be in agony with indigestion problems. Her doctor offered her Omeprazole but told her she would be on it for life. She opted instead for Gaviscon which has really helped. Unfortunately I couldn’t take that with aspirin. And as Omeprazole was supposed to protect my stomach as I was taking aspirin Gaviscon was out. It used to worry me that the directions stated it was for only short term use. However my repeat prescription had “to be taken all the time I was on aspirin”.So trusted this as given by the surgery pharmacist. So good luck and good wishes to you for a future pain free time.

I'm puzzled by references to not taking Gaviscon with aspirin. I was on the low dose aspirin for a while but never told not to take Gaviscon. I looked at Gaviscon label and also NHS site
www.nhs.uk/medicines/low-dose-aspirin/taking-low-dose-aspirin-with-other-medicines-and-herbal-supplements/
No mention of Gaviscon or other antacids.

I think doctors who prescribe omeprazole along with the low dose heart aspirin "to protect the stomach" may be confused- high doses of some anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) may need omeprazole or similar ppis. OH was prescribed Omeprazole along with an NSAID when he had knees replaced, but only for a few weeks. The low dose aspirin is usually "enteric coated" to protect stomach anyway, and if taken with food, as recommended, is very unlikely to cause stomach problems. If Gaviscon is needed, because of acid reflux, it is likely to be taken later in the day.