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Side effects with omeprazole/Prilosec use
Digestive Health | Last Active: Sep 26 10:44am | Replies (793)Comment receiving replies
Short version of a long story. I'm male 71. My Gerd/Reflux started 30 years ago & I was given Prilosec 20mg daily & it worked. I've had EVERY issue I am NOW reading about as side effects & that it was only intended for 14 days ? I've been to Gastros & had colonoscopies & indoscopies as recent as June 2023 & numerous negative stool cultures & ASK for HELP from NUMEROUS Drs over the years to NO avail. I've been hospitalized several times with my diarrhea & low magnesium & NOW to ME it ALL is starting to make SENSE. My biggest concern is I'm muscle wasting & have had testing done & told NO muscle disease. ALL sorts of labs & blood work. CT & MRIs. I'm really getting a lot of loose skin ALL over. I'm weak 40 lbs feel like lifting 100lbs. Aches & pains pretty much everywhere. Hips & knees & shoulders. Have xrayed everything & all I get is you have Osteoarthritis. Offer up MORE pills. I feel like NO one will address it I think since they have continued prescibing it so long & NOW there is so much BAD about it that they are AFRAID to say anything ? My kidney labs are always out of range, borderline anemic & other labs are out of range & when you READ about what they CAN mean a lot lead back to cancer. It's SCARY to THINK this may be related to talking this medication but when I question several years of labs out of range I'm told its OK & expected for my AGE ? Spinal surgeon & Rheumatologist both said Spinal Stenosis in his opinion was causing it & surgery could supposedly stop or slow it but a 6 hr surgery & 3 month recovery sounds scary. ANYONE going through anything like this ? Occular migraines are more & more frequent too does any of THIS sound FAMILIAR to anyone on Omeprazole 20mg. long term? It works but if the drug ruins your quality of life why take it. I tried once to get OFF this & the rebound was awful. I've rotated every other day with Famotidine 20 mg but it falls shot by mid day the next day. Thinking about trying morning & night ? Drs really NO help. I see a lot of lawyers taking cases ? I just want my life BACK & a REAL fix.
Replies to "Short version of a long story. I'm male 71. My Gerd/Reflux started 30 years ago &..."
I let acid reflux go untreated for about 20 years — just ate lots of Tums — and ended up being diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus at age 45. I’ve been on Prevacid for over 25 years. If I miss one dose, the pain from the acid reflux is excruciating. So I have no desire to stop taking it. Fortunately I haven’t had the bad side effects that y’all have experienced — I’m so sorry for all of you who are dealing with those issues.
And by the way, my gastroenterologist explained to me years ago that although prevacid wasn’t intended for long term use, I would have to be on it for the rest of my life.
I've been on a PPI for 6 years. I went off of it and developed peptic ulcers so my GI said PPI'S for life. My last EGD showed No Barrett's Esophagus or ulcers! That makes it worthwhile for me to continue on them for life. I'm turning 69 so I'm almost at the end stage of life for a male.
Going to have this test:
https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/abdominct
Gonna get this test. ANYONE had this ?
https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/abdominct
Oh my gosh. I so understand you and found myself nodding in sync with your comments. I live in the Seattle area and have been through thr circuit of G.I. docs, all of whom do not wish to listen and solve my puzzle. It is medicine 2024 and I hate it. It's also medicine post-COVID. I have a dining room table with a large Amazon box on top. Inside the box are 50 or so past Rx's and various other OTC meds. I have an "open house" and invite my friends to take anything. Of course the early birds caught the "best" worms: the opiod based meds, none of which I can tolerate and won't due to my constipation.
I do believe, unfortunately, you are suffering from some degree of Rx overload. It makes sense to me. Have you tried getting into the Mayo Clinic. I personally am waiting to hear from them. Nobody can solve my issue and have severe constipation and bloat. I am 67 and for 65.5 years have been extremely healthy. It sucks!
Best to you.
Beth
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I am sorry you are going through all this. I was on omeprazole for four years and it screwed up my digestive system, kidneys and bones (osteoporosis, which of course is attributed to my age). I don't have the other issues you do. But if you don't have enough stomach acid to digest your food, you aren't getting optimal nutrition. To me, that affects the whole body, organs and bones. So old age or PPI for your conditions? I couldn't say, but I would wonder. At this point though it doesn't matter. You have issues.
I weaned off the omeprazole over two months, reducing dosage. then I subbed famotidine for a few weeks, and cutting those pills up to complete the weaning process. A pharmacist said I could cut those pills, so I took them daily but decreasing the dosage very slowly.
Also went on a whole food, low-acid diet. Am doing better but it takes time (though fortunately my kidney values rebounding from CKD stage 3 to just over into the reference range. Don't know if that's possible after 30 years on that drug). There are two ENTs who have put out diet books/advice on how to manage GERD through diet and lifestyle changes. One is Dr. Aviv, and there is a FB group that offers a ton of recipes to supplement recipes in his book: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199013402360712. Koufman has a website that has a lot of free information about gerd and silent reflux (which affects the throat, nose, ears, which is why you have two ENTs talking about acid reflux): https://jamiekoufman.com.
When I stopped completely my reflux rebound lasted about three weeks. My perspective was that if I couldn't completely get off drugs I would switch to famotidine, which as an h2 blocker doesn't suppress acid nearly as much as the PPIs do. For me, if I follow the diet strictly and lifestyle changes such as sleeping with head propped up, giving myself a lot of time between eating and exercise, things like that, I do okay. Admittedly I don't follow the rules all the time, and then trouble erupts. I am still doing better than I was before starting omeprazole as far as reflux attacks go. My digestive issues such as horrible gas buildup causing abdominal pain has subsided. It is tough getting off a PPI after years of taking one (my doctor had told me I needed to take it daily for the rest of my life or else get cancer). I have no idea if you have esophagitis or Barrett's or anything else that would make taking a PPI more pressing. Whatever course you take, I wish you well.