Getting Off of Omeprazole: Share your success stories please.

Do you no longer suffer from GERD? If not, why do you want off of it? What does your MD say about getting off it?

@nightngale1998 I substituted Zantac for Omeprazole.

@dandl48 does ask a good question, though. Have you discussed this change with your doctor? Do you have a specific reason for the change. Long term use of Omeprazole can result in other health issues. Is this the reason why you want to change?

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Teresa

We weaned off our acid reflux meds very slowly. The possible long term side effect of taking acid reflux meds concerned us. I brought empty capsules and made our own capsules as we slowly weaned off. Now, i juice 16 ounces of celery every morning for myself and husband. . We drink it before our coffee and wait about 30 minutes. And, we drink a teaspoon of Braggs apple cider vinegar (the mother) each morning before breakfast. I hope this is helpful.

Thank you for responding, dand48, hopeful33250, Theresa, and destinanna. I still suffer from GERD from a hiatal hernia. I have taken Oemprazole a little over two years and want to get off of the medication because of the associated health issues of poor absorption of key nutrients (D, B12, and calcium are the ones I am familiar with).

My provider, a competent gentleman, has said "hmmmm." I am an RN so am used to doing the research and my own investigation. I have not found evidenced based information / articles on weaning off of Omeprazole. I have heard it can be done and tried to do so but was met with resistance and poor results when I attempted to do so. I switched over to Zantac and the first three days were reasonable and after that it was very uncomfortable).

The celery sounds hopeful and am trying to figure out the mechanism of action for its success. I have tried cider vinegar and it was met with severe cramping.

I am seeking successful scenario's by the valued participants on this board and will do a fair amount of research / experimentation on my own of what works for me. I take responsibility for my nutrition. I am also Lactose intolerant and have a few other sensitivities / intolerances in digestion.I thank you in advance for any additional feedback.

Wouldn't taking vinegar increase your GERD since it is an acid? I take 4 generic Nexiums plus a Zantac along with D3 and magnesium. My blood work is fine.

what is omepraloze

@nightngale1998 I been on Omprazole for 2 1/2 yrs. I go on and off myself . Mostly cause I forget to take it. My usual dose is 40mg in the AM and 40mg in the PM. I can go for about 30 days without taking it. Then BAM. The stabbing chest pains, sore throat and stomach starts to hurt. So I have to go back to regularly taking the pills. It usually takes about 2 weeks to get back to feeling normal no chest pains and such.

I tried the vinegar once.. OMG.. I might as well drank boric acid, it felt about the same. It was like flames were shooting down my throat. I think that works for people with occasional acid reflux?

You have to completely live on a bland diet. Which is impossible for me at least. I think in order to live without the medicine. But i don't even know, if that works when you have a hernia?

My blood work is fine perfect actually after this long. I think it can possibly cause issues with our kidney's?? But I don't know anyone who has been affected that way?

Now I have a couple of family members who have been taking this medicine for 20+ years and they are fine today in their 70"s.

If I am not mistaken Gerd is the precursor to Barrett's Syndrome? Barrett's Syndrome is the precursor to Throat Cancer? My Uncle has barrett's Syndrome and the Dr's watch him like a hawk.

I would talk to your DR again or go for another opinion to see what another Dr recommends for you. You may hear a different story.

I wish you the Best..
Jackie

I hesitate to write this because i am absolutely not an expert and am an experiment of one. With that said I will tell you my experience.

i was on Prilosec (prescription) for years and then there were a series of events and I stopped taking it. Surprise. NO problem. Then I had an endoscopy (for other reasons) and asked the doctor if he thought I should be taking Prilosec and he said he saw no reason. So I have not gone back to it.

What I did do was adjust my diet and stop eating citrus, tomatoes, and other items - i actually forget now because it is all in the past. I DO eat yogurt, cottage cheese, other cheese (not cheddar) peanut butter, meat, cooked (and non cruciferous) vegetables, yams, berries, bananas, other stuff. . I have a whole list somewhere if you want it, just PM me. I created the list by trial and error - if something gave me GERD, out it went.

One take away I came to was the gastroenterologists do like to prescribe Prilosec. If you have something it will probably fix it. I have other problems but Prilosec is not fixing them, still the GI doctor wanted me to take the Prilosec. . All medicines have an affect on our kidneys and livers. I have a sense Prilosec is not a bad medicine any more than any other (I went back to the original research and found it not compelling) ..it is just that all medicines have problems.

BTW - that vinegar. Yikes. NEVER or as Jackie above called it - "acid"

Best to you and good luck-

Val

As a result of chronic pancreatitis and the resultant decrease in my Pancreas' ability to produce digestive enzymes, I was put on 40 mg. of omeprazole twice a day. I think I took that dose for 6-8 years and then read this: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/common-heartburn-drugs-linked-with-kidney-disease/. I always assumed there were reasons that all manufacturers of PPI's (proton pump inhibitors - Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid) recommended that one should not take for longer than 14 days without seeing a doctor. The most immediate concern being a masking of a potentially dangerous issue with bleeding ulcers and other problems high levels of acid could cause. I stopped taking the medication cold turkey and did not experience any type of withdrawal symptoms. I occasionally take ranitidine (zantac) as it works by a different mechanism, but only when necessary. I don't know if others will experience withdrawals, but if I were determined to stop and my physician was not supportive, I would talk with my pharmacist about the best method of withdrawing.
Good luck to anyone trying to withdraw,
Gary

Welcome to Connect @jillmaguire10,

Omeprazole (Prilosec) is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), used to treat certain conditions where there is too much acid in the stomach. It is used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers, erosive esophagitis, dyspepsia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/omeprazole-oral-route/description/drg-20066836

May I ask what brings you to Connect, @jillmaguire10?