Side effects with omeprazole/Prilosec use

It sounds counterintuitive to use an acid to treat indigestion or GERD, but vinegar/apple cider vinegar has definitely seen its share of health claims. However, I think it is important to note that there is no medical research, published clinical trial or evidence that links using vinegar to treat heartburn.

A master's degree thesis, "to investigate the association between acid and heartburn symptoms related to GERD from a beneficial point of view. The acid chosen for the study was organic apple cider vinegar with mother..."
found that, "...compared to the placebo trial, the vinegar trials do not show significant alleviation of the heartburn sensation. Ingestion of organic vinegar appeared to alleviate heartburn symptoms for few individuals, however, the effect seemed to last only for the first 60 to 75 minutes. https://repository.asu.edu/attachments/166181/content/Yeh_asu_0010N_15671.pdf

Whether it’s lifestyle changes, medications, or a home remedies, you should always work with your doctor to create a treatment plan that’s best for you, to avoid adverse reactions. For instance..

– Vinegar may interact with certain medications – diuretics, diabetes and heart medications, laxatives interact poorly with apple cider vinegar.
– Using vinegar to treat acid reflux may also worsen your symptoms, especially if you have an ulcer. The acid can permanently damage your esophagus and cause difficulty swallowing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12376715
– Drinking vinegar, even when diluted in water, can also wear down your teeth enamel.
Here's what the experts say: https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/health/apple-cider-vinegar-uses/index.html

While so many of us (myself included) turn to the Internet for information and news, we tend to overlook the fact that the Internet is just as likely to be a source of misinformation; plus, using vinegar as a condiment or cooking ingredient, we tend to label it "safe" for everything. Since we have no data to support the benefits or safety of its use for heartburn, it might be a good idea to consult your doctor before using vinegar as a treatment for heartburn...and continue using it as a salad dressing for now.

I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion, and I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this matter.

Thanks @colleenyoung

I also just wanted to inform you, that my Gastroenterologist took me off Omeperazole, and added Ranitidine because it doesn't cause Osteoporosis and actually works better for myself!

It's been almost 2 years now, and no GERD symptoms, no PPI or other prescriptions. My Doc prescribed a PPI after diagnosing me with GERD. After 2 months, I experienced joint pain that started keeping me up at night, only to have a friend of mine suggest that it's a side effect of the PPI...so, after talking with my doctor, I discontinued the PPI and sure enough the joint pain went away. Desperate to find a solution, I decided to try the vinegar...this is what I've found: After several weeks, I started using 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted with 7 oz of water, drank it with a straw (recommended to avoid having the vinegar affect tooth enamel), 15 minutes prior to dinners. The theory is of course is that the acid of the vinegar tells your brain to 'hold off' on sending the message for your stomach to start producing excessive amounts of acid after larger meals, with the vinegar being a more mild acid solution than your natural stomach acid. To be fair, I did stop with any coffee in the afternoons...but, I still drink several cups in the morning. And, I've switched to balsamic vinegar...it just is easier for me to drink being a grape extract as opposed to the apple. On rare occasions, probably once every 3 or 4 months, if I've 'over-done' a meal I will occasionally use pepto, the pink over the counter. The only negative is this: it took me several weeks to begin to notice a real difference...the vinegar doesn't work as fast as the PPI drugs. Also, once started, I need to be sure not to miss...if I forget to take the vinegar, by 6:30pm I can tell that there's something not happy with my stomach... even if I am at a restaurant, i'll seek out some 'malt vinegar' which most restaurants typically have. I'm otherwise very healthy, 49 years of age, male with no other dietary restrictions, other than the no coffee after noon, and I do stay away from pineapple and other citrus fruits after noon as well. thank you for this forum to be able to communicate. I did ask my doc about the vinegar prior to using, and the reply was that there 'wasn't enough studies' to merit an opinion. I thought I would contribute to this forum after I tried it for a year because it was a forum I consulted and still do with other health related issues.

@sunstriae this is very interesting to me. I have never actually had GERD but I have Barrett’s Esophagus and take omeprazole for that. I have read that long term effects from omeprazole are not good so I would love to be able to get off of it too.
Thanks for posting
JK

My doctor said to take 1/2 pill for 2 weeks, then 1/4 pill for 2 weeks, and then stop. I did this, except am still on the 1/4 pill for several months. Need to do the complete stop. 🙂

My doctor said the way to get off omeprazole/Prilosec if you take one pill daily is to take 1/2 pill daily for 2 weeks, then 1/4 pill daily for 2 weeks, and then stop. I've been at the 1/4 pill level for several months; need to just quit!

@lelia I'm confused. I never knew that omeprazole had to be stopped gradually. What happens if you just stop taking it? I was taking twice the amount I am now taking and when the doctor cut that in half I had no effects from that. Plus, I have always had capsules, those would be tough to cut in half.
JK

You don't have to quit gradually, but doing so helps you body adjust. Regarding splitting the capsules, you could just switch to over the counter Prilosec; those are pills, not capsules. Hope this helps.

@contentandwell You are suppose to do it gradually. I take 40 mg 2 x a day now. I have just quit taking all at once and have done both gradually stopped it. Ether way when I stop. I am good for about 3 weeks or 4 weeks without it. Then bam it's back with a fury. I think maybe you can quit taking it, but you are talking about a tremendous lifestyle change in the way you can eat. ,
I started out with acid reflux,then it turned into gerd,and now barretts.. When you have barretts it is difficult to stop this medicine.
Possibly cutting back to 1 pill a day. But you need to give up everything just about. Live on a diet of fruits, vegetables, and lean meat. No sugars,sweets, or fattening foods, and knock your weight to looking like scarecrow. Not counting staying away from any acidic foods, my favorite chocolate.
I wish everyone good luck who is trying to do this. I know I am trying myself too.