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Side effects with omeprazole/Prilosec use

Posted by blueorca @blueorca, May 5, 2018

i am an 18-year user of daily OTC Prilosec. It does a perfect job of controlling my GERD but I am constantly battling side effects of nutritional deficiencies in iron, B-12, magnesium, etc. For example, my hair is extremely thin and loss of energy is a constant problem. I am looking for specific help in knowing which supplements to take for this and in what doses and formats and on what schedule. All the nutritionists I've found locally are not well-versed in Prilosec use. Is there a medical provider out there who specializes in this? And would they be willing to work with me long distance?

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ZeeGee | @fourof5zs | Jul 12 9:26am
In reply to @vadan "Might wanna clue people in that Omeperazole is a horrible drain on calcium, D3 and K,..." + (show)
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Might wanna clue people in that Omeperazole is a horrible drain on calcium, D3 and K, as well!
After eight years of continuous daily use of omeprazole and esomeprazole, I needed shoulder surgery at age 64 and my surgeon told me he felt my shoulder bone was too soft for somebody who exercises as much as I do.
My blood panel, calcium numbers were falling drastically as well, and one PC told me that I had a vitamin D3 deficiency!
It took a while, but I have concluded that omeprazole is the cause, and now I am weaning off of it, using it every other day with Pepcid in between; Mylanta and Gaviscon at the ready just in case. It has only been one week and so far so good. I’ve tried to just stop this and it was horrible.
What I found also was that I did not know you could take more than one Pepcid in a day and that’s what I was doing, just the one, and that’s why It didn’t work.
I’ll take a Pepcid about every eight or nine hours, 20 mg, on the alternating days I’m not using omeprazole until I am weaned off of it.
I am also taking a calcium citrate/carbonate mix with K2 and D3capsules, NEVER TABS) and my D3 egg with meals to replace the calcium D and K this horrible over-the-counter medicine has stolen
from me.

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@vadan
After 30 years on PPIs my body said: ENOUGH! Every time I took one it came right back up.

My Mayo doctor was not happy about me discontinuing them. She wanted me to take a high dose of Famotidine (Pepcid). My body did not like that either.

I take Pepcid Complete .. store brand version. I don’t take it every day. If my stomach or esophagus feels irritated I will take one or two tablets after a meal (3 times a day) for a few days. I might also take store brand version of Maalox or Mylanta at night … just depends on how irritated my stomach or esophagus is.

Since doing this I have not had Barrett‘s Esophagus and only mild gastritis and esophagitis.

My husband just had an endoscopy and the floor of his stomach is covered in polyps .. from long term use of PPIs .. but doctors want him on PPIs. He eats enough fiber .. but eats too many fatty and processed foods. Like hot dogs and luncheon meats.

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