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Trying to get OFF Prilosec / Omeprazole been on it 30 years
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.
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Hi. I saw your comment @ripley, and understand exactly what you're trying to do. I have moved from 80 mg to 60 mg (very short term) to 40 to 20 to 10mg, using 10 and 20 every other day. Did that for a couple years, and finally was on 10 mg/daily for the last year when my PCP said why not just try Pepcid 20 twice a day, like you did. So far, so good. I'm not sure what you mean by not being successful, but i'm guessing we all have different diagnoses here and it is hard for one person to recommend to another what to do without being a doctor, and without knowing if we have the same symptoms. If your doctor says it's ok to try again, have you considered 40mg in morning and 20mg at night? Or even 40mg twice a day? It sounds like a lot but at least you'd be off pantroprazole and wouldn't have the osteoporosis concern.
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1 ReactionBudesonide. It is specifically targeted at microscopic colitis - both lymphocytic and collagenous types.
The only other thing & I don't know IF it really helps ? Or just a pacifier mental thing ?Sometimes I'll take a half a 0.5mg Zanax & things seem better ? Again I don't like or want that either. I guess I was gullible & thought Dr's actually could fix things & the ER was this magic place. I didn't realize it really wasn't that human & mostly a business. Thankful to be on top of the grass not under it. Unless you are living it others just can't understand what it does to not only you but your loved ones.
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1 ReactionGoing 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