20 years on omeprazole...need help coming off!!
Posted , 56 users are following.
Hi,
I'm 47 and have been taking omeprazole for the best part of 20 years. I recently discovered that the recommendation (by those wonderful/caring people at the pharmaceuticals!) is 14 days so yep, really need to come off em!!
Originally diagnosed with reflux oesophogatis (probably didn't spell that correctly!) and was told the valve that stops acid rising was damaged (too much smoking, drinking, and spicy food in my 20s) I have already reduced to 10mg quite some time ago and would really like any tips on coming off them for good.
I have a constant irritation in my stomach probably due to not digesting food properly, ringing in my ears, bloating/distension, depression/constant suicidal thoughts, and I also get acne/roscea etc- all of which I believe are connected to the imbalances caused by omeprazole.
Its also worth mentioning that I have NO FAITH WHATSOEVER in doctors whom I firmly consider to be glorified drug pushers for the pharmaceutical mafia. Yes that may well be a sweeping generalisation but I have yet to meet one who does not fit that description so I make no apologies for that whatsoever. Having said that I did once have a lovely doctor who, the day before he retired after 40 years, told me he was completely disillusioned and ashamed of his profession and that I should always look into natural 'alternatives' before taking the "rubbish that we give you" (bless him!)
I am also on a very low budget having lost a lot of work lately so need affordable suggestions if at all possible.
Thanks in advance :-)
4 likes, 105 replies
angelica_35956 mark_34879
Posted
Hi wanted to see how you been feeling after you stopped. I jst stopped a week but haven't been feeling gd n don't wanna take any med.
tpaula mark_34879
Posted
Hi, I've been on 40mg for 20 years and am having terrible time getting off them. I am a vegetarian and have been quite anemic for most of the 20 years. No doctor has ever suggested a link between the omeprazole and the anemia. They now want me to take a blood thinner because I have developed heart problems, but can't because of the anemia. I think omeprazole has caused my problems. I've also had low magnesium at times. After much research, I finally understand that my body can't absorb iron from non-meat sources without stomach acid. I cut down to 20 mg for a week, then it got so bad even with Tums, that I started back on 40mg. I am going to look up the drug sucralfate, which I've read may help with the withdrawal from the acid rebound of Prilosec. I am going to try several of the tips you all have for weaning myself off. I'm glad to have discovered this forum and hope everyone has been able to stay off.
gillian75986 mark_34879
Posted
Once you get off Omeprazole I'd say a lot of the symptoms like bloating, low mood and ringing in your ears will reduce or even stop like they have for me . I was on it for 6 months.
You will get rebound reflux and there are good home remedies you can try which I've mentioned on here before eg liquorice DCL chews , & ginger,honey and cinnamon in hot water & chewing almonds.
I had to replace Omeprazole with peptac liquid & home remedies. However I found that by taking Zantac
tablets my symptoms eventually fizzled out and I now don't need anything.
I get pangs of heartburn if I eat a curry or eat too late at night. I carry a packet of Gaviscon double action chews with me at all times and so far so good.
You just need to taper off slowly especially when you have been on Omeprazole for so long as is the case with all drugs used over long periods of time.
Good luck.
jackie84862 gillian75986
Posted
Hi! I am so glad this thread is still current as I am weaning off omprazole and over the past few days have almost quit trying because of the rebound symptoms. Reading other people's experiences has made me realize that I can do this since others have had the same challenges and overcome them. I have been on a high dose ( 40 mg X2 a day) after gastric sleeve surgery 6 years ago. I am greatful that my weight is under control but now feel that getting control of the acid reflux and learning to manage it is paramount to maintaining my health overall. My dose got that high because I have been taking ibprophen for a back injury ( a gift that keeps on giving :-( ). Currently I have discontinued the omeprazole completely after titrationing down from 40 X 2 per day to 20 x2 plus a 75 mg Zantac with each dose for 4 weeks. Then I eliminated the morning omprazole completely in the morning and just kept the 75 mg Zantac for 4 weeks. Then I eliminated the evening dose of 20 mg omprazole and kept the 75 mg Zantac just last week and OUCH the rebound hit me like a ton of bricks. So last night after consuming about 10 Tums over 2 hours I turned to the internet and found this forum.
After reading a while I drove to a 24 hour pharmacy and bought a bottle of liquid Gaviscon and got some rest sleeping with my head elevated on a pile of pillows. Today I'm off to find some of the items called out in the forum. Thanks to everyone for sharing their techniques for getting off omprazole. Sometimes other people's experience and coping mechanisms are so much more helpful than physician advice because I think my physician thought I must not be following his instructions or I wouldn't still be struggling. The thing is, reading up on the side effects of omprazole scared me so much, especially the possible causal relationship with dementia, made me not want to even backtrack to a smaller dose of omprazole. I have experienced all of the symptoms listed on this forum, I think omprazole is more dangerouse than most doctors realize.
faith87650 jackie84862
Posted
I am really chuffed to be off it. It wasn't easy but I believed I could do it so worked around it. I used to be bad if didn't take omeprazole for a day! I have gaviscon in the cupboard in case I have a bad dose and carry the gaviscon tablets around in case I am out and about. Now I hardly take anything. Sleep with one pillow and eat what I like. Just take it slowly, listen to others and do yr own thing. A friend of mine just couldn't get off it so went back on. She has so many problems so not that big a deal. Horses for courses. Try buy if you have to go back on then so be it, don't fret. Life too short and you could get run over. Good luck
Carol_Christine mark_34879
Posted
jme9928 Carol_Christine
Posted
Carol_Christine jme9928
Posted
I'm going to read through your post. Thank you for getting back to me.
tpaula Carol_Christine
Posted
James's method sounds like the way to go. I've had no luck so far, but I take caplets not capsules and they say not to crush or break. I don't know how to gradually cut back. I take 2 caplets per day and have cut back to one for weeks at times, only to break down and take another when it gets too bad.
Carol_Christine tpaula
Posted
I take the caplets as well. I take one per day and searched a while back and found a really good tapering schedule. It started with 1tab then 3/4 the next for 2 weeks, then 3/4 everyday for 2 weeks...and so forth. The whole process can take up to 4 months tho. I actually did it over the summer and had gotten to the end and then had some stress and the heartburn came back and it was too uncomfortable, so back to the one per day. ugh. I'm going to try again.
tpaula Carol_Christine
Posted
It's good to know you didn't have any problems with cutting the caplets. I wonder why it says not to break them? I am going to wait until the first of April to try tapering off again. I recently had a cardiac procedure done and must take some extra medicatons until then. Good luck to you, I'm convinced it is a drug I need to get away from.
Carol_Christine tpaula
Posted
It was a little challenging to slice the caplets into quarters and sometimes they crumbled. I always took the biggest share first and then was left with the smaller one and knew I had to take it an not waste it. Did the doctor mention Prilosec in relation to your cardio event? I read heart problems was one of the latest findings related to long term use. I don't know, but it sounds like a stretch.
tpaula Carol_Christine
Posted
No mention that it caused my atrial fibrillation, which had gotten increasing worse. I'm almost certain it's responsible for my anemia and most likely to an infection of clostridium difficile I had years ago and possibly contributing to osteoporosis. I swore it was a wonder drug when I first started taking it because it worked so well. It took me years to decide it must be causing other problems.
jamie_95686 mark_34879
Posted
Hi buddy I been on omeprazole nearly 3 years but recently I'm in pain bad with stomach cramps I've had blood tests & a scan with nothing showing so I'm going to try get off these horrible drugs how have you done
jamie_95686 mark_34879
Posted
Wish me luck I've started today I will try to get of them in the next 4 weeks I take 1 /20mg a day so I will try to take one every other day