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Can Omeprazole cause vitamin deficiencies?

Posted , 7 users are following.

wendy68446
wendy68446

Hi, I have been taking Omeprazole since 28th March this year. Since taking them my recent blood test has shown that my iron levels are a bit low still, my folate levels are also below normal and my B12 is a low normal reading (the doctor wants to recheck it in November). Omeprazole has been a wonder drug for my acid reflux but I’m not sure if it is masking any other problems.

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • simonron
    simonron wendy68446

    Posted

    I have the same symptoms while taking Lansoprazole. I think doctors are slowly realising this is a frequent issue - but so far have not done anything about it.

    .

    • simonron
      simonron wendy68446

      Posted

      Yup b12 and Feratin injections... Sifrol for my RLS... I'd LOVE to stop all that...

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 simonron

      Posted

      Sorry I don’t know what RLS is, I’m new to all these problems. Hopefully my B12 won’t fall any lower so I can avoid injections. I’m currently waiting for my stool analysis to see if I’m suffering from malabsorption issues. 
  • Jonathan57679
    Jonathan57679 wendy68446

    Posted

    Yes.  These drugs basically stop the stomach from making hydrochloric acid, and likely other necessary enzymes and chemicals.  So basically, you eat food, it sits in your stomach fermenting, it is pushed through the digestive system and you get very little nutrient benefit.  Slow starvation.  Eventually, you will get weird symptoms likely restless leg syndrome or muscle aches.  And bone loss and dementia. 

    What were your original symptoms for taking an acid blocker?

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 Jonathan57679

      Posted

      I was waking up every morning with abdominal pain and nausea, acid would rise to the back of my throat and it would either come up into my mouth or I would throw up stomach acid. Over the counter remedies did nothing to alleviate my symptoms so 3 months after trying to help myself I went to the doctor and that is when she’s prescribed Omeprazole. Since then I have only had two occasions where I have felt any stomach acid.
    • Jonathan57679
      Jonathan57679 wendy68446

      Posted

      This could be caused by many different issues,  I would just make a couple changes at a time, then you will know what the cause was. 

      I would start with not eating 3 hours before bed. 

      Raise the head of your bed by 10 inches or as close to that as you can.

      You may have slow transit time, which means that the food lingers in the stomach too long.

      You should also eat 1/2 cup of probiotic organic yogurt 4 times a day.  If you have too much bad bacteria, they can create gas while you sleep and push liquid up while you are lying down.

      Sleep on your back or left side.  That helps the stomach contents stay down.

      You may want to add a mild laxative, like myralax, in the morning.

      Try some of these steps and keep me posted to your progress.  John

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 Jonathan57679

      Posted

      My appetite has decreased so I generally don’t eat anything for about 3-4 hours before bed anyway.  I’m not ready to come off Omeprazole as I was struggling to get through work and was in extreme pain. I did raise my bed but it didn’t help.
    • Jonathan57679
      Jonathan57679 wendy68446

      Posted

      Okay, I understand.  Try the other items listed, you may get some relief.  Also, I forgot to mention a taking a high quality enzyme.

      I know they help because we have a German shepherd that would burp really loud.  It would wake her up at night and startle us it was so loud.  So, I added an enzyme/ probiotic supplement and immediately the burping stopped.  So I give her some twice a day.

      Some people claim that enzymes saved their life. 

      Proper digestion is extremely important.

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 Jonathan57679

      Posted

      I’m currently waiting for my stool sample results as my doctor thinks I might have malabsorption issues. I’m drinking a probiotic daily too 😊

  • Gillian_68
    Gillian_68 wendy68446

    Posted

    They caused a drop in my calcium levels, then a drop in my phosphate levels, I know have issues with my kidneys. 😕. These drugs are nasty. 

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 Gillian_68

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply. My most recent blood test was because I was asking if I still needed to be on iron tablets otherwise I’m not sure they would have bothered to check
  • nicci02160
    nicci02160 wendy68446

    Posted

    Hi Wendy, I was on Pantoprazole, same drug family, ie proton pump inhibitors. 

    ( PPIs )

    The side effect I suffered were hypomanagnesia, protein build up, weight gain and massive hair loss. I took them for 11 weeks, the weight gain was a stone, the hair loss huge and the malabsorption and my bodies inability to break down protein and fat, caused my blood to show low protein, while my liver was ‘backed up’ with protein. Felt really ill with this. Had to come off the tablets and bizarrely eat low protein just to bring the total protein in line and let my liver recover. 

    Fun huh ? 

    Weight back to normal, hair growing very fast and blood test levels much better.

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 nicci02160

      Posted

      I’m glad you are doing much better now 😊 I did ask my doctor if any of my new problems are related to my Omeprazole and she told me no. I wouldn’t have known about my folic acid if I hadn’t mentioned a blood test. I just don’t know what is going on at the moment. I’m just trying to eat more fruit and veg and less high fat foods. So far my upper abdominal pains aren’t as painful than they were before my diet change. 

    • nicci02160
      nicci02160 wendy68446

      Posted

      Aw, thank you !

      I hope you get to the bottom of your investigations.

      I can’t offer medical advice but the facts seem to be  there, that the stomach is prevented from doing its job properly due to the nature of the PPIs. 

      My partner suffers from acid reflux or GERD and I didn’t realise we had the same medication, mine was to acutely treat bleeding ulcers. I’m trying tinhrll him eat better, but he escapes my clutches and eats chocolate biscuits !! 😂

    • nicci02160
      nicci02160

      Posted

      Last sentence - ‘I’m trying to get him to eat better’ NOT 

      ‘I’m trying tinhrll’ etc 😁

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 nicci02160

      Posted

      I have had to change my diet as it was very poor (high fat foods) and it was giving me severe upper abdominal pain. Since I cut the high fat foods I don’t get such severe pain anymore, when I do it is more like a dull ache rather than the stabbing pains I used to feel. 
    • nicci02160
      nicci02160 wendy68446

      Posted

      Yes, high fat doesn’t seem to do me much good either. 

      Where are the notifications for this page ? I only just seen your reply ! 

      Going back to the fat, it’s like it just ‘sits’ there. 

      I see you’ve had your results back, good that it isn’t showing malabsorption. My blood tests very definitely did though, so that’s why I’m so vocal about it, I suppose. Didn’t need to go down the stool testing route. 

      My protein levels showed a slight rise, so that’s good for me. Was worried that my liver was failing ! Didn’t make any sense. 

      Onwards and upwards ! 😁

    • wendy68446
      wendy68446 nicci02160

      Posted

      Thank you. I’m so relieved that it wasn’t malabsorption. I’m beginning to think my poor diet finally crept up on me. Tomorrow I will be changing doctors surgeries so I no longer will know what will happen next for me.
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