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Can omeprozole make acid reflux worse?

Posted , 5 users are following.

ChrissieM
ChrissieM

I have been on omeprozole for 2 months for acid reflux and I have got worse in that time - I'm sure it must be the tablets that are making it worse. My doctor's advice was to increase the dose from 20mg to 40mg. No thanks.

Has anyone else had this happen to them? I'm waiting for an endoscopy so I might find out what's going on eventually!

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • jbonetwo
    jbonetwo

    Posted

    Ive been on omeprazole and while it failed to help me, it did not make things worse either.

    Make sure you're eating regularly as that would be something that makes your acid reflux worse.

    I had better results with ranitidine so you might consider asking your doctor to switch you to that instead.

  • ChrissieM
    ChrissieM

    Posted

    I did eventually do as the doctor suggested and double the dose of omeprazole, which didn't help at all, and then came off it altogether before my gastroscopy (which showed everything normal). I was off it for a month and feeling dreadful, and then my doctor put me on lansoprazole. I managed 3 tablets and felt so ill and the acid so bad I had to stop. Still feeling awful with severe acid at night and painful throat, sinuses and stomach during the day.

    I spent £60 on a bed wedge which doesn't help. I always eat regularly and in decreasing amounts (never been a huge eater anyway) and I'm losing weight I don't need to lose.

    Going back to the doctor tomorrow and see what else she can offer. Life is on hold!

  • hi2u_uk
    hi2u_uk

    Posted

    considering omeprazole is supposed to reduce gastric acid secreteion, id be surprised if it was the cause of reflux
  • ChrissieM
    ChrissieM

    Posted

    I see your point, hi2u, but in my case it did nothing to reduce the acid, and it definitely made the reflux worse - I guess I'm just one of those unlucky people for whom this class of drug has a negative effect. Thankfully I am now on ranitidine which does work, at least at night, in combination with metoclopramide and most of the time I'm okay, although I still get bad bouts every few days.
  • tina71411
    tina71411 ChrissieM

    Posted

    Hi, I know this is an old post but I've just stumbled upon it. I've been on omeprazole for about 6 years. I feel worse than ever. GP suggested increasing to 40mg which I did. This increased the tightening in my chest and produced lots if mucus, making me vomit after every meal.

    After reading another forum I found that someone was taking a multi digestive enzyme containing HCL and a pro biotic.

    I've switched to this and have found significant improvement but admit its early days. Ranitadine can control the infrequent boughts of acid.

    Good luck in finding what works for you.

  • ChrissieM
    ChrissieM

    Posted

    Hi Tina, yes this was a long time ago and I'm happy to say I am now over the whole episode and no longer suffer with reflux at all. There is absolutely no doubt that omeprozole and lanzoprozole changed the whole nature of the reflux and yes, did make it worse. Instead of the heartburn that I went to the doctor's with initially, the reflux went right up into my throat and sinuses - I think this is called laryngo-pharygeal reflux or something like that. My throat was so painful I could barely talk and there was horrid mucous in my sinuses.The stupid thing was that ranitidine had never been suggested to me before me being put straight onto these strong drugs, and when I eventually persuaded my doctor to let me try it it worked like magic. I took 300mg a day, 150mg in the morning and 150mg at night, and I never looked back. I came off the morning one a few months ago and will soon try coming off the nighttime one. I no longer have any reflux, just an occasional bit of heartburn which lasts only minutes.

    One or two other people I know on omeprozole feel generally unwell.

    Good luck, I hope you get this sorted out.

     

    • JuJuBee22
      JuJuBee22 ChrissieM

      Posted

      Hi Tina and Chrissie,

      I agree with Tina that it really DOES matter what is causing your reflux. I would hate for someone to read that you and two other people you know feel generally unwell with Omeprazole for me is a daily life safer. I'm stuck on it for life...literally. I had my gallbladder out 4-5 years ago after severe reflux, gas pains, acid burning, and sharp stabbing pains imitating heart attacks. After the surgery, I've never had the sharp stabbing pains again. However, it turned me into a person who cannot eat ANYthing at all without severe nausea and then vomiting. (combined with acid symptoms too...) It's not until I experience the acid reflux that I realize I have NOT caught a severe stomach flu bug, but that I missed my Omeprazole dose. (...it's my reminder symptom that I missed it.)

      So, for me, none of the other medications allow me to eat normally. But with Omeprazole, I can eat anything, and I mean ANYTHING, without a single negative symptom ever; food related or not...so long as I take it every morning.

      The digestive stages and organ functions are so complex. Any given organ can be malfunctioning in several different minor ways, or a few large ways. Two or more together can have several different outcomes of symptoms. All the different chemicals, enzymes, etc in our body serve so many purposes and they too can create different symptoms if too much or too little or non at all. Honing in on the culprit to the major symptoms most people share, such as reflux or heartburn, can be as difficult to pinpoint the cause of as it is to pinpoint the cause of depression or anxiety. (IMHO)  It's all so complex there are a huge number of combinations that each of us has to try everything one at a time until we get to one that works for our "combination." 

       

    • ChrissieM
      ChrissieM JuJuBee22

      Posted

      Hi JuJuBee

      You are absolutely right that what matters very much is what is causing the acid reflux. I appreciate that omeprazole and similar drugs have been a lifeline for some people, but it is absolutely not the answer for everyone, and in my case (and others) has had a negative effect, presumably because it is treating the wrong problem.

      My problem was that nothing else was tried other than proton pump inhibitors. Every time I suggested that something different might work either my dose was increased or I was given a different version of the same drug. It was my own experimentation with over-the-counter Zantac that made me suspect ranitidine may be the answer for me.

      Ranitidine is of course an H2 blocker, which does a different job, and as soon as I was put on a high dose of that the problem began to resolve.

      I'm glad you have found something that works for your obviously severe problems. We're all different, aren't we! 

      Chrissie

    • JuJuBee22
      JuJuBee22 ChrissieM

      Posted

      Hi Chrissie,

      You are so right. Each of us HAS to consider all the options until they are ruled out for our specific body. It's horrible that the doctors weren't trying the other possibilities. My youngest son (13 years) has stomach problems too. Anxiety has created severe problems and he had vomited multiple times every single day for two years straight.His doctor tried whatever other possibility existed in 3 week increments. Ranitidine, Omeprazole, and Prevacid were among them but non stopped it permanently. We took him to a pediatric GI this year to make sure it "was" anxiety and not something more serious. After all the testing, including brain scans, they found nothing. They put him on cyproheptadine and he has only vomited twice since March. However, he ended up in the hospital twice for suicidal ideation and one attempt. He is convinced the cyproheptadine was what triggered the suicidal thoughts and wants to go off of it now. There was a study where they found 2 out of 212 had suicidal triggers from the cyproheptadine and both were between the ages of 10-19. It's rare and unlikely, but doesn't mean it's impossible. I'm not sure if his vomiting will return, but he asked to go back on ranitidine to see if it will work better now that his stomach has been calm for a couple months. Pretty smart thinking for a 13 year old and we are going to start trying that this week. I find it interesting that both anxiety levels and digestive troubles have increased in our present day and wonder if something in our food sources today causes digestive balances that are counter-productive to what anxiety does to our system.

  • trev96621
    trev96621 ChrissieM

    Posted

    Hi chrissie 

    i was started on omeprozole 20mg my reflux didn't wain ! I was then put on 40mg for 4 weeks this stopped reflux into throat but caused lower digestion problems it all depends what is causing your reflux mine was/is duodenal ulcer with a hiatus hernia I have had no reflux since 2nd day of taking the 40 mg now I'm finished the 4 week dose I have to wait 2 weeks to see If  ulcer has gone so hiatus treatment can start !  I now take pinenut oil once a day

    still no reflux  so far .

    i think omeprozole does do the job but maybe too well ! making food lie in the gut longer causing bacteria and bloating .

    it depends on what is causing your reflux 

     

    • tina71411
      tina71411 trev96621

      Posted

      I think you're right.

      My reflux is due to a hiatus hernia. I got/still get very little acid heartburn. I started taking the digestive enzyme because of constant bloating as I thought there couldn't be enough stomach acid to digest the food.

      Now I've stopped the omeprazole, as long as I stick to a low fat diet (which is no bad thing) then I'm much better. If I eat high fat then I get lots of acid.

    • trev96621
      trev96621 tina71411

      Posted

      That's it I'm the same I just take a gel of pine nut oil a day and watch my diet and vit b and cut out chilli and hot curry but apart from that no change  I have no heartburn at all clear for 6weeks now ! Think pine nut gives you a little more flex on diet.

      hope you keep well Trev.

    • tina71411
      tina71411 trev96621

      Posted

      Hmm, pine but oil is something I will look into, thanks.

      Good luck with it all!

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