Coming off Omeprazole

Hello. Can't see any reason why you have to keep taking the awful drug. I was 

not aware that it is addictive, just gives awful side effects Why are you adding 

more acid to your stomach,there enough acid there already.

Give a big sigh of relief that you are off the drug, and try to stop stressing about'

it Your diet is probably a cause of wind,heartburn., indigestion,,, call it what you

will Have a warm drink before you go to bed,.that should sooth your rumblings

There is always the option of your G P

Probiotics  work extremely well for lots of us Read the Divi Diners forum

for proof  

You don't say if you are suffering from ant other gut problem.

sounds as though a dose of Lactulose will solve your constipation As you work 

in a pharmacy there must be some sitting on a shelf somewhere

Omeprazole doesn't "mask the pain", it actually reduces the acid production which the natural therapies you mention don't. Aloe vera is a demulcent that masks the pain can increase mucous production.

Unfortunately, PPIs have had a bad press, particularly in US, There have been reports that show dangers from taking them (in high doses over a long period) which have been blown out of proportion by the media.

They should only be taken at lowest effective dose for the shortest necessary time and under supervision of a doctor.

There are many people who have to take these drugs.

Recent research has confirmed thay probably have a chemo-protective effect but the papers don't blast the statistics for how many lives they may have saved, just the fact that 1.16 more people using PPIs had atrial fibrilation (heart attack) whilst admitting the correlation was not proof of causation, that many with heart symptoms mistake it for indigestion (e.g. my own father who dies when I was a young teen) and GORD heart symptoms have also been shown to produce acid reflux.

I don't know why you've been taking omeprazole so long nor what dose you have been taking. I hope you have been monitored by a doctor.

Constipation can be a side effect of omeprazole but, if PPIs are necessary for you, you could try another.

However, if the phytomedicines you've switched to work for you then that's great too. I don't want people to think I'm against their use but equally I don't want people to be persuaded to stop a drug that could be a life-saver for them.

But you're off PPIs now and say you have no heartburn. If your pain was a result of coming off them, it woud have been through the rebound effect of acid hypersecretion which would not be responsible for the whole body ache you describe. It could even be you body's reaction to some of the alternative medication you're now taking?

thats exactly right regarding absorbtion............from my own experience,,just coming off the omeprazole may not put you physically back to normal............Im getting there slowly,its been about 3 months .Ive read the advice of others and have been replacing the depleted vits and nutrients.......mostly B12 B6 and magnesium........The Magnesium is a really important issue...........I would advise you strongly to google up all the info you can about Magnesium supplementation.......its too big an issue for me to go into,but Magnesium is absolutely vital to so many aspects of our 'well being'...............look it up,there are forums about it ,there are books about it........look also for its relationship with calcium intake, ..................good luck. ................G

Long term, high dose use of PPIs can result in hypochlorhydria (because they're too efficient at their job) which can result in malabsorption of essential minerals and vitamins and reduced protection against bacterial infection.

Ask for blood tests to check these and get any supplements through your doctor if necessary as they'll be stronger and more effective than those normally available over the counter. (eg if hypocalceamic, you'll need a prescripion for calcium citrate rather than calcium carbonate.)

And probiotics are useful. I have a probiotic (and prebiotic) yoghurt drink daily.

But PPI induced mineral deficiencies usually resolve themselves quite quickly.

I was anaemic after 15 years of omeprazole increasing to very high 80mg a day. Following anti-reflux surgery, I was totally drug free and my energy levels returned very quickly.

Hi Beanie1969,

I have been on Omeprazole 20mg now for about 3 years and for the past 12 months ive been getting gas gurgling around in my stomach that does come out both ends but when it burp it smells foul and can be very embarrassing with the bad smell. I stopped taking  Omeprazole about a week ago and have noticed this virtually stopped over-night. I feel so much better. im not sure what else it may have done to me long term. But im so glad im off it now after reading some of the comm​ents