Posted , 24 users are following.
I have been on Omeprazole for 4 years and have experienced severe leg cramping at night. I have had multiple blood tests and also an EMG with no results. The doctor put me on Baclofen which is a muscle relaxer and this has not helped. Has anyone else experienced this because it's driving me crazy. I have now taken myself off Omeprazole but I'm experiencing nausea.
2 likes, 36 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
marge65643 phyllisa6
Posted
Ask your doctor to measure both your magnesium and your iron status (ferritin, transferrin, % saturation, etc, not just hemoglobin and total iron).
if ferritin is low, iron supplement should help the muscle cramps/ leg pain. So will magnesium and calcium supplements.
DV_Phil phyllisa6
Posted
I have suffered the same affects from Omeprazole. Such bad pain,my VA PCP, told me that I was crazy, imagining the pain, because I have chronic spinal pain. I described how my leg bones hurt so bad and that they feel swollen. My knees, lower legs ankles, Blood tests, exrays, all negative.
I was hobbling to the front door, to let the electrician in, and asked what was wrong. He asked if I was taking Omeprazole, And warned that I stop immediately. I checked it out.
This was 2 or 3 years ago and I still walk like my legs are fused straight. I am 100 percent disabled.
It's frustrating and it needs to come off the market.
Sincerely,
DV Phil
marge65643 DV_Phil
Posted
Start weaning yourself off of prilosec (omeprazole) if you haven't already. Buy the over the counter pills (which are not absorbed as well as the Rx capsules) and take them with food first. If your heartburn/GI pain is not a problem, start cutting them in half. If you are taking it twice a day, just cut one dose in half and take a full pill the other dose. Give that some time, a few weeks, and if your pain is not worse or not controlled by baking soda or Zantac, cut the remaining full pilil dose in half and do the same over time. If a half is too much, try 1/3 or a 1/4. It takes time but if you're not doing anything to get off this drug your issues are not going to get any better. Start now and think you will find that you are getting better.
Also, omeprazole causes nutrient deficiencies. Check the medical literature if you want to be sure. Iron is a huge issue as well as magnesium, calcium, and most trace minerals. Also, protein digestion is impaired with omeprazole. As a nutritionist (PhD) I have found that supplementing with iron (fumerate form), a liquid calcium magnesium, and a good multiple with all trace minerals help the symptoms. But I don't take pills, I take capsules! Pills are formulated to digest at a normal gastric pH and people on omeprazole have a much higher pH. Capsules are the best choice. If you decide to try this, be sure to check with your doctor and have your iron status assessed before you start any iron supplements!! People with hemachromatosis (iron storage disease) should not take iron supplements. However, omeprazole is beginning to be used as a treatment for iron storage disease because it impairs iron absorption so badly. Be sure they check total iron, transferrin, and ferritin, not just hemoglobin! A lot of the muscle cramps will ease of if you get your ferritin levels above 40. When I was getting worked up for the leg pain, etc. at the University of California, San Francisco, the neurologist was very clear that alot of my problems would get better with iron supplementation and he was correct. Not gone, you need to get off Omeprazole for that, but better.
The other thing I do is use whey protein isolate. Not the concentrate, too much sugar, an isolate with no sugar, flavor, vitamins, etc. just whey protein. You can put it in anything from shakes to soup to oatmeal. This list goes on, be creative.
Last, drinking a lot of water everyday seems to really help. I drink a minimum of 3 of my 24 oz water bottles per day, sometimes more, + what I drink at meals and that seems to be helping a lot.
I am slowly weaning off the way i described above and i'll see how that goes. I've tried lots of other things in place of omeprazole and that way doesn't seem to work.
Good luck!
felicity6511 phyllisa6
Posted
I have been on omeprazole for 13 years .my doctor recently doubled my dose.I have had 2 emergency blood transfusions in October /November as I collapsed and was extremely low on iron. Vitamin B12 Vitamin C. Copper. magnesium. potassium. vitamin D and calcium.
I have read many many reports that the use of print pump inhibitors such as omeprazole directly cause the failure of the body to take up nutrients vitamins and minerals in our stomachs from the foods we consume.
At night in particular I have itchy hot ti glint and numbness in my legs I can't keep still for more than a minute like millions of insects are crawling under my skin .the itching is underneath not on the skin.I have terrible back pain hip pain (X rays revealed mild arthritis) I have a 9cm hiatus hernia and bleeding from the stomach lining ( not fixable Dr says).my sisters 5 of them all have similar health issues as mine with my younger sister going on to develop cancer of the oesophagus after 17 years on omeprazole.she has a very restricted diet after surgery liquid foods.and the skin they used to firm a food pipe has to undergo regular stretching .she is back on omeprazole for life.my other sister came off omeprazole as she has been vegetarian 50 years and was dangerously low in most things .like me her red blood count was very low .she now uses activated charcoal tablets takes no omeprazole and if she has the slightest acid she has a spoonful of gaviscon which I understand is seaweed based and coats the stomach .I'm seeing a different doctor tonight will keep you informed
Guest felicity6511
Posted
gto1 phyllisa6
Posted
I've been off omeprazole for about a month now. Still have side affects but not
As bad. At first I thought I was getting the flu cause of the achy joints, chills
And night sweats. So I kept on with my opmeprazole prescription. But then
my joints hurt so bad I could not walk. I went to my regular Dr. and she could
Not explain it. They took lots of blood work. So then they sent me to a
Rheumatologist. He didn't give me much of an explanation either but gave me
A steroid shot which did help me get back to work after missing two weeks.
It seems like they don't want to acknowledge the side affects of omeprazole
Cause they all seem to prescribe it. I read some othe forums where someone
Suggested taking calcium supplements to help the aching joints. I tried it. It
Seemed to help me out. I suffered lots of the different side affects that others
Described on other omeprazole side effects forums. Wish they would have
Told me what side effects to be aware of. I would have stopped taking it sooner.
EmmyB phyllisa6
Posted
Hello, I realize this thread is 4 years old, but wanted to share my remedy for foot and leg cramps caused by Omeprazole (prilosec generic). I've been taking the Rx for 3.5 years, the only thing that stops my daily/nightly cramps is electrolytes. I have ZERO cramps after adding electrolytes to my water everyday. I buy them off Amazon, 'Lyteshow' is the brand. I hope your cramps have improved for you.
Guest phyllisa6
Posted
Sorry I have not read all the reply's and I bet someone has mentioned this: Vitamins and minerals!!! If you look it up you'll see what you need to take and yes taking them stops many side effects. The downside is the cost lol. I spend around £20/month which I still consider ok for a better standard of life.
? If you do want a full list just ask. Been on PPIs everyday for well over 2 years and before that 12months on and 12 months off for around 20 years. If they work for you try H2s they have far less side effects and seem to work better on females also.
robert64605 phyllisa6
Posted
robert64605 phyllisa6
Posted
kate31457 phyllisa6
Posted
cassie_00286 phyllisa6
Posted
jade03455 phyllisa6
Posted
alexandra62000 phyllisa6
Posted
I have read that omeprazole reduces absorption of minerals, in particular magnesium and calcium which is responsible for the cramps. So I am considering returning to omeprazole and asking for treatment for the mineral depletion at the same time to see if that works.
jade03455 alexandra62000
Posted
Guest alexandra62000
Posted
I have doubts Omeprazole would deplete ANY mineral or vitamin levels in such a short space of time. If you review the papers on this topic you'll find its only over extended periods of time (years) and in people with problems eating sufficient foods of the right type (infirmed and elderly). I've already stated that its dose that's important, why take 40mg when or 10 will control your problem, you then have the option of trying different PPIs like Pantoprazole. Again review the papers which are freely available on line and you'll see that in 80% of cases (or thereabouts) 20mg (lets remember that's 50% less) will have 100% the same healing and acid control. H2 blockers seem to work on some and have little to no effect on others. Look at the nice guidelines for doses.
alexandra62000 Guest
Posted
All I know Dave is that within 3 days of taking the prescribed dose of 40mg Omeprazole I was getting intense leg pains, to the extent that I spoke to my doctor as I was worried. She suggested stopping for a few days and then resuming again, which i did, taking 20mg for 3 days then back to 40mg for 3 weeks. I then went to 20mg, as instructed by my doctor for 4 weeks. The pains eased when I stopped, and resumed somewhat when I re started the course of meds, but to a tolerable level. My simple research online suggested magnesium deficiency. I am no expert, but it seemed logical, to me at the time.
I am finding ranitidine is not working as well as PPI, so I am still looking for a solution to my heartburn problem. I understand your argument regarding dosage, however I was following the instructions from the doctor in the first instance. I also read the patient instructions with any meds which in this case confirmed the doctor's instructions. I shall speak to her again and see if I can tolerate a lower dose successfully, or even a different type of PPI. I still have a lot to learn about reflux and treatment. Thank you for your input.
marge65643 Guest
Posted
Dave,
Omeprazole (OM) quickly depletes iron and the effect on women is noticed early in treatment. Most young women who are menstruating are either on the cusp or already deficient in iron stores which doesn't show up in a CBC. Our bodies tend to keep a circulating level of iron to the detriment of cellular stores so unless you are testing iron saturation and ferritin (cellular stores) you won't see it. Clinical recommendations are now 18mg iron daily no matter your age or gender for people taking Prilosec regularly. Om is also being looked at as a treatment for hemochromatosis (iron storage disease) because of it's profound effect on cellular iron storage. I take 20 mg Omeprazole twice a day and my leg pain and cramps are horrendous at times. My ferritin is constantly low even with supplementation and I find that my pain is worse when I skip a couple of doses of iron. As a clinical researcher and pharmacologist, I've tried a lot of other things; supplements, protein, etc. and while I have felt better in many ways, nothing goes away and some problems just don't improve.
I'm finding that there is also a problem with PVCs and irregular heart beat with OM. I've started cutting my Prilosec tablet in half at night. This seems to have an effect on calming my PVC's. Theoretically you are not supposed to be able to cut these tablets and keep the effectiveness of OM but it seems that my doctor was right to tell me to do this. It works - which raises the question "what do we really understand about the mechanism of PPI's". My goal is to slowly wean myself off by cutting these pills by a quarter at a time now to as low a dose as possible and see how this goes.
Mg isn't a miracle supplement either. Part of that mechanism is the relationship between Mg and Ca. You need both and the relief is still never complete. What I notice is that if I quit Mg my cramps get worse but they don't go away with Mg.
Alexandra, try not eating after 6pm. No coffee, tea, chocolate, or alcohol for a few months. Eat a diet of fresh foods, not packaged with additives; fruits, veggies, meats, whole grains, & a reasonable amount of fat. Get rid of the NSAIDs, they eat your gut up. Keep your portions small and try to eat a smaller meal in the evening, larger meal at lunch. See if that helps your reflux. Try adding Zantac. This will take time to correct your gut issues but PPI's, no matter what the box/Rx insert says, are never a short term medication either. Once on, it's extremely hard to ever get off and they have profound effects. Good luck!
Guest marge65643
Posted
Hi marge, heres a few links if you haven't seen them yet not very many subjects seem to be in the tests?? : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3878540/ ;
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5522969/ ;
https://www.ebmconsult.com/articles/proton-pump-inhibitor-iron-ferrous-sulfate-replacement-anemia-evidence
why are you still on 40mg/day if you have all these side effects?? Have you tried another PPI?? I know your the expert in this field but is not Zantec just (Ranitidine Hcl)? which they have tried already?? Are you in the US where PPIs and H2s are used together but frowned upon in the UK?? I did mention using both to my consultant and he said never mix them??