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I think Omezaprole has ruined 4 months of my life

Posted , 6 users are following.

ian34981
ian34981

Hi guys, i thought id give you a brief overview of my situation and hopefully deter as many people as possible from using Omeprazole as I can safely say it's ruined 4 months of my life. FYI I am a fit and healthy 28 yr old M with no past depression history.

It all started early last year when I started getting heartburn. After trying Gaviscon and Nexium, I decided to go to the doctors where I was prescribed Omeprazole and silly me I assumed it was safe and did no background research. If I had there would be no way I would have tried it!!

In September I took my first dose, initially 1 every AM. Despite working on the heartburn I became incredibly anxious around the same time. I have suffered with mild anxiety throughout my life but this was a whole new level.

I experienced my first anxiety attack in a work meeting, god I'll never forget it - it was HORRIBLE! Immediately this triggered a bad response in me and I became worried about further meetings etc.

Symptoms continued until November, when I revisited the GP, this time I was still experiencing mild heartburn issues but also incredible anxiety. Sadly for me, the GP prescribed me Beta Blockers for the anxiety to cope in meetings and advised I doubled my Omeprazole dose to 40mg from 20... OUCH!

From November to date, never putting 2 and 2 together and trying everything under the sun, my symptoms have included shortness of breath, dizziness, depressed days where I felt emotionally numb even though my life and work is great, incredible brain fog & confusion (feel like life wasnt real and I was walking round in a dream), fear of impending doom, blacking out and panic attacks. It's been awful to say the least.

After praying to god and trying to piece together why I felt this way the Omeprazole sprung to mind & after Googling wow!!! I feel immense sadness that I have been taking such a harmful drug that has caused so many bad side effects daily, but also HUGE relief that I believe I have gotten to the bottom of the problem.

Has anyone else suffered similar side effects? I have binned every packet - I would rather have the crippling heart burn any day of the week!!

Any advice would be much appreciated.

1 like, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • david51892
    david51892 ian34981

    Posted

    how long has it been since youve taken the omeprosole? from what ive read and understand if you take it for a long period of time your adverse symptoms will last longer. I took my first dose for 8 days in a row and stopped once I started feeling the anxiety and depresssion. Apparently quitting cold turkey is a no no. Im on day 6 and still feel pretty awful. I also read that omeprozole can give you a b12 and magnesium deficency. I had bloodwork done today to see if I can just get a b12 shot and get back to normal! I hope any of this helps. keep me posted on your journey because im in it with ya!

    • MickyLou
      MickyLou david51892

      Edited

      hi both, i've been off lansoprazole for 3 weeks now and i still feel awful. i took lansoprazole for 4 weeks before i realised it was the drug that was making me suicidal and anxious and teary. i'm now left in constant pain in my upper body and severe bloating. i'm terrified to go back to the Dr incase they put back on another type of PPI drug. Does anyone have a success story about getting off this awful drug? the inflammation in my back is so horrific now that i can't sleep because i can't lie down. i just need a little hope that this will pass.

    • Louise2818
      Louise2818 MickyLou

      Posted

      hi, how are you doing now? Any update?

      Is there light at the end of this very long, dark tunnel?

  • niki99567
    niki99567 ian34981

    Posted

    Yes, unfortunately this is all too common! I have a long story, similar to you. Basically I had stomach issues back in June 2011, got sent for gastroscopy and colonoscopy and they found out I had hiatus hernia and stomach ulcer. I got put on omeprazole then. I started to feel unwell mentally and went back to see doc in September (3 months after having been taking omeprazole) about feeling very anxious etc. He talked to me about cbt, and I went privately to see someone. Stopped that in about February 2012, much better but not back to normal. I never had any more omeprazole prescribed after September 2011 so stomach issues settled down and I just used Peptac. However went to see doc in Dec 2015 with stomach issues and was prescribed omeprazole again (as I had no idea that was the cause of the anxiety/depression/palpitation problem). Took for 2 weeks, started to get heart palpitations and feeling incredibly anxious again. Went back to doc, who noted it and changed medication to ranitidine 😊 I was fine on this for years until earlier last year when that wasn't available any more they suggested lansoprazole (which I was told may have same effect as omeprazole) but to try and then stop if I got any issues. However I didn't have any to start with so felt OK. I first started taking them in July this year, and started feeling anxious and having issues about September - an exact copy of before. So I have stopped them, I took last one on December 6th. I've read alot about them and I've read anything from 3-6 months to feel better. I know from last time it was about 6-9 months, I'm just over 3 months now and have a week or 2 of feeling pretty OK, and then 2-3 weeks of feeling anxious, upset, intrusive thoughts, having palpitations etc. I'm concentrating on the fact I know it'll eventually go but it's just horrendous! I'm meditating every day to try and help, but I think its a case of just riding it out 😏

  • niki99567
    niki99567 ian34981

    Posted

    Also, I have managed my stomach problems with gaviscon advance tablets, Peptac liquid & Pukka 3 fennel tea.

  • Louise2818
    Louise2818 ian34981

    Edited

    Hi there, how are you doing now and how long have you been off the tablets for?

    I'm currently struggling a little myself....

    after suffering with indigestion for many years it got worse after having my son to the point i would even struggle sipping a cup of coffee. I work in healthcare and decided to try lansoprazole 15mg took them for a week or so and felt fantastic. Was managing to eat everything again so i stopped taking them, of course it crept back up then so i ended up taking them again and within 4 days of taking them again i felt horrendous for the whole day and suddenly had what i can still only describe as "heart attack pain" felt like my chest was being squeezed again and again. I got to a&e who said there was nothing wrong. I spent the next 5 days in bed feeling awful with chest pain and angry that nobody would listen, i ended up back at a&e with the pain. I had ECG done, countless blood tests and chest X-ray. All clear.

    I saw a doctor that told me to get back on the lansoprazole and prescribed me 30mg tablets and eat some food.

    I stupidly listened, but again felt good.

    At least for another week until it happened again and i was back in a&e again with this crippling pain. More tests done, nothing wrong.

    Gallbladder scanned, 24 hour ECG, endoscopy done. All clear.

    Still having pain so they upped medication to 30mg twice a day... everything got worse.

    Anxiety through the roof, crying daily, brain fog, chest pain just got worse and worse and made the anxiety more severe, dizziness, jolting, tingling all over, nerve pain. The list is endless...

    I spoke too a therapist who was herself quite shocked that i had gone from having no previous anxiety/depression to feeling so bad so quickly.

    I decided to stop the lansoprazole and try nexium (anything to get rid of this chest pain) i managed 5 days before i ended up back at a&e... again!!

    All tests fine again obviously.

    BUT i did feel more myself in those 5 days. They told me to go back on the lansoprazole straight away 60mg a day. I went back on 30mg once a day.

    I tried another 2/3 weeks and got a lot worse again.... ended up with panic attacks, couldn't sleep, dizzy constantly. I'd had enough!

    That's where i found this site, and the amount of people suffering too with these tablets.

    I went cold turkey almost 3 weeks ago now... the brain fog, dizziness, anxiety etc has decreased dramatically, not gone completely but i can manage that.

    However i'm still suffering terribly with this feeling in my chest and by my heart. It goes right up to my left shoulder and collar bone sometimes.

    I never had this issue before these tablets and since they can not find anything wrong i can only assume this is yet another awful side effect of this medication.

    I've had every health professional just tell me the chest issue is anxiety but it is helped by antacids so, i've had doctor after doctor try prescribe me more drugs, anti-anxiety drugs, extra strength antihistamines to try make me sleep and stop the jolts and dizziness.... naproxen for a viral chest infection that i don't have, codiene for costochodritis that i also don't have.

    I guess i'm just wondering if anybody else has had the similar chest pains and how long they might last after stopping the medication (it's a horrible feeling of a heart attack happening all the time)

    I'm furious with myself for accepting these drugs for indigestion now as they've caused me nothing but misery for the past 3 months now.

    If anybody could shed any more light on this i'd be so grateful! We've got this though!

    • EdEire
      EdEire Louise2818

      Posted

      i know that its a long time but i wonder how are you getting on?

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