Lansoprazole and side effects
Posted , 2 users are following.
Been on Lansoprazole 30mg for about 8 months for Hiatus hernia and acid reflux. I still get acid reflux especially in the evening and can feel really ill. I have also noticed lately that I have been getting pains in my stomach, lightheadedness and feeling nauseous and have actually been sick on a couple of occasions. I am always worse in the evenings. I also get pains in my throat and joints. I also suffer with Tinnitus and now have been given tablets as I have high blood pressure which will bring its own side effects so its one thing after another. I feel so bad sometimes I think I am going to have a heart attack and am constantly anxious. I work from home which brings at lot of pressure which does not help. I just feel like crying as am so fed up & depressed. I am wondering if I should stop the Lansoprazole and just have the gaviscone or will I just feel worse. Anyone else have these symptoms and stopped taking the Lansoprazole?
1 like, 4 replies
jhleerph Marilyn09
Posted
Marilyn09,
I am sorry for the way you feel. While I can't recommend you D/C your PPI, I can share with you some of the symptoms that I experienced while I was on Prevacid for close to 5 years managing my GERD. I started experiencing the symptoms below which became extremely uncomfortable. I experienced tightness all over my body. I noticed that I developed a lot of muscle adhesions or "knots" especially in back and neck areas. This was accompanied joint stiffness/pain. I also had tinnitus and terrible episodes of vertigo. I felt tired and had no energy to exercise. I also had high blood pressure (I had always been a relatively healthy person with normal BP). These symptoms took about 4.5 years for them to develop. I went to PCP, neurologists, GI, physiatrists, cardiologist, endocrinologists. I also had a bunch of blood tests, imaging studies, colonoscopy, endoscopy. Nobody could tell me what was causing these symptoms. I still don't know but after a lot of reading, my guess is that I am magnesium deficient. Even though my blood levels of magnesium are normal, I think my cells are still trying to catch up. Are you taking any vitamin/mineral supplements? If you are not, I would suggest you ask your doctor if it is appropriate. People that need to take PPIs on a chronic basis, should be on at least a Magnesium supplement and possibly more. Magnesium is crucial for nerve and muscle function and PPIs prevent absorption of magnesium. I have been off of PPIs for 1.5 years and still experience muscle stiffness/joint pain but feel much better than before. Please follow up with your doctor, do your own research, and always question your doctors. My GI still thinks there is nothing wrong with taking PPIs long term. This may be true for some patients but not all. Best of luck.
Marilyn09 jhleerph
Posted
Hi jhleerph, thank you so much for your reply. I hadn't thoughtof a Magnesium supplement and will certainly mention it whenI go to see my Dr. I have done some research and found that the
Lansoprazole can cause high blood pressure and I have been on it several months. Yesterday I forgot to take it and when I took my blood pressure, it had dropped, still high, but not as high as it has been.This morning I took my usual Lansoprazole and took my BP a hour later
and it had gone up again and I felt lightheaded. I spoke my the local Pharmacist and she said I could stop taking the Lansoprazole but that my acid reflux would get worse so I would need to see my Dr for something else for my acid reflux but think my body had got used to
it anyway as my symptoms have come back. So will have to take Gaviscon till then. I have also started to take tablets for my BP, which I am not happy about as no doubt they will give me even more side effects. Dr's tend to just throw tablets at you without looking to see what is causing your symptoms and you end up taking more tablets to counteract the side effects of the ones you are already on!! It's a vicious cycle. I am happy you are feeling better than
you were and hope you continue to do so. Take care & good luck.
Marilyn09
Posted
jhleerph Marilyn09
Posted
Marilyn09,
Just a couple more things I wanted to add. Magnesium's absorption is aided by the presence of acid and digestive juices. So by taking a PPI, you are getting no/little absorption of the magnesium. There are forms of magnesium available that are better absorbed in face of a low/no acid environment. Also, magnesium does help regulate BP. The fact that you are not getting very little magnesium could be contributing to the fact that your BP is high. While it does make sense, I would not stop taking Prevacid on the advice of the pharmacist. Speak to your GP first. Between you and your Dr, you should be able to come up with a plan to achieve your health goals.
I definitely agree with your comments about Drs and the way they have been taught to practice medicine. Pharma companies are also to blame. Good luck!