Omeprazole and things

Whilst we've been talking about the AA question and mixing up effects and side-effects someone asked about omeprazole (was it you MrsO?).

A speedy google came up very quickly with a list of side-effects and other info from the FDA (the US Federal Drugs Agency) who may not be perfect but are generally truthful.

Omeprazole has listed amongst its side-effects (there are others):

general feeling of being unwell

difficulty sleeping

blurred vision

sweating

confusion

muscle weakness

muscle pain / tenderness

leg cramps

water retention

There is also a warning about longterm use increasing the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures of the wrist and thigh (and somewhere else). They say it should not be used for more than 2 weeks at a time and intermittent use over more than a few months is discouraged.

The last 4 side-effects I've listed are less common and there are other PPIs where they say these side-effects rarely occur - but they can occur.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be used for us - but again, if you look at that list of side-effects - how are you supposed to know if it is the PMR, the steroids or the omeprazole. Has its use been looked at in PMR and similar diseases? And those of you who are on it - for how long have you been taking it? I'm not saying you shouldn't be taking it - I'm very interested to know though.

Whilst I've been reading this last week I did see a comment in a paper that adverse events are known to be grossly under-reported and dismissed by doctors if they are mentioned (I did suggest that). That came up in connection with the fact that my blood tests show a slightly raised cholesterol and I was doing my homework to back up my refusal to take statins! I have found papers that say that, whilst they do have an effect in men, there is no evidence that giving women statins for a slightly raised cholesterol has any effect on their 10 year risk of having a cardiac event or stroke and saying that there should be different recommendations for men and women - and the main review was published in the Lancet in 2006/7. But they are still pushing statins at us like there's no tomorrow. I shall be reading some more! :roll: :wink: One thing I do know is that it has been shown that statins can be causing muscle damage without there being any blood test evidence but if you complain of muscle pain with statins most docs will only look at the enzyme that is supposed to show if there is muscle damage and if it's normal will say no, it's not that.

But think about it - if you have PMR and are on steroids, omeprazole, statins and whatever else, how do you know where you are?!! Our poor bodies - because I'll lay odds no-one has looked at how they all interact.

More to think about - poor steroid brains!

Trying to snow here again - after a beautiful day yesterday! We get a few days of winter then a few days of spring, rinse and repeat! Confuses the PMR too! :lol:

However - further south in Italy there are horrendous floods after 8 in of rain in places,

EileenH

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