Omeprazole has ruined my life

Hi Simonron,

Thank you for responding. wow I can't even believe it! Everything I've been reading on this forum blows my mind. I'm sorry you have been through a lot as well with the ppi med.. Heres a question for you, have you tried digestive enzymes? Anyone on a ppi should take them to help absorb nutrients/vitamins. I had really low b12, iron, and vitamin d. I still take them and they seem to help. Also have you tried soaking in magnesium flakes in a bath.. this might also help with the RLS. Ive decided to go to a naturopath and see what I can find out. My current dr is useless. I asked her about a micronutrient test and she didn't seem to know.. nor did she know anything about ppi causing so many other issues. Ive seen 4 diff drs, 2 gi's, 3 er visits. Thousands of dollars later and I'm still not better.. Do you think you'll come off the lanso at some point? I also drink alkaline water that seems to help too if you have burning, etc. maybe look into that. Oh yes and probiotics are good too. The only dr that seemed to know was a GI dr at northwestern in Chicago, I switched gi drs bc I was going in circles. luckily he said to come off all the meds I was on and he told me to wean from 40mg to 20mg for 2 weeks then every other day for 2 weeks then every 3rd day for a week then stop. He looked at me strange like why have you been on this for so long.. he said its the strongest one.. so I guess thats a plus. 

Sorry i know this has been here for a long time... who was your GI in Chicago? Dr Troy?

Hi... How to you resolve the burning in stomach during period whereby reducing ppi? as gastritis or ulcer is not healed yet, stop PPI will let acid erodes lining of stomach n forever unable to heal. Any help for this from the naturopathy Dr or recommenation on natural herbs to reduce acid effectively , hope u can help me on this,

Hi i had covid & also got all the same symptoms. but my stomach is really sensitive to everything. first I was told aloe vera but that irritated my ulcer. I was told that cabbage juice will get rid of ulcers. but because I was such a terrible bloating already cabbage can make you more gassy. then I was told by a naturopath chois mastic hum . But then I was worned it can make you constipated. Do you find being on the ppis that it's really hard to eat?

Hi jhleerph!

Thank you for responding. Yes I will keep updating as I try to recover from this awful med. I'm sorry you also have nerve/muscle issues also.. I can't believe what I'm reading on these forums.. I had no idea. I really wish I would've researched more before continuing to take this ppi. Thats so great you were able to stop taking them! Some things that have helped me are digestive enzymes, a really good probiotic and drinking more alkaline water. these things seem to help at least GI wise.. I don't know what to do about my nerve issues.. my drs are useless except for my new GI. If it wasn't for him Id still be on the meds. I'm going to see a naturopath and see what I can find out. Best wishes to you also! Thanks for chatting.. let me know how you are doing as well. 

are you still in these meds? ive been getting severe dizziness and brain fog which lead me to this forum. I've only been taking this for about 4 weeks but no more for what I've read

hi i know this post is old but have your symptoms improved? i took omeprazole for about 3 years than was switched 3 months ago to aciphex,for a while i randomly had twitching in my face and hands and random numbness but didnt think anything if it,about a month ago almost overnight i developed all over muscle twitching nerve pains and numbess everywhere,also severe pain innthe trap area of my back,idk if this is related to the medicine or not i stopped it a week agi but symptoms are still present

No. Stopped taking them in mid 2016.

rebecca6357,

I still have the muscle tightness symptoms. No twitching; spastic (not spasms). It feels a little different now. It's a lot more localized in certain parts of my back rather than feeling all over my back but I still feel fatigued. I also have some shoulder and first/second rib restrictions that has made breathing more labored which, I believe, is contributing to the fatigue. Some days better than others. Seeing a chiropractor to address my symptoms. Have to be honest, chrio has been much better than doctors and PTs. Chiro at least tries to think outside the box. After chiro treatment, I always feel worse then better. It's weird. Like my body hates the treatment but then gives into it. Hard to explain. Good luck.

I'm so sorry 😢 I have lost everything too. I can't even go out with my kids and now living with my mom at 37 years old my gosh this is terrible. my memory is gone and left on survival mode I mean how is this possible when doctors are suppose to help ?! I talk to my family about it and they think I'm going bananas. well yeah I feel bananas I'm so lost and confused and symptoms come and go. I can't even sleep in my own bed without having the feeling I'm being plugged to an electric cord. how is this even possible ?? and doctors say it's anxiety ??obviously our bodies react to the horror that's going on. msg me anytime you need to talk I know how scary it can be. my mind has been to the deepest scariest places. I don't mean to scare anyone here at all ,I'm just talking about it to those who can relate. it doesn't mean that's whats going to happen as everyone reacts different. feel free to msg me 😢sorry to everyone who's dealing with this I know how difficult it is.

what you have to do is reduce your dose slowly...buy yourself some empty capsules at the vitamin store, open your 4o mg Omeprazole capsule and remove 5 of the granules, pour the rest in one of the empty capsules and take it. Do that for 5 days. If you do not get rebound acid and the pain is tolerable the next week take 6 granules out. keep reducing until you teach a dose you can tolerate. its been 3 years for me and i take 99 granules out every day making it about a 31 mg dose. makes a world of difference.

This is effect what I have done with my Lansoprazole. I used the capsules versions and have made one 30 mg capsule last a week. I think I can totally stop taking it now. It has taken me about three weeks, not three years, to do this. I am not yet aware of a massive reduction in my main side effect of body jerks - or RSI as some call it, but I have reduced my pills from three to two. I doubt I can drop further, but I may try soon. This slow reduction technique does work, but I do need ant acids to help me along.

I've been off of Omeprazole for about a week and a half almost 2. I still have some symptoms, but far less. The worst of it all is the anxiety. Prior to taking Omeprazole I was a cheerful person, but now I have a debilitating anxiety. But, I've slowly learned to handle it. As I type this I survived my first full blown anxiety attack. It's important to eat at specific times or I feel iffy. Going through the day drains a lot of energy but it's a fight I keep fighting. Sometimes all you want to do is give up and throw in the towel because it seems like it will never end, but you won't get better if you do. All I want to know is how much longer this will last. I do want a rest from this all.

i hear you.. i am 34 and now my parents are looking after me.. i have been crippled due to fear and trauma induced by omeprazole.. my vision is extremely blurry, my hands dont seem to work, my feet and knees hurt like a 90 year old... i have had scariest depression attacks leading to extreme crying where i thought i was gona lose it and commit suicide to free myself from this pain.. then upon the psychiatrists suggestion, i started taking quetiapine which is an antipsychotic but also an antihistamine .. since then the extreme fear has somewhat lessened and i am able to sleep at least.. and seeing few bearable days in between my misery.. but even on my bearable days i cant do anything except lie in bed and stare at my fone.. it feels like something inside me has died .. dont know if i ll ever recover... do tell me if you saw any improvemnt?

how are you feeling now? any improvement? i still have extreme anxiety, blurred vision, depression attacks, extreme fatigue and crying ..

Hi benny21592

We note from a recent post which you have made to our forum that you may be experiencing thoughts around self-harm. If we have misinterpreted your comments then we apologies for contacting you directly. But if you are having such thoughts then please note that you are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.

If you are having these suicidal thoughts then we strongly recommend you speak to someone who may be able to help. The Samaritans offer a safe space where you can talk openly about what you are going through. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen.

Their contact details are on our patient information leaflet here: https://patient.info/health/dealing-with-suicidal-thoughts, which also offers lots of other advice on how you can access the help you may need.

If you are having such thoughts then please do reach out to the team at the Samaritans (or the other people detailed in our leaflet) who will understand what you're going through and will be able to help.

Kindest regards

Patient

For those who say they have been off certain drugs for a short while, my experience (because I am sensitive to most drugs including 10mg omepr) is that is can take months to recover e.g. I had tamsulosin and took five doses and it took out my hamstrings so I was hobbling. It has taken two years for them to stop paining when I walk. I do have HH and take aspirin but the PPI is for protection as well. Took two 10mg spaced three days and this morning woke with palpitations. I have a feeling PPIs cause heart malfunctions like palps and feeling mushy brained. Conclusion is take aspirin and hope for the best. PS I am also sensitive to antibiotics, they cause my nose to bleed down the back of my throat. I only have to take one and when I blow I get specs of blood in handkerchief. Interested in others experience.

I agree. I have been off omeprazole for 3 months and im just now starting to feel normal, but even still not 100 percent. Still get mid day brain fog slightly and anxiety. But that has been slowly diminishing. The worst of it for me is over and i feel bad for Anyone going through the bad effects of omezaprole

how did you get off of it?

i just stopped taking it. I ran out And didn’t get anymore, although i was planning on it. I didn’t feel any effect’s while taking them, but 3 days after stopping them is when all the stuff started. im glad i didn’t continue to take them

omg i have ringing in ears. i thought there was something eeiing with my ears

have you tried antidepressant ?

eggs really help with your serotonin levels and look at making other changes to your diet.

it will make a huge difference.

exercise daily aswell.

should all help with your symptoms mentally.

Hi! I was wondering how are you doing? I was prescribed 40mg of Omeprazole just because of stomachache and doctor told me to just keep taking it. Took it for 8 months and since then, I wasn't myself anymore. I felt really fatigued, weak, anxious, muscle aches everywhere, started on my back, went to my neck and now causing dull headache that never goes away, then started having arms and leg pain. Now even my jaw hurts. I did 2 blood tests, and abdominal ultrasound but everything was fine. I saw a psychologist but after so many visits, she told me she thinks I am not depressed meaning nothing in my life is causing this feeling. I started tapering off since I saw 3 forums talking about the EVIL side effects of this medication. Hopefully I start feeling better when I stop taking this. I feel so horrible! By the way... muscle relaxant helped me. But once I stop taking it, all the aches comes back. I'm a mom of a 3yo so it's so sad to feel this way.

Hello I have also been taking omeprazole and have suffered anxiety and have heart palpitations, chest back and jaw pain, tinnitus, dizzy spells and more. When you quit omeprazole how long did it take for you to feel normal again? I would much rather have reflux than this anxiety. I feel so awful and sick all the time. Please help!

hi can i ask how long it took for you to feel better after you stopped taking the drug? 3 weeks off the drug for me and i feel the heartburn is getting worse? is there hope it'll pass?

hey was wondering if you feel any better since you have stopped taking omaprezole?

Same! ACUPUNCTURE. Booked an appointment with an acupuncturist and Ive had 2 sessions with her and the horrible panic feelings and everything else 2 ER visits later have started to subside almost immediately and I am currently 1 week from my last Omeprazole pill. She gave me a herbal remedy to promote detox and cleansing of the body that has anti-anxiety properties. Still have dizziness and some palpitations but NOTHING like the panic attacks and brain fog, fatigue I experienced for the first time in my life. PLEASE contact an acupuncturist to start detoxing your body of thus gawd awful poison and hopefully take some natural herbs/supplements meant to promote detoxing and healing your body. There are so many other remedies for heartburn and acid issues. I hope to feel back to normal soon as I only took it for a few days but the price tag and emotional and psychological damage is harsh. There is hope!

just saw this post and wandered how long you were on this medicine?

i only took it for 7 days and it still has me messed up .

i have been off it for 10 days

i have been taking it for 3 days and im exhausted weak dizzy very breathless i cant do much i feel really bad my breathing is bad but oxygen is brill

i have been told it can take 1 or 2 months to get it out of your system. Wish i had never taken it.

i took it and was twitching and it took away my brains abilitie to sleep. I only took 5 pills. that was 3 years ago and I still twitch some what , I have to do is eat a palm full of salt a couple times a day everyday to stop the twitching it strips sodium in body. also monolaurin and gastroease for the acid it helps me.

I feel that tcm solve my reflux

What are the natural remedies to reduce acid in stomach from eroding the lining? Seems like only ppi works,.. But it cause acid rebound once stop. Been looking for replacement, thanks

I feel that tcm solve my reflux.

hey did you ever get over these withdrawal symptoms? im about a week off of it and i have really strange head pressure and muscle twitching all over body. did you ever have that?

hey dbsmith, what are your symptoms after stopping? ive been off for about 10 days now and im having all sorts of strange issues.

hi Anna, did you ever recover from your symptoms? I quit taking omeprazole about 3 weeks ago and still have very similiar side affects.

If it took away your brains ability to sleep how do you sleep at night? actual question.

Hello ana85762, I hope this info helps you. Im so sorry you are having a hard time with all of this. please hang in there it will get better but takes time.

Look up something called HPPD and, before you blow it off as not being what these drugs have caused look at the symptoms. It seems not only are illicit drugs causing this but perscription drugs as well. I have HPPD and took a prilosec and my symptoms were exasperated for almost a year. After reading your symptoms they seem to be very close.

HPPD. looks like what i might be going through because of this medicine. also dull headache, palpitations and increased HR. i need to get off of

how did you recover?

hi are you back to your old self after stopping meds? how long will it take to see any improvement? they has me on pariet while having chemo for breast cancer and after reaalising the devastation this med does im angry at the so called medical professionals

Hi, have you had your Active B12 not just general B12 checked by a blood test? I thought I had Alzheimers or was dying a year ago and it turned out I had an Iron & B12 deficiency. I had to gave an Iron infusion & B12 injections to get my levels back to normal. B12 absorption is affected by taking Proton Pump Inhibitors and like me you could be deficient. Look up on Youtube & Amazon for 'Could it be B12?' video & book by Sally Pacholock. It's something to check if you haven't already. I hope this helps.

Thank you for posting this! I did a quick "wean" off 20 mg omeprazole after being on for a year. Today is two weeks off for me and I am impatient for these horrible side effects to go away! Still dealing with anxiety, brain fog, blurry vision and insomnia but at least not every day. But every good day I have I get excited and optimistic and then get knocked back when everything comes back again. Your post helps to give me hope. How are you feeling these days?