Omeprazole has ruined my life
Posted , 89 users are following.
I really regret taking prilosec, i fell ill with a virus last december that caused gastroenteritis (severe acid reflux and diarrhea).. i was told to take omeprazole for 14 day treatment.. at the time i did not experience any side effects so after the 14 day treatment was over, about a week later i experienced acid rebound that sent me to the ER. The er dr said i needed to up the dose to 40 mg 2x/day... and this is when i became more ill.. i had severe diarrhea for 9 days, blurry vision, brain fog, muscle twitching, cramping, body jolts before going to sleep, . i couldnt digest my food.. lost 10 lbs.. but i did not know what was happening to me.. i was so sick i had to have a colonoscopy and egd.. i was told i had unspecified colitis.. i stupidly cont this drug bc thats what the drs told me to do.. and as im trying to heal my gut from whatever virus i had i started to develop new symptoms.. extreme brain fog, memory loss, fatigue, anxiety, muscle twitching, buzzing in certain parts of my body.. frequent urination in am. I feel as if i have nerve damage of some kind because of this ppi.. after 4 1/2 months of this posion i have since stopped this med and it has been 11 days but my twitching is still there.. i know this drug caused these other problems bc as i weaned from 40 mg to 20mg to then every other day i began experiencing body jolts and more nerve problems, numbness in certain parts, etc. has this happened to anyone else and did anyone make a full recovery?? I need some help please..Before I took this med I was a healthy 32 year old. Now 33 and still recovering. Does anyone know if this is permanent?
1 like, 376 replies
barney34567 olivia53472
Posted
After a few months of feeling lousy taking omeprazole, I swapped to rabeprazole and all is well. No side effects AND the drugs do the same thing just a little differently.
susan676 olivia53472
Posted
I have been researching omeprazole and found some things that may be causing some of these problems. Omeprazole temporarily blocks carnitine uptake. If you are vegan or have carnitine metabolism issues this could result in carnitine deficiency. Carnitine is critical for processing fats and proteins. It is especially critical to the urea cycle for removing ammonia from the blood stream. Low BUN labs might point to this problem. Carnitine supplementation may help especially with the muscles.
Omeprazole also can cause problems for the brain because it uses the ABCB1 transporters which are like the brains garbage collectors. Some people have mutations in their transporters that make them less efficient and this may be why not everyone who takes omeprazole gets alzheimers.
I read an article that said it can take up to 8 weeks for things to calm down.
barney34567 susan676
Posted
Interesting indeed. Also relevant is to know when to take the meds. Most doctors Rx a med and don't say if to take it with or without food; in the AM or PM etc. Years ago, before I was alert to these issues I had no idea I was taking omeparzole wrongly,
no surprise all I got was side effects and no therapeutic benefit whatsoever.
adrienne22182 olivia53472
Posted
Hello Olivia. While I was reading your post I started to cry. It's like I wrote it myself. I took an outdated prescription of Omeprazole back in the beginning of March 2019 and within a week of taking this poison I had muscle spasms in my stomach and a tightness sensation as well in my abdomen. I didn't put two and two together and continued taking it. It caused me to have all kinds of stool problems to almost blacking out on a few occasions. I want to the ER because of that tightness feeling in my abdomen and also feeling like I was going to faint. They did blood work, EKG, and an ultrasound of my abdomen...all normal. I was told by my ER doctor that I had gastritis...keep in mind, I had no pain. I was prescribed 40mg of Omeprazole for 14 days. A few days later I go to see my GP and she referred me to a Gastroenterologist. I had another ultrasound of my abdomen, colonoscopy, and an endoscopy...all fine with the exception of a little acid. I was told to take an OTC Omeprazole for another 14 days. I started feeling numbness in my abdomen sometime in early June. I joined a gerd and gastritis support group online and was told by a group member that my symptoms sound like I was suffering from side effects associated with Omeprazole. I was shocked to read the reviews on Omeprazole. It's been months and no relief. I'm freaking myself out thinking it could be MS. My family and I just moved to Munich Germany this July, and I have recently found a GP. I told the GP of my abdomen issues and he said that I would have to see a neurologist...I don't have the nerves to make an appointment. I'm terrified. Thanks for taking the time.
jhleerph adrienne22182
Posted
adrienne22182,
I am going to see my neurologist in two days to start the full battery of tests to see if I have MS. I have been off prevacid for 3 years (after taking it for about 5) and I still have muscle tightness and spasms and weakness that mirror MS. I had periods of improvement but now I think it's a losing battle. Good luck to you.
adrienne22182 jhleerph
Posted
Hello. May I ask where you're having muscle spasms and tightness. Also, have you had any tests to rule out MS?
jhleerph adrienne22182
Posted
I will be seeing my neurologist in two days to discuss and start testing. There are lots of diseases/conditions that mirror MS so I have to find out. I know that is a difficult decision.
My tightness comes and goes. It is mostly around the back and ribs. I do also experience it in the abdominal area. I also get tingling down my legs/feet and a little in my hands. I was very active up until April of this year (I did a lot of running) but then I just could not do it anymore. My hips were weak and burn so I had to taper down the distance. Now I can only go for walks and at times that is a challenge.
I was doing a lot of in home physical therapy to address my tight traps and was also getting massages but those now seem to be ineffective.
Grant13 jhleerph
Posted
can you update us with what the neurologist says?? I too am afraid I might have something like MS and its scaring the crap outta me. ever since taking omeprazole my nerves have felt on edge most of the time. I dont think I get really any weakness, but I get tingles in my left back area and minor spasms. but I cant tell if those are normal or I'm worrying to hard. I will say that I'm tired all the time and my body temperature is like 97, which is low for me and my hands and feet are usually always cold
jhleerph Grant13
Posted
I will. Much of what you are describing is what I am experiencing. As I write this morning, I feel very relaxed with minimal tightness but its unpredictable. I imagine it will take some time and many tests to confirm. I am thinking an MRI will be able to show lesions which usually a tell tale sign but doesn't necessarily confirm it.
jhleerph adrienne22182
Posted
Have you noticed "knots" or "ropy" muscle groups especially around your neck, back and shoulders?
adrienne22182 jhleerph
Posted
No I don't anything going on with my back, neck, or shoulders. It's all in my abdomen. Again it's a tight band like sensation along with numbness. it's really freaky feeling. I forgot to mention that my skin on my stomach is hypersensitive. No pain in or on my stomach. thanks for responding. I wish you all the best...
jhleerph adrienne22182
Posted
Interesting. My issues started in my back, neck, shoulders and at times radiates into my abdomen.
adrienne22182 jhleerph
Posted
Really! My issues started with my stomach and reminds in that area. I've read lots of information about MS and I also watched YouTube videos about people who have MS. Once symptoms present themselves they tend to get progressively worse...in terms of numbness. There are a lot of other things that mimic MS. I'm hoping that neither of us have that dreadful disease.
barney34567 Grant13
Posted
Cold feet could indicate a circulation problem or a peripheral nerve problem. A doctor could investigate. In particular a nerve conduction study may be useful.
susan676 barney34567
Posted
It can also be iron deficiency anemia - PPIs are known to cause this.
barney34567 susan676
Posted
Interesting. In my case I had cold feet ever since I can remember and with PPIs they did not improve, so I agree, PPIs may have caused this as well.
jhleerph Grant13
Posted
I met with my neurologist who theorized it could be a claudication of a neurogenic or vascular nature. He seemed to think it was not MS but I urged him to rule it out. Since I presented with some MS symptoms he ordered 4 MRIs. I got them before but this time I experienced some terrible anxiety which freaked me out. Anyway, I finally got all of my MRI results. I got my brain, cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. No signs of lesions or indications of MS on imaging studies. I am not out of the woods as it could be vascular in nature. I have an appt with the cardiologist for this and would imagine I will be put thru a battery of tests. If these tests come out negative then I have been instructed to find a rheumatologist as they are supposed to be excellent pathologists. If this turns up negative, I have been instructed to find an accupuncturist who is an expert in the 5 elements. It may be worth it to use my PCP as a primary point but my PCP is an idiot. It's really hard to find a good one. This is my plan of attack. I don't suggest the same for everyone but hopefully it gives some people some food for thought.
I was talking to my friend who is a doctor of osteopathy (an MD just with more Eastern medicine exposure). I highly suggest talking to one if you can. He and I were discussing about how the gut and the brain are so similar. The stomach is like a second brain. The stomach is directly connected to your brain. The gut is lined with more than 100 million nerve cells similar to those in the brain. Its likely that the gut sends signals thru the vagus nerve, which travels from the gut to the brain. I copied this from a article but my friend was saying the exact same thing. Can't really explain it more than this without more research but if your gut is haywire bc of issues (in this case chronic PPI use), then it could explain all of these symptoms that we may be experiencing. He said that many patients that get gastric bypass surgery, have strange side effects including joint pain. I know it sounds mysterious, but I can't explain why all of my labs/imaging studies over the last 3 or years all come up normal. Structurally, everything is normal but functionally not so much. I am rambling so I will stop here. Best of luck to everyone who is suffering like I am. I welcome any comments.
IhateOmeprazole adrienne22182
Posted
Have you made a full recovery?