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Omeprazole Side Effects? Light headed? Anxiety Attacks

Posted , 115 users are following.

Sue12fm
Sue12fm

My Mother was experiencing severe pain across her ribs and back which the doctors say is indigestion but only now and again. She was put on Omeprazole about a month ago and after taking one in the morning she starts to feel light headed, dizzy and generally unwell. She then seems to panic about it and feels she cant breathe which makes her panic more. Her chest and heart are perfectly fine. She stopped taking the tablets yesterday in case they are causing these problems and she is having tests done next week to check for ulcers etc. Has anyone else had these problems? How long do the side effects take to go away when you have stopped taking them?

4 likes, 256 replies

256 Replies

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  • gerald20286
    gerald20286 Sue12fm

    Posted

    I have been on omeprazole for several years, but after dose was increased from 20 to 40 mg I have experienced headaches at the back of the head, stiff neck and more recently dizziness for long periods. Worst of all are anxiety attacks for no reason, of which some are so bad i've felt i am going to die. Very frightening. Fortunately i noticed (online) other people have had similar experiences so obviously i intend to stop my Omeprazole. The problem then is what i can take to control my acid reflux which has been a long term problem for me. Any advice most welcome.
  • les68080
    les68080 Sue12fm

    Posted

    Hi Sue,

    I had all of the Symptoms you have mentioned below and blurred vision on top of this,... like you the anxiety attacks also. I have been off the drug from mid May and have also had bloody tests for every thing and they have all come back normal, it took me about 4 - 6 weeks before I started noticing the side efeects going away, I still have the odd anxiety attact but not so much now.

    Again I went on this drug for the acid reflex and I must say I have this under better control now, I have stopped eating after 6.00 pm and have a glass of milk prior to going to bed, I have also noticed mine was bad when eating curries or spicey food. Hope this helps good luck.

     

  • auk
    auk Sue12fm

    Posted

    Hi- I know it's been some time when you put this info on the system. But can you please say what was the outcome for yor mum's problem/symptoms.. Thanks
  • lauren04468
    lauren04468 Sue12fm

    Posted

    Ive been on it for about a month now havent been diagnosed yet but the pain is gone and my stomach area feels less swollen, before i was bloated with an aching pain in the one area beside my belly button. However now my left eye twitches all the time and my eyes get blurry alot so i wear my glasses all the time now. thats about it but i read about the side effects such as seizures and i freaked out a bit
  • mariannaN
    mariannaN Sue12fm

    Edited

    Back on December 2013 my doctor prescribed Omeprazol as part of a treatment for H.Pylori... what have happened since then is an absolute nightmare, and I never made the conexion between the Omeprazol and all the sudden changes that took place in my health and life.

    1. Extreme panic attacks (in quantity and intensity)

    2. Headaches that seemed a stroke, including nauseas, numbness in hands and legs.

    3. Brain fog.

    4. Extreme weight loss.

    5. Difficulty swalowing, and then, impossibility to swallow solids.

    6. Dehydration.

    7. Ubearable cough.

    Of course I ended up in the ER a few times and finally I was admitted in the hospital, they ran a lot of tests and nothing came out abnormal.

    The doctor continued prescribing the Omeprazol while running more tests: all kind of CT scans, blood tests (heavy metals panel, hormones panel, allegry panel, etc...). No cancer, no diabetes, no allergies, no nothing showed up, but an electrolytes' imbalance (and I always have had a least 8 glasses of water per day).

    As I don't like to take medications for no reason I stopped taking the Omeprazol, since it did not make me feel any better, and the magic started happening. I was gaining weight, feeling more "normal", the panic attacks were little by little dissapearing... but I didn't make the conexion with the Omeprazol. I thought it was because the GI specialist made an esophagial dilation (in order to fix my swallowing problem), and all the improvements came from that procedure.

    Two days ago I was feeling a mild burning sensation in the stomach, then I took one pill of Omeprazol.

    Ten minutes after taking the pill I was shaking, my heart rate went to 120, a horrible headache began suddenly, my mouth was absolutely dry... then FOR THE FIRST TIME, I realized that the problem was the Omeprazol.

    There are no words to explain the kind of pain, suffering and distress that I have gone through during the last 8 months, and now I am 100% sure that was the Omeprazol the main cause.

    • anne240
      anne240 mariannaN

      Posted

      Hi there.  Well I was taking the drug for 10 days but feeling worse, not better.  I was taking it for loss of appetite and nausea.  Today I decided not to take it any more and see how I go.  i was not having any indigestion or heartburn, and thought it may not be the drug for my problems.  I will see how I go, but like you, do not want to take a medication for no reason.  When we present to a doctor with ceertain symptoms they have to guess what is the problem, and prescribe accordingly.  I am so sorry you have been through so much over the last 8 months.  What a lot you have had to deal with.  I do hope you are improving now.  As for me, still do not know what is causing my symptoms, but if a drug makes us feel worse, what do we do?  
    • marle72249
      marle72249 mariannaN

      Posted

      Hi there. I also stopped omeprazol due to heavy anxiety. I've been off now for 10 days and still anxiety is there. Please help me and tell me when did it go away...its killing my life....
    • mateo71517
      mateo71517 mariannaN

      Posted

      Hi there. Im suffering as well with h pylori and i have take omeprazole as well for one month 40 mg per day. I feel shaking, panic attacks, headache,gas  alot.can't go normal to toilet,  i feel really very down. I stopped yesterday the monster but i don't know what to do now?? If is something there you csn help me just tell me please
    • mariannaN
      mariannaN marle72249

      Posted

      I hope you are doing better now. I did not see your comment before. In my case the changes started within 2 days after I stopped taking Omeprazol.
    • BBBBBman
      BBBBBman mariannaN

      Posted

      Thanks for sharing your experiences because they mirrored mine.  I had an event in a restaurant where I was choking. My wife was agitating me and I swallowed some rice and it got bunched up. I hadn't thought abotu it but I had been having a few episodes like this...partly from probably just eating too fast and not chewing. 

      But i went to see a GI about it. They immediately put me on PPI even though I had rarely experienced heart burn and when I did, I could usually fix it rapidly by just eating spinach or broccoli.  But they put me on PPI.  This made me start to feel like my swallowing was worsening. I was very anxious about eating and it sort of spiralled out of control.  I was so anxious about everythign going on in my life I made an impulse buy of a $3500 massage chair....which amuses me now somewhat. 

      I don't remember what caused me to figure out that the medication was causing the anxiety but I stopped taking it. The next day I felt like a million dollars. The day after the anxiety was back. The next day again felt better.  It was like the medication had to slowly get completely out of my system...like over the course of a week or two...but kept feeling better and better. 

      Since a scope did show a bit of damage, I did decide to address teh issue by getting an elevated pillow.  The effect was immediate.  I stopped having coughing jags in teh morning and felt great. Even stopped my snoring.   I ended up recommending these pillows to my parents for general health.  

      Anyway, when I look back on my experience, I'm sort of very dissappointed in my doctors because none of them mentioned this side effect some of us are experiencing. 

      Hopefully, you dont still have trouble swallowing. I don't and if there is a physical cause, I would say it was the pillow.  The PPI's made my condition worse--very increased anxiety..which lead to more trouble swallowing. 

  • jeromy86
    jeromy86 Sue12fm

    Posted

    Im 28 years old I was recently diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks and put on hydroxyzine 4 it but 3 weeks in I have been having horrible bloating acid in the throat and burning in the chest and stomach I called the pharmacy they recommended priolsec otc said to take 2 of em when I got em to get em started and ease the stomach problems but an hour after takin em I started feeling the dizzy light headed feeling idk if this caused it or if I just started having a panic attack that caused it
  • Madness
    Madness Sue12fm

    Posted

    This drug does cause all the side effects people are complaining about so why would you continue with it?

    Go back to your GP and tell them about your symptoms..

    Doctors are not psychic, you do need to report things to them, only then does the problem get addressed and information get fed back to the regulatory bodies.

    • anne240
      anne240 Madness

      Posted

      I am going back to doctor today to report the side effects.  i also did a yellow card report - I don't know if people know about this, but it is a way of reporting drug side effects, which then help medicine control and put on leaflets included with the medication.  I am just hoping doctor does not give me different tablets that make me feel worse.  I have loss of appetite and bad nausea.  Taking peppermint capsules and drinking peppermint tea, as someone told me this would help.  Has anyone else got nausea, and what do they take for it?  Thanks
  • mw86
    mw86 Sue12fm

    Posted

    Hi, I also experience the light headedness and fatigue when taking omeprazole. Also occasionally experience migraine-type symptoms. My ulcer symptoms are caused by bacterial infections (I have a particularly sensitive stomach) and also stress-related excess stomach acid. I read that these side effects may be caused by a magnesium deficiency. I started taking magnesium supplements and these seem to help. I recommend GNC super magnesium tablets to anyone with similiar issues.
  • marle72249
    marle72249 Sue12fm

    Posted

    Hi there. I also stopped omeprazol due to heavy anxiety. I've been off now for 10 days and still anxiety is there. Please help me and tell me when did it go away...its killing my life....
    • tina999
      tina999 marle72249

      Posted

      So sorry you are suffering. I really do understand having suffered badly for the first 3 months of this year with this dreadful medicine and anxiety attacks / palpitations/ panic. I've never panicked IN MY LIFE or suffered mentally in any remote way until it took this monstrous stuff . I was given beta blockers fir my racing pounding heart which was CAUSED by the medicine . Hiw ridiculous was that. My GP hadn't a clue and kept passing me off with more prescriptions of this stuff . I ended up 3 times in A and E with an uncontrollable racing heart.  I had all heart tests since and heart is fine . I did have gastro endoscopy mind you and discovered I have a hiatus hernia.

      Anyway I stopped taking the last pill on 4 April . Over the first week I began to feel better and vegan to sleep though the night without a single nocturnal panic attack . It was amazing. In all it probably took a month or so to work out of my system . 

      Of course it forced me to find alternate ways of dealing with the original reason I was taking  this medicine for in the first place. Through diet, eliminating coffee, bread, chocolate , tomatoes , cream . Not eating after 6 except a smAll salad with a dressing of cider vinegar/ walnut oil. Plus a pear.

      I am a totally different person today. Back to who I was before this nightmare started in January. 

      I really wish you all the best. Drink lots of water to flush your system out. I did . Also eat slowly 2 to 3 apples a day. Seemed to help me for some reason 

      Best wishes to you 

    • anne240
      anne240 marle72249

      Posted

      My side effect with this drug was acute agitation and anxiety.  As I have suffered anxiety in the past, and still have it, it is difficult to tell whether it is due to the drug.  Let me know if your axiety goes away.  Such a struggle.
    • marle72249
      marle72249 anne240

      Posted

      It did go away,but not completely yet. From time to time it gets back but in much smaller scale....i've been off omeprazole now for about a month...should get ridd of it any day soon....
    • marle72249
      marle72249 anne240

      Posted

      It did go away,but not completely yet. From time to time it gets back but in much smaller scale....i've been off omeprazole now for about a month...should get ridd of it any day soon....
    • Eaton
      Eaton tina999

      Posted

      This is really good advice,  I'm stopping this horrible medication tomorrow as its ruining my life and has made me so unhappy for the last 8-9 months.  The apple idea is interesting, I will give it a try along with lots of water starting in the morning. 

      Wish me luck.  

      Pesky Omeprazol should be banned. 

    • Tjenk10
      Tjenk10 marle72249

      Posted

      Hello marle72249. I am having panic attacks, numbness/tingling, headache, spasms/twitches etc. with pantoprozole another PPI.

      I have been off 7 days and I'm not 100% back to normal. How long did it take before all your symptoms left.

    • BBBBBman
      BBBBBman anne240

      Posted

      My anxiety went away after about a week or two.  It was weird because the day I stopped the medication, I felt great for 24hrs....Then about 12hrs of anxiety...then another day of feeling great...then 6 hrs anxiety....basically, it tapered off over time.  

      To others reading this, be patient...it might take a few days but you'll get there. 

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