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Omeprazole Side Effects? Light headed? Anxiety Attacks

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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

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  • hanna2490
    hanna2490 Sue12fm

    Posted

    I took mine about 15hrs ago last night and feel loopy and lol dizzy not major. Chest tight still burping air feel better tho in regards to chest symptoms but head symptoms no.. I'm feeling like the Med just kicked In..
  • mike37938
    mike37938 Sue12fm

    Posted

    I have been taking Omeprazole 20mg once per day for about 5 months. This past Friday night about an hour after a normal dinner, I started shivering and felt terrible. My palms started sweating and I had to immediately throw up. I do not suffer from panic attacks, I am a very laid back and mellow person, but this sure felt like one. I was naseous, I couldn't hold any food down, and I became a weeping mess (I was sad, confused, and thought my whole world was going to end). Once it finally subsided after an hour or so, I felt tired and sluggish and immediately went to bed. The next morning I had no appetite and didn't feel at all like myself. I managed to shower and felt a bit better, but I decided to visit the doctor, who said I probably had an autonomic nerve problem(?). I told him I took Omeprazole, but he said it was perfectly safe and not to worry. He prescribed an anit-nausea medicine and said to not eat big meals for a while (which I hadn't done anyway). I went home, had a small lunch, and an hour later had another massive panic attack. I thought I was losing my mind. My girlfriend was scared, I was scared, I had no idea what was happening. Finally I calmed down enough to go to bed and slept for 12 hours. Thankfully because of all these panic attacks, I happened to forget to take my Omeprazole pill for both days. When I woke up Sunday, felt a lot better, but still not back to normal. Managed to eat some soup and toast, then felt good enough to get out and walk through the park. Came home, ate some more toast, and half an hour later felt another panic attack come on, not as bad as the day before, but unsettling to be sure. I decided to Google anxiety and food, and somehow stumbled onto several sites like this one describing people having panic attacks while taking Omeprazole. I was flabbergasted. I thought I was going crazy, but it turns out it's the pills. I spent all night researching it online and found dozens of people who had almost the exact same symptoms. I immediately threw my remaining pills in the trash. I was able to go to bed without having another episode. Today I had 2 minor instances, both way less severe than yesterday, both about 7 hours apart (3pm and 10pm). Neither time was triggered by eating, but I could tell it was coming on because my hands started sweating and I felt agitated. Fortunately my emotional state was much calmer and I didn't freak out. Both times it subsided after 30 - 45 minutes, but at least I know now what is causing it. Hopefully this junk will be out of my system on a few more days and my attacks will subside. These pills are terrifying and I wouldn't wish the side effects on my worst enemy. I have already been eating better this year, so hopefully my diet changes will eliminate my need to take these pills in the first place. I am a 42 year old male with no history of anxiety, panic attacks, or depression, but this weekend I might have well have been a mental patient. I hope people who suffer from these same effects will see these posts and stop taking these drugs. They are bad, bad news.
    • ronnie0266
      ronnie0266 mike37938

      Posted

      I never thought to connect my stomach virus-like symptoms with Prilosec until a few weeks ago. Back in October, I was still having discomfort from thyroid issues, my doctor thought it may be acid reflux and told me to start taking Prilosec. A few days later, a woke with what felt like labor pains. The pain would come and go in waves, but so bad, I swear I was in labor. No diarrhea, no vomiting. Just severe nausea especially after I ate. That went on for a few days. Then all of the other symptoms started. Peeling skin, kidney pain, bloating, gas, sweating, sharp, stabbing pain in my right side under rib cage, anxiety, itchy clear bumps on fingers and toes, itchy dry skin, cracked lips, felt like I was getting a cold frequently and stuffy nose every day! I stopped taking it about a week ago and am feeling a little better. Still painfully bloated and get full really quickly.
    • pamela16344
      pamela16344 mike37938

      Posted

      Hello Mike, I really feel so sorry for you, I have been taking Omeprazole for 15yrs & all of a sudden I have panic attacks severe light headedness/dizzy/foggy head.

      which i have now sufferd for 3 years with this & worse still it has brought on Agrophobia. I did come off of the Omeprazole for 6 weeks ...still felt dizzy, but the effects of bad indigestion was so bad i just had to go back on the tablets again,also I think I have some damage to my gut after stopping tablets so quickly.There is no other solution for me but to take these poisionous tablets, I think the Newspapers need to know about these tablets & get them banned ,hopefully come up with an alternative  remedy for heartburn/hiatus hernia.Yes they are bad news ,& it is life destroying .

      Hope all goes well for you.

       

    • nipper124
      nipper124 pamela16344

      Posted

      Had vocal cord cancer a little over nine years ago. Was treated with 5weeks of radiation, All went well, voice returned. Went back  to my ent for the start of 5 years of being scoped. The first thing he noticed was an excesive amount of acid. Now I never had indigestion, could eat anything. He recommended 40mg of prilosec to protect the esophagus. People who had vocal cord cancer have a greater chance of coming down with cancer of the esophagus. Took it every morning, with all my scopes for the next five years, and four years after, never had a problem anywhere.  Six months ago I started to withdrawl, develop anxiety, depression, lost 35 lbs. Never was hungry. Had a brain fog that keep me sitting in the dark crying. Impossible to understand, I had no problems. What is going on, it has to be chemical. Went to all the docs. with their prosac, then zoloft,  ambien and xanax. Nothing would work. Started going thrue the web sites and found this beautiful place. I went cold turkey off prilosec 40 mgs after nine years, not recomended, tapper off,. However after two days I was back, better in the head than ever. That was over three months ago. I feel great. Did develop some reflux, and will have to go back and check  the esophagus every so often.  That's my take on what can happen with long term use, and higher dose of prilosec.  
    • pat27062
      pat27062 mike37938

      Posted

      This is crazy.  I was pretty much in the same situation you were in Mike. I'm now 36 and have been on and off these pills for about 5 years.  All was fine for the first few years as I would only take them if required.  But then the doctor decided to up my dosage and insisted I take them twice daily.  I was fine for the first month or so, they made me really hungry, but that was about it.  But then things started to get strange.  Extreme fatigue, flu like simptoms, sore knees, sore hips, disinterested in hobbies, etc.  Then about 5 months ago, I had to come straight off them to do a H-Pyl test.  I went from 40 mg per day to none.  BAD MOVE. I was really ill, bad cramps ect. for first 3 days, then insomnia for next 3 nights, then extreme anxiety attacks, heart pumping, pulpations, sweaty hands, feeling of total dread every morning.  I thought I was gonna die. Then, I thought I'm just one of those unlucky people who has just gone insane.  My wife and I with 3 very young kids were so worried.  I started to feel mildly depressed.  I went back to the doctor, who fobbed it off as anxiety, and sent me for counselling with CBT as the next port of call.  Stupidly I didn't put it down to the Omeprazole.  But it was on the back of my mind.  The doctor believed its the Omeprazole that was keeping me stable so I was to go back on it again. Personally I felt this was bull and I wasn't buying it.  Once back on I made plans to get off it completely, but in a more managed way.  I instructed my Doctor that there was a link between the drugs side effects and what I had been experiencing.  The doctor agreed that it was possible.  So I am now in the process of weaning myself off the drug.  I must over emphasis the word WEANNING OFF THE DRUG.  Within 2 days off reducing the intake, it felt like the cloud lifted, the anxiety had shrunk and I now have hope for the future.  The fear seems to be subiding also. Having never experienced panic attacks or any mental issues, or have a history of it, I found it hard to believe that this was taking a hold of me.  I read up on so many books about managing the anxiety, living with it, etc. Anyway, fingers crossed, and I'm now going to battle this one out to the end.  I'll make a note to update this webpage on how I get on in six months time.  Was great to come across this site.

    • maisie05
      maisie05 pat27062

      Posted

      Thanks for your post. There is so much confusion over this drug. For women in their 40's and 50's the side effects are similar to peri menopause, anxiety etc, so it is doubly confusing. 

      Keep us updated on your progress 

  • ronnie0266
    ronnie0266 Sue12fm

    Posted

    I have been off of Prilosec for two weeks now. My stool has returned to the correct color, and I am more regular now. I  haven't been needing to go several times a day any longer. My stabbing pain in the right side is diminishing. I was feeling it up to 10 times a day. Now just a few days a week. My kidneys don't ache anymore and I am sleeping better. I also feel as though I am not taking things so personally lately and am not moody. My weight loss has stabilized. I steel feel overwhelmingly tired sometimes. Hoping that will get better.
  • george55383
    george55383 Sue12fm

    Posted

    I been on and off prilosec for 2 years, 3-4 weeks on 3-4 weeks off. While on I get anxiety attacks, heart feels like its beating extra hard, nauseous, and fatigue. Mental feeling of death is on the horizon. Arms feel heavy and real tired. Symptoms come and go. I have found that taking magnesium pills helps alot with side effects.
  • Lynea
    Lynea Sue12fm

    Posted

    I too feel lightheaded and sometimes sleepy after taking Omeprazole in the AM before eating. So I started taking it at night. But now it isn't helping much with the stomach pain. I have a hiatal hernia and gastritis, and I'm 69 and female.
  • beth21928
    beth21928 Sue12fm

    Posted

    ii will tell you about this terrible drug which Ive been on for 30 years yes 30.

    Originally put on it because I couldnt take liquid drugs and I wish I never had started.

    I was never tested as you should be every year for liver function and one year went to many years of just swallowing 20mgs of this.

    Now I must say it did stop the terrible acid that I was having but as the years went on I started to have sweating mainly on the forehead and chest area and horrible taste in my mouth[bitter] then as time went on pains in the joints feeling like the flu all the time.

    Let me skip all this and go to last year I started feeling bad and was on holiday by luck in u.k couldnt eat or swallow my food and a doctor ran an E.C.G as he said I was having palpatations but as I was going home next day he advised me to go to G.P which I did I was sent for an endoscopy within a week and it showed that I have benign polyps and acid reflux despite being on this drug. Thought that was the end but ended up having numerous tests worst of all a large nodule pressing on oesophagus seen by fantastic consultant who is going to operate but not at the minute because they have now found that I have heart condition called atrial fibrillation and have had to place me on anticoagulants for life! this was because of th palpatations and at that time it wasnt in my mind that this could be coming from this omeprazole then this week I heard on 5 live about the American study and link to heart problems. When I saw my consultant it was already known to her and she was shocked to learn that I had been taking this for 30 years and has now asked my G.P to wean me off and put me on Zantac which is one of the old drugs and is not a PPI . This will take some time to complete and will be difficult I think as they say its like coming of hard drugs but i will do it as its my health at stake who knowes I might not even need the Zantac but I think thats asking too much.

    I would suggest to everyone taking this OMEPRAZOLE get checked out and where years ago the leaflet was small and had few problems there are tons of them now--I just wonder how much damage this has caused not just to me but to many other people using this stuff.

    Its a hard lesson to learn but Iam so glad that I tune into the radio because there has not been many other sources reporting on it lets hope that the BBC run something on this subject.

    GOOD LUCK   

  • eve99287
    eve99287 Sue12fm

    Posted

    I was on Omeprazole 10mg for 2 years and although thats a relatively low dose, the side effects were still pretty bad. I thought I knew what the side effects were - stomach cramps, loose stools and bloating but I didn't realise that they were also slowly making me depressed. I was always quite happy go lucky before taking this medicine, then after taking them for a while I felt, what was the point of it all. The slightest problem would be magnified into something terrible and it put a serious strain on my relationship of 17 years, we nearly broke up. I came off the pills as I wanted to go the natural route and it was like a big burden had been lifted off my shoulders and I felt elated for weeks. then my normal self again. Stupidly I went back on them 3 weeks ago as the heart burn was getting too bad and now I'm back to feeling low, unmotivated, sleepless nights and argueing again with my partner. I'm so glad I found this discussion as (although (I was already quite sure), I am now certain that these pills wreck my life and I'm going to come off them again and try something else. Hope this story helps others.
    • donna53594
      donna53594 eve99287

      Posted

      We're you put on another drug like nexium? I'm going thru same and was told to switch to nexium, I'm scared to but know I need this for stomach acid.
    • eve99287
      eve99287 donna53594

      Posted

      Hi, Yes I have now been put on Ritidine (150), also known as Zantac. I'm supposed to take 2 per day but I'm going to take one as I know this is enough as they are the same stuff as Gavalast which I have used int he past each pill is 75mg as last for 12 hours. Unfortunately one of the top side effects on the list is depression but I will see how it goes and come back with my findings. Eventually I'm going to try to wean myself medication like I did before. Oh and another horrible side effect that I forgot to mentiuon on Omeprazole is it makes my breath smell strongly of mothballs! It actually makes me feel sick and I get very paranoid when I am taking to someone and have to stand at a distance incase they smell it lol. Just another of many life wrecking side effects.
    • Tjenk10
      Tjenk10 eve99287

      Posted

      Eve99287. Did your side effects go away? How long did it take?

      How did it go taking the Zantac. That's what my GI doctor wants to switch me to.

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