Omeprazole - Acid Reflux/Heartburn

melbury

I have been taking this drug for many years since I was diagnosed with oesophagitis. To be honest I thought it was an absolute miracle drug as I was able to eat and drink anything without the fear of developing painful heartburn/acid reflux.

My GP told me at the time that this is one of the safest drugs and I would most likely be on it forever.

Fast forward 12 years and suddenly it is the drug from hell that can kill you as it can affect so many different organs, plus bones.

I have read so much about this over the past week or so, but still cannot find an answer as to whether any damage done is reversible if you stop taking it.

I have gone back to taking Ranitidine (in the hope that it is a safer option), but have been really suffering with the pain and acid again.

I have read that some people swear by apple cider vinegar to help, but surely that would just increase the acid and burning wouldn't it?

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

lessonlearned

I took omeprazole for over 10 years. In the end it lost its effectiveness.

I tried quittting by going cold turkey, but it was hell, because of the acid rebound. I just couldn't do it. I then changed tack and reduced the dosage slowly and gradually. It took about six months to wean myself off.

Do you know what is causing your acid reflux. You might need to address the cause at the same time.

For me it was partly caused by diet but it was also compounded by stress. I transformed my diet by omitting all grains, including rice, and avoiding foods from the nightshade family, mainly potatoes and aubergines. I am ok with tomatoes.

Whilst reducing the omeprazole, I too switched to ranatadine and also added more alkaline foods into my diet. If I had a bad attack I found drinking one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in water helped.

Also if you drink lots of water it will help neutralise the acid. Oddly enough a glass of lemon juice first thing in the morning will also help. My stomach couldnt tolerate cider vinegar.

I now have no problems at all and have never felt better. However, I do still maintain my regime of no grains or nightshades. I can allow myself the occasional wheat based treat, roughly once a week. I soon know if I've overdone it.

I was also advised to take a daily probiotic. I still do, and I also eat plain yoghurt every day. Also fermented drinks like kefir can help.

Hope that helps.

greenbee

Ask for a referral to a gastroenterologist to try to find out what’s causing the reflux. As LL says above, it could be diet - and what you react to may be the same or may be different. Or it could be something else. It’s worth asking to see a specialist given that the omeprazole has just been dealing it’s the symptoms not the cause.

I was only ever given a max of a 6 week course of omeprazole and told that it wasn’t a long term option. I’ve recently had a gastroscopy and been given some diet and lifestyle advice which seems to be working. Like LL I now know what the triggers are and how to minimise the likelihood of symptoms. I also know why it is happening, which helps, even if it doesn’t fix it.

melbury

lessonlearned wrote: »

I took omeprazole for over 10 years. In the end it lost its effectiveness.

I tried quittting by going cold turkey, but it was hell, because of the acid rebound. I just couldn't do it. I then changed tack and reduced the dosage slowly and gradually. It took about six months to wean myself off.

Do you know what is causing your acid reflux. You might need to address the cause at the same time.

For me it was partly caused by diet but it was also compounded by stress. I transformed my diet by omitting all grains, including rice, and avoiding foods from the nightshade family, mainly potatoes and aubergines. I am ok with tomatoes.

Whilst reducing the omeprazole, I too switched to ranatadine and also added more alkaline foods into my diet. If I had a bad attack I found drinking one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in water helped.

Also if you drink lots of water it will help neutralise the acid. Oddly enough a glass of lemon juice first thing in the morning will also help. My stomach couldnt tolerate cider vinegar.

I now have no problems at all and have never felt better. However, I do still maintain my regime of no grains or nightshades. I can allow myself the occasional wheat based treat, roughly once a week. I soon know if I've overdone it.

I was also advised to take a daily probiotic. I still do, and I also eat plain yoghurt every day. Also fermented drinks like kefir can help.

Hope that helps.

Thank you so much for all of the useful information, will certainly give it a try. May I ask which probiotic you take, there seem to be so many.

I do know the exact cause - it was stress because my OH had a series of extremely serious health issues. Even now (12 years later) I still get very stressed about his poor health, but undoubtedly diet also plays a part in it.

I did see a consultant gastroenterologist and had a gastroscopy, which showed mild oesophagitis and he recommend that I be put on Omeprazole. It also showed that I had H-pylori and so I had the eradication treatment for that. I have since had a follow up gastroscopy, which still showed the oesophagitis, but thankfully no H-pylori.

It is such a shame because I really thought it was a miracle drug, enabling me to eat/drink whatever I wanted with no painful acid. However, I have to say that long before my OH was ill, I suffered with bouts of bad heartburn and have since I was young.

coffeehound

Re the cider vinegar: some say that reflux is due to inadequate stomach acid to cope with digestion. Hence increasing the pH might help. But this might just be YouTube drivel.

greenbee

melbury wrote: »

I did see a consultant gastroenterologist and had a gastroscopy, which showed mild oesophagitis and he recommend that I be put on Omeprazole. It also showed that I had H-pylori and so I had the eradication treatment for that. I have since had a follow up gastroscopy, which still showed the oesophagitis, but thankfully no H-pylori.

If this was a while ago the recommendations for treatment may have changed, as oesophagitis is a symptom, caused by the reflux. So I'd push for further investigation as to why you're getting the reflux - diagnosis of underlying conditions may have improved since then, and if the H-pylori is still gone this may also make it easier to diagnose any other issues.

If they can't find another cause, then ask about alternative treatment/management for the symptoms.

lessonlearned

Hi Melbury.

Greenbee is right, oesphagitis is a symptom of reflux not the cause. It is when excess acid causes the oesphagus to become inflamed and in some cases scarred. The scarring can cause a narrowing of the oesphagus which can lead to swallowing difficulties in later life.

It's good that you managed to eradicate H pylori.

I would recommend a book called "The Clever Guts Diet" by Dr Michael Moseley......I found it very helpful. Basically it's all about how to create a healthy microbiome.....in simple terms ensuring that the gut Flora is healthy and that the good bacteria wins out over the bad. This is where pro and pre biotics can help.

You do need stomach acids, without them you would not have sufficient enzymes to enable you to digest food and extract the nutrients from what you eat. However, omperazole, as a PPI (protein pump inhibitor), switches off acid production which is why it is no longer recommended for long term use.

Modern research has shown It's ok for the short term because it allows the stomach to heal but in the long term it causes too many side effects, vitamin deficiency being one.

To answer your question about probiotics I take one made by "Best Naturals". I buy it off Amazon. I was advised to take one which contains 30 billion CFUs (Colony Forming Units).

It might be worth seeking the help of a qualified nutritionist. I saw one and found it very helpful.

melbury

Just wondered, do either of you feel that any damage caused by years of taking Omeprazole is reversible once you stop taking the drug?

MoneyMate

coffeehound wrote: »

Re the cider vinegar: some say that reflux is due to inadequate stomach acid to cope with digestion. Hence increasing the pH might help. But this might just be YouTube drivel.

Hi interesting subject but slightly confused , should it not be decreasing the Ph to more acidic ? :beer:

coffeehound

^ Youre very probably right, i was never much good at chemistry

lessonlearned

melbury wrote: »

Just wondered, do either of you feel that any damage caused by years of taking Omeprazole is reversible once you stop taking the drug?

So far I think I'm pretty much ok. As far as I know my bones are fine. I haven't had pneumonia or c.difficile.

However, As a precautionary measure and to undo the years of malabsorption of essential nutrients I was advised to take some vitamin and mineral supplements - magnesium, calcium, vitamins c, d and B12, as well as a probiotic, a daily serving of active yoghurt and making the dietary changes I mentioned. I tried kefir but really didn't like it so I don't bother.

I eat a largely paleo and plant based diet, and avoid both sugary and starchy carbs as much as possible. I can drink small amounts of alcohol, usually wine. I don't smoke.

I can truthfully say I have never felt better........like you I had a long history of stomach problems going back to early childhood. IBS, GERD and a duodenal ulcer so it was a great relief when I finally discovered how to manage my symptoms.

As long as I remain on track and stick with my healthy eating regime I remain healthy and pain free. However, I don't consider myself "cured". I can still slip up sometimes. I can managed the odd wheat based meal such as pasta Or a sandwich but I soon know if I have overdone it.

As Greenbee says you may never get to the root cause but, like me, you should be able to work out a way to become and remain symptom free.

Changing my diet so radically was a bit of a challenge at first but I soon got used to it, and the benefits far outweigh any dietary restrictions. If it comes to a choice between eating pizza and then rolling in agony afterwards, then I'll happily forego the pizza. :rotfl: