Side Effects Of Omeprazole- Things You Must Keep In Mind

side effects of Omeprazole

Introduction: 

Omeprazole works to lessen the amount of acid in the stomach. It eliminates symptoms such as heartburn, difficulty swallowing. It also causes indigestion and chronic cough. People also take Omeprazole for preventing stomach ulcers. It is also used for treating stomach ulcers. It is available in syrup, tablets, and capsules in all three forms. Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPIs) – type drug. Side effects that are reported frequently about PPIs are generally headache, diarrhea, nausea, etc. Accordingly, general side effects of Omeprazole include headache, vomiting or diarrhea, etc. But every problem comes with a solution. So, no need to panic. As there are side effects of Omeprazole, there are particular suggestions to avoid the side effects of Omeprazole. We will discuss the details thoroughly in this article.

Uses of Omeprazole: 

According to the FDA label, Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Despite a few side effects of Omeprazole, its purposes are: 

  • Treatment of reflux syndrome with symptoms GERD in patients one year and older.
  • Treatment of active duodenal ulcer in adults. 
  • EE treatment due to acidic GERD in patients one year and older.
  • Pathologic hypersecretory conditions in adults.
  • The maintenance of the healing process of EE caused by acidic GERD in patience one year and older. 
  • The elimination of Helicobacter Pylori reduces the recurrence of duodenal ulcers that happens in adults.
  • Treatment of gastric ulcer in adults

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSjlKPJE6Hk

 

And as Omeprazole is an Over-The-Counter (OTC) drug, you can have it without any prescription if you feel normal– 

  • Heartburn  
  • Difficulty Swallowing
  • Persistent cough

For over the counter drugs like Omeprazole, you take it on your own. For this, I strongly suggest you read the package instruction very carefully. By reading it thoroughly, you can avoid any unnecessary side effects of Omeprazole. Check out all the ingredients labeled on the package. Even if you have used the medication earlier. As because the manufacturer might just have changed some of the elements. You never know. And you might also be pretty allergic to the newly added ingredients. That might cause you extra side effects of Omeprazole. 

Precautions (most useful way to reduce the side effects of Omeprazole):

Excess of anything is never good. So you should not take more of it just by yourself. It would be best if you take it as per the doctor’s prescription only. Neither more nor less. And of course, do not take it longer than described. But if you are taking this medicine without consulting any registered doctor, you can as it is an over the counter drug. But in that case, please read all the instructions labeled in the package. All the people have to follow those instructions strictly.

You must look for advice from your doctor if you have any doubts regarding the dose. This is for YOUR safety purpose. Or else, you will be the one facing the side effects of omeprazole. Now, heartburn is an early symptom of a heart attack. If you feel any chest pain that is spreading to your jaw or shoulder, consult a doctor. Also, if you are feeling sweaty or lightheaded, consult a doctor without any delay. It would be much better if you can manage emergency medical help for yourself. 

Do not take it. I repeat, do not take it if you’re allergic to this medicine. If-

  • You are even allergic to medicines that are like Omeprazole. For example, Protonix, Nexium, Esomeprazole, Pantoprazole, Lansoprazole, etc.
  • If you are taking medicines that are having Rilpivirine as any of its ingredients. 
  • In case you have constipation or stool with blood or black.
  • If you are vomiting where the vomit is bloody or looks like coffee grounds.
  • In case you are losing unexplainable weight.
  • If the magnesium level is low in your blood.
  • If you have Osteopenia etc
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For the best, keep in mind that do not medicate any child with this medicine without any registered doctor’s advice.

Doses of Omeprazole:

Omeprazole is sold in varieties of packages based on strength. For example, 

  • As capsules- 
    • 10 mg
    • 20 mg
    • 40 mg
  • As suspensions-
    • 2.5 mg
    • 10 mg
  • As tables-
    • 20 mg

Now comes the dosing process. Doctors prescribe the medicine according to the very problem the patients are facing. The patient might face Omeprazole’sOmeprazole’s side effects if they do not take medicine as per prescription. A normal dosing process is mentioned below for better understanding.

  • During the time of treatment, if a person has an ulcer, he/she shall go on with the treatment of-
    • In case of dual therapy: 20 mg orally, one time each day.
    • In case of triple therapy: 20 mg per day orally only once
  • The selection of the antibiotic shall be determined based on
    • Duration of treatment
    • Local bacterial resistance
    • Appropriate use
  • Doses that all are higher than 80 mg must be given in divided doses.
  • But no one shall take Omeprazole more than 14 days consecutively. Generally, within 1-4 days, the symptoms improve. If the patient requires another dose, then he/she should follow a four months gap between the doses. 

Now comes the matter, if someone misses any dose. On that contrary, I would like to say that, take medicine as soon as you remember. But the thing that should be kept in mind is if you place it in such a time it’s it’s almost the time of the next dose, then take the subsequent amount. It is not necessary to double-take. But be sincere from the next time.

 

Interaction with other drugs (root to the side effects of Omeprazole):

If you keep salt in the open air, eventually that will be soaked into water. You kept an iron in contact with water. Ultimately, it set’s rusting. If you linger out in cold weather, you will catch a cold. So, it is apparent that everything has some interactions with any other particular thing or things. The same goes for the Omeprazole. It also has quite a bit of business with some other drugs. What does that mean? That means you might need to stop taking some particular doses of medications if you want your medicine, Omeprazole, to work correctly.

 Or else, there might be some side effects of Omeprazole. So, here we go with a briefing of the drugs that have interactions with Omeprazole. Some of the drugs need gastric juice. It is also called stomach acid or whatever you say. The medicines need that juice to work properly. But Omeprazole reduces that juice. So, it is terrible for those drugs if you continue with Omeprazole. Erlotinib, Rilpivirine, Nelfinavir, Ketoconazole, Atazanavir, etc., are some of the medicines affected in this way. The medicine Esomeprazole is kind of similar to Omeprazole. So, it is far better not to use any drug with Esomeprazole as any of its ingredients.

Antibiotics like Calythromycin, Rifampin, Amoxicillin, etc., interact with Omeprazole. According to drugs.com, a total of 196 medicines are known till now that all interact with Omeprazole. And indeed, this article does not state all the interactions. This is why, for safety purposes, always keep all of your prescriptions with you. And get the medication checked by your doctor to see if your doses have any of the drugs that might interact with the Omeprazole. If any, the doctor might want to change the quantity.

 

Side effects of Omeprazole:

Imagine you are reading a romantic novel with a smoking hot coffee in your hand. A piece of country music is playing in the background, and it is raining outside. Doesn’tDoesn’t it sound chilling? Yes, it does. But instead, if you go out and get wet in the rain, that sounds crazier. But pretty more chilling, huh? However, for that, you may catch a cold. Now comes the point, why do I mention such a thing out of context? That is for you to understand that everything comes with a side-effect. Maybe the effects are so little that we ignore them, but they are effects indeed.

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So goes with the Omeprazole. There are many side effects of Omeprazole. At the very beginning of the discussion on this topic, I’d like to say that STOP your dose and manage an emergency medication if you find yourself allergic to Omeprazole. The allergic reactions might include breathing difficulties, swelling in your facial areas like lips, throat, face, or tongue.

And sometimes there are also deadly side effects of omeprazole. But sometimes the patients don’t realize the slow effects of omeprazole. 

General or common side effects of Omeprazole includes:

  • Headache
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Flatulence (Gas)
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Cough
  • Abdominal pain, etc.

The above side effects of Omeprazole are not that severe and are easily treatable. But yes, I feel incredibly sorry to mention that there are some side effects of Omeprazole that might make the situation worse. Like,

  • Anaphylaxis
  • Stevens-Johnsons syndrome
  • Angioedema
  • Bleeding during urination
  • Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)
  • Failure of liver
  • Irregular heart beating
  • Hepatitis
  • Fungal infection in Oesophagus due to Candida
  • Gastric polyps
  • Changes of taste, etc.

The above mentioned are within the category of rare side effects of Omeprazole. But one thing everyone should keep in mind that long-term use of Omeprazole might cause Erectile dysfunction. This ultimately means Omeprazole also affects the sexual ability of a man. 

Externals

In a short-term dose of Omeprazole, our body can negotiate or endure Omeprazole pretty well. Problems arise if anyone takes it long term. But those problems are also easily treatable. Yes, there are some serious effects. But they are also curable if handled with care. As this is an over-the-counter medicine, anyone shall not take it lightly. Like, if anyone feels typical heartburn, drinking a lot of water can solve that problem. No need to take medicine for that. Everyone should endeavor their level best to avoid medication when we take medicine for the long term, that creates a dependency of our immune system on that medicine. 

This is why, if therapy is not taken afterward, the problem becomes worse. And, of course, no one wants that. So, last but never least, there is no alternative to being extra careful in medical cases. So, if everyone stays a bit more conscious and responsible, Omeprazole’sOmeprazole’s side effects can be reduced.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s):

Question: What are the widespread side effects of Omeprazole?

Answer: To be honest, there are many side effects of Omeprazole. But a severe impact is sporadic. In general, you can feel mild headache, nausea, drowsiness, etc.

Question: Does Omeprazole affect pregnancy?

Answer: Well, Omeprazole is a pregnancy category c drug. But further research has manifested that it is safe during pregnancy. No one can tell with surety that the medicine is not applicable for breastfeeding mothers, as there is not enough research on the context.

Question: For how long is it safe to take Omeprazole over the counter?

Answer: Based on the situation, it may take 1-4 days to improve the problem. But no one shall take Omeprazole more than 14 days consecutively. If required, they should follow a four months gap between the doses.

Conclusion: 

Every problem comes with a solution. There might be a hardly any side effects of Omeprazole. But it also has more good outcomes at the end of the day. Or else, it should not have been suggested as an over-the-counter drug. Keeping the side effects aside, Omeprazole is a pretty much helpful medicine that anyone can take over the counter. And also, not so many have reported severe side effects. If the amount of report for severe side effects of Omeprazole were frequent, the FDA would have already banned this medicine. 

 

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