Have you been using omeprazole? During the last decade, scientists and health experts have asked, “Is omeprazole for short-term or long-term use?” and “Do Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) have long-term side effects?”
Even if you have been taking omeprazole for a while, you may still be unaware of a few things . Here are a few points to make a note of while using the medicine.
1. Omeprazole vs acupuncture
In a 2016 study of 60 patients that lasted over 8 weeks, researchers found that gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients responded much better to acupuncture than to omeprazole. Both the groups showed improved GERD symptoms, but the acupuncture group was far superior.
2. Omeprazole “as needed”
PPIs like omeprazole take 5 days to reach the desired response. Therefore, this medicine is not to be taken “as needed”. This is because the acid suppression won’t be sufficient, and you won’t get complete relief from GERD’s symptoms instantly. There are better acid-reflux and heartburn medicines for this. Histamine receptor antagonists like Ranitidine (Zantac) or an antacid like Tums brings instant relief for heartburn.
3. Omeprazole and heart disease
A 2016 study of 7540 patients found that the long-term use of PPIs was associated with a 70% increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, the effects of PPIs on the heart requires more research. To read online reviews by patients taking PPIs long-term with symptoms like palpitations, increased heart rate and other risks associated with this class of drugs, you can click here .
4. Omeprazole, PPIs and gut bacteria
“Is omeprazole safe?” is a commonly asked question online. Studies show that people taking omeprazole have different types of bacteria in their gut compared to those who do not take it. Some patients treated with omeprazole have reported a higher risk of getting C. diff diarrhoea. Furthermore, there are concerns about the medicine causing certain nutritional deficiencies. However, a study revealed that iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid malabsorption are unlikely even during prolonged therapy (3-4 years).
5. Omeprazole vs other GERD drugs
Another common question is “Is omeprazole good for GERD?” Studies show omeprazole works better than rabeprazole for a variety of stomach issues, but it does not work as well as esomeprazole does for GERD.
We advise you against consuming omeprazole OTC pills and treating yourself without professional guidance. It would be best to get your doctor’s recommendation for an accurate diagnosis and a correct omeprazole dosage that will suit your health condition.
Read more about omeprazole and other PPI side effects here
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Anzen Exports’ blog posts are based just on our research from cited websites. To be best informed, we advise consulting a doctor about an ingredient or medicine prior to taking it.