Are you wondering whether omeprazole is the right medication for you? This
medication does have some side effects, especially if use for a LONG TIME. This
video will examine the drug Omeprazole, educate about side effects especially in
older adults and TELL YOU what signs to look out for which are potentially
DEADLY. Coming up.Welcome To Think YOUR health. On this channel we'll give you
tips and advice as well as educate you about health related medical concepts to
promote healthy aging and if you are NEW here consider subscribing.Next we're
going to look at the 9 most common questions regarding a Omeprazole
including the drugs most common side effects.So what is Omeprazole?
Omeprazole belongs to a family of medications called Proton Pump
inhibitors PPIs for short. Omeprazole reduces the amount acid in your stomach.
What is it used for? For up to four to six weeks to treat heartburn and other
symptoms that happen with GERD also called gastro esophageal reflux disease.
GERD happens when acid in your stomach backs up into the tube ( called the esophagus)
that connects your mouth to your stomach. Thee most common symptoms associated with
GERD are burning in your chest or throat burping or a sour taste. It can be used
up to 8 weeks to heal acid related damage to the lining of your esophagus
this is also called erosive esophagitis and can also use up to eight weeks for
healing stomach ulcers.It's also used up to eight weeks for the healing of
duodenal ulcers and the duodenal area is the area where the food passes
when it leaves the stomach.These ulcers are sometimes associated with long term
use of NSAIDs.NSAIDs can irritate your stomach lining and
duodenal lining.With certain antibiotics to
to treat an infection caused by a bacteria called H. Pylori to help
eradicate this bug the infection needs to be treated to prevent the ulcers from
coming back. For the long-term treatment of certain conditions where your stomach
makes too much acid such as a rare condition called Zollinger Ellison Syndrome.
So how does Omeprazole work? Acid is produced for Proton Pumps in your stomach
and porton pump inhibitors work by turning off and blocking these pumps
thus reducing acid production in your stomach.So how should I take the drug?
Take the drug exactly as prescribed by your provider. DO NOT change the dose or
stop the drug without talking to your doctor. I explain why later in this
video.Take Omeprazole at least 30-60 minutes before
breakfast. Swallow Omeprazole capsules whole.Do not crush them or
chew them. If you have trouble swallowing the capsules you can carefully open up
the capsule mix the pellets with a tablespoon of apple sauce and swallow
with water. Hi everyone and if you find value in this video don't forget to Like
comment and smash that subscribe button! Can I stop the drug without my doctor
knowing? Do not stop taking Omeprazole without talking to your provider.
What might happen is that you might get a rebound acid hypersecretion and in
this condition there's a reoccurrence of symptoms after sopping PPI therapy
due to an increase of gastric acid secretion even above
pre treatment levels. Omeprazole should be prescribed at the lowest dose and for
the shortest duration for the specific medical condition. It was never intended
for lifelong treatments so as to minimize side effect. If you've been
treated for a longer period of time let's say after about six months I would
advise you to taper the dose by 50% so if you're on 40 milligrams then I would
taper you down to 20 milligrams, if you are taking the medication twice a
day and I would reduce to - once a day. So if you were on 40
milligrams twice a day and I would continue at 20 milligrams once a day
for about two weeks. Once the lowest dose of the drug is reached then you can
discontinue the drug. Sometimes if you have being on the drug for a lengthy
period of time I would give the drug every other day for about two weeks and
then discontinue. What other drugs can effect omeprazole? Clopidogrel can
decrease the activation of this drug. Antibiotics such as clarithromycin
amoxicillin or Rifampin, anti-fungal medications. Methotrexate which is an immunological
drug or rheumatological drug. Phenytoin which is an anti-seizure
medication.Diazepam which is also called valium, St. John's Wort and a
blood thinner called Warfarin. What are common side effects? Nausea and vomiting
bloating, constipation, diarrhea or GI side effects, headache
What a serious side effects especially with long-term use? If you have any of
the following side effects tell your doctor right away:
Symptoms such as an unusually fast heart rate a slow heart rate or even
palpitations, muscle spasms that do not go away, seizures all of these could be
signs of a LOW magnesium level in fact a very low magnesium level could
lead to a condition called Torsades de Pointes which can be fatal. If you have
rash on your cheeks and nose ,joint pain that is getting worse these could be all
signs of lupus.Call your doctor right away if you develop the following symptoms:
persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramping, fever, blood in your stool. This
medication may really cause a severe intestinal condition called C-diff or
Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea due to the type of bacteria
and if you have the following symptoms such as unusual weakness especially of
the lower extremities or tongue numbness tingling
of your hand and feet. All of these could be signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency especially if
you use proton pump inhibitors such as Omeprazole daily for a longer
period of time at least for more than three years. If you have symptoms such as
rash, itching, swelling of the tongue mouth and face, difficulty breathing,
swallowing all of these could be signs of allergic reaction.You need help right
away. Long term PPI use can decrease bone
density also called osteoporosis. The FDA has warned about possible
increased risk of fractures of the hip wrist and spine. Long term PPI has
also been associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease CKD
progression and end-stage kidney disease, However, how this happens is not known. Further studies are needed.
PPIs can cause acute interstitial nephritis. Signs are usually fever,
rash, blood in the urine and confusion. You can treat this condition by
stopping the offending medication which would be the PPI.Obviously this is not a
complete list of possible side effects if you notice any other effects which
are not listed please contact your pharmacist or your doctor. What about the
use of omeprazole and PPPs in older adults. Current recommendations in older patients is
to avoid scheduled use for more than eight weeks unless for high-risk
patients or patients with certain medical conditions such as erosive
esophagitis or Barrett's esophagitis for example, especially in all adults there's
an increased risk of fractures and C.difficile associated colitis.Some
studies have shown an association between the use of PPI is especially
long-term use of PPS and dementia but other studies have not found an
association between long-term use of PPIs and cognitive decline. So the jury's
still out. Here's a bonus section.When does the
drug start working? It starts working within an hour of dosing with the
maximum effect occurring within two hours it can
last up to 72 hours. How long will it take to restore my gastric acid level
after stopping the medication? Acid levels return to previous levels within
three to five days of discontinuation. So a question of the day? Did you know that
omeprazole and other peepee PPIs cause decreased bone density and increase the
risk of bone fracture? Were you surprised it can affect your B12 levels
and magnesium levels? Leave your comments and answers in the comment section below.
Thank you for checking out this channel. Don't forget to Like comment and Smash
that subscribe button and if you can't smash it at least touch or push it
and if you want to see more videos click up here here. Have a good day.Bye Bye.
No one's listening eat This is a Bonus tip.If you had a lot to eat like some some soda or some cookies some bars, pop in a PPI or pop in Omeprazole.
You will feel better.KIDDING!