Omeprazole side effects

Am on day three of Omeprazole for pangastritis, ulcers, acid reflux disease and duodenitis. I have cried every day. This is not like me. Mother died of stomach cancer so am afraid to stop taking medication following endoscopic diagnosis last Thursday. After reading this I believe I will have a discussion with my gastrointestinal specialist about just cleaning up my diet to the 'n'th degree.

Been on Omeprazole for 5 days, no side effects to start with and it does seem to have reduced the burning in my stomach slightly, but just today I feel like I've done a heavy aerobics class, all my muscles ache, which makes me feel even more tired and out of sorts than before.
I am on Omeprazole to treat gastritis which might be what is causing iron deficiency anemia and B12 deficiency I have been diagnosed with. Many of the symptoms listed in other articles I had before I started Omeprazole - perhaps because of deficiencies. e.g. confusion and not being able to concentrate, utter tiredness, dizziness, massive leg cramps, blurred vision, occasional feeling of heavy heart beat, bloating, having to sleep sitting up, waking up far too early and not being able to sleep again, depression for no reason.

Been off omeprazole for approx 2 weeks now, very gassy, burning feeling & burping mostly at night. Apple cider vinegar (2-3tsp in 8 oz water) seems to help. Still feeling a little "anxious" at times but much better than before stopping omeprazole. Anyone else having the GI symptoms after stopping?

I have been on this medication for 5 days now for acid reflux (or at least, that is what the dr. assumes I have. The doctor told me to take two 20mg pills in the morning before breakfast, and it seems to have helped some, since the Pepsid prescription did not seem to help me. I also am getting terrible pains on the side of my neck, and my throat hurts. Also have an ear ache that feels like an icepick being stuck in the canal. I also have a red spot now above eyelid like a rash, and all day i feel anxiety. I don't know if I should quit taking this. The stomach burning was terrible and is why I was put on this med. to begin with. So I am afraid if I quit taking this, the stomach burning will return. The dr. said 2 weeks of this, but I don't think i will last that long.

Well, I haven't had any side effects with omeprazole, but I just got home from my gastro doctor who prescribed what he called a slightly stronger version of Prilosec, and they filled my prescription with omeprazole, and reading all of these postings I don't think I will be taking it until I call back and have a conversation with him. Last August I was diagnosed with acid reflux/anxiety and was given a prescription of ranitidine wich I tolerated and which is in Zantac anyway, which I also tried....I was also prescribed clonazepam for my anxiety which has helped. My main annoyance when this all started was a slight shortness of breath, went to the ER two days in a row, they did EKG's and found some spikes that they thought were unusual and made me an appointment to have a stress test with a cardiologist....all of which came back normal....
I have been back and forth to my regular GP. He says my heart and chest are fine, breathing is fine. I have taken everything you can think of over-the-counter from Mylanta to Zantac, but Pepcid seems to help the most...anyway, to make a long story short, the last time I went to my GP I explained I was still having the constant belching all day, the spitting up, not a lost of reflux, mostly liquid, and he gave me a coupon for a new drug called Kapidex....
It is similar to this omeprazole I believe as it is a time-release capsule.
With Kapidex, you get the release of the proton pump inhibitor, then 4 or 5 hours later the release of a medicine that is supposed to work toward healing any EE that might have occurred with the reflux...I took 1 capsule and felt so wiped out I decided not to continue it, couldn't take it and work a mid-day shift as well, but there were no other side effects to it, and I checked online and people had mostly positive things to say about it, so I might call him and see if I can get a lower milligram dosage of it as he started me off with 60 mill.
Glad I got on here and found this web site with people posting their experiences with omeprazole before I actually took one. I am going to call my doctor back and inform him or someone of all the horror tales I have come across on this web site.
I had two gastric tests, a barium swallow and x-rays and a stomach ultra sound....what they found was a bit of GERDS in my upper digestive tract, but it is nothing I can't tolerate so far compared to the horrible experiences I have read here....I hate to take any medications, but I think I will stick with my Pepcid and my clonazepam until I talk to my gastroenterologist again...
I hope everyone is well....

I have been on omprazole 20mg 2x per day for 1 1/2 years. I went off of omeprazole in December of last year because I was tired of taking drugs. In February of this year I went to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack (severe chest pain, pain shooting up my left jaw and my left arm was numb). The doctor in the ER gave me Mylanta with lidocaine and told me to go back on the omeprazole. I did and haven't missed a dose since that hospital visit. Until September 9, 2009 I took my regular dose of omeprazole (one in the morning and one in the evening) I was having a lot of discomfort and was uneasy. That day I also took two aspirins. I had continued stomach and chest discomfort and took some Mylanta. My old doctor had advised my to up my dose in severe situations and I took a third 20 mg dosage and within 10 minutes my face and arm went numb. I was rushed back to the hospital , my blood pressure was 144/81 and I was having panic attacks. I felt like I was going crazy. The doctor ordered bloodwork and a cat scan (because of the numbness) all came back normal. No one addressed the chest pain. Maybe because the EKG I had in February was normal (I don''t know). They had no answers and told me to follow-up with my primary care physician. I went home and finally tried to go to bed, I couldn't sleep well, my mind was racing. The next day the numbness and pins/needles went all over my body. Like everything just went to sleep. I tried to relax and stay calm. I finally went to bed that night but had a hard time falling to sleep (my mind was racing and I was scared). I eventually went to sleep and woke up with less numbness but I had a stiff and painful neck with a killer headache. I don't get headaches that often and this was a major concern for me. I called my insurance and they advised me to go in for an immediate care/same day appointment. I did which was also inconclusive but the doctor asked about my omeprazole. I told her I haven't taken any medications since I was seen at the hospital because I was scared it was something I took that caused the numbness. She didn't say that my symptoms were related to the omeprazole but told me to not take it again and only use Mylanta for my stomach problems. She was not a fan of this medication and told me it is over-prescribed. I have not taken the omperazole since September 9, 2009 and the numbness is almost gone but I still have the tingling and pins/needles from time-to-time and neck and chest pain. No headaches. The doctor gave me a mild muscle relaxer (for my neck pain) but with everything that has happened I haven't taken that either.
I have fibromyalgia and I manage my pain without medications and I do have random symptoms from time to time because of the fibromyalgia but these were acute and terrible. I have never experienced anything like this and I am hoping since I have stopped the omperazole I will go back to normal soon..........

I had been taking Omeprazole 20 mg for about a year and a half. Recently, my symptoms (chest pain) seemed to be getting worse so my doctor told me to take one in the morning and one in the evening. That didn't seem to help my symptoms. For the past few years, I have been having crushing fatigue--I was afraid I might have leukemia or something of the sort. Five days ago I stopped taking Omeprazole and I now feel like a new person--my fatigue has practically vanished. Also, my feelings of vertigo have disappeared, as well as the chest pain I had been experiencing which had led my doctor to increase my dosage.

Over the past few months, I have been experiencing a variety of very bothersome symptoms and after trying to think of what medications I have recently started, the only two that I could come up with were Omeprazole and Celebrex. My symptoms are these: I have difficulty getting a "deep" breath. When I Iay down to sleep at night, I feel like I can hardly breathe. My face and neck are very swollen. I wake up in the morning with bright red cheeks and hot to the touch. I am extremely tired and depressed lately but have just thought that it was because of my increasingly bad health (chronic lower back pain and burning pain in my legs that has not "let up" for nearly 12 years now. I have recently gone on disability and this has been a very depressing experience for me after having worked and enjoyed working my entire life since I graduated high school). However, the extreme lethargy and depression I have been feeling has just been for about the past 6 to 9 months, and I started taking Omeprazole approximately November 2008. Other symptoms are swollen legs and feet....when I am out on a very hot summer day, my fingers become so swollen that by the time I get home, I cannot remove my rings from my fingers! I have begun to wake up in the morning with the most debilitating leg cramps! I have to hop out of bed and walk around to make them stop. My hip bones hurt so bad sometimes that I can hardly stand it! I have pain all over my body...it feels like it's in my bones. My joints are swollen and painful....I can hardly lift my leg and bend my knees to even get into my shower. My feet feel numb sometimes. I just ache all over! By the way.....I am a female...53 years old. Please.....has anyone else out there experienced any of these symptoms and have attributed them either to Omeprazole or Celebrex?? I feel like I'm about to lose my mind (by the way...that's another side effect I just thought of...I have a terrible time concentrating or focusing on anything! My paperwork is so backed up that soon the creditors will be after me!). But I just feel like I could lay down and sleep away the entire day and not give it a second thought. It is taking all the energy I have just to commit to typing out this posting! PLEASE HELP!! HAS ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SIDE EFFECTS I HAVE AND ARE BLAMING IT ON OMEPRAZOLE (OR CELEBREX?). I am on a variety of medications because of 3 failed back surgeries, however, these are the only 2 medications that I have RECENTLY begun taking. THANKS FOR ANY HELP THAT ANYONE CAN GIVE ME!!

I was taking prevacid for 6 years with no problems, then the insurance insisted I switch to omeprazole and after 2 weeks I developed severe upper abdominal pains, almost like a heart attack, with nausea, vomiting, weakness and cold sweats. It was a trip to the hospital and my primary care physician who swore that it could not be the Omeprazole and to continue. After the 2nd bout a week later I insisted that it was the meds and wanted something different. As I started taking something different I started feeling better after a couple of days and felt like I was over the problems after about 10 days and have had no problems since. Just the $7,000 medical bills.

Hi,
I was prescribed Omeprazole for gastritis. I took one before dinner and felt fine
that night. The next morning is when it hit me. I felt lightheaded, extremely nauseous and fatigue. After eating, I was having a hard time breathing. I panicked and went to the Urgent Care. They told me they don't think it was the medication but to discontinue taking it and see if I feel better. It has been five days since taking the medication and most of the symptoms have subsided but I don't feel like my old self. I still feel tired most of the day and even minor tasks are difficult. I will NEVER take this medication again or anything closely related to it.

DO NOT TAKE THIS POISON!! PURE POISON...ANXIETY,DEPRESSION,CANT BREATH..THIS NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE FDA..FOR FURTHER RESEARCH..THIS IS WORSE THAN ANY DRUG OUT THERE..I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY BUT THEY JUST PRESCRIBE YOU ANTI-DEPRESSANTS..DOCTORS WILL LIE TO YOUR FACE SAYING THERE IS NO KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS! DO NOT RISK IT!

Wow, I was amazed to find this site! and glad I did. I went to my doctor about 3 months ago, and I had some reflux coming up and he prescribed me the omeprazole. I didn't do any research on the drug and thought it was just a stronger version of tums or rolaids because I've never had to deal with this before. Well, I started on the Omeprazole and I felt like I was in another world. After I started taking it, I honestly feel many other things have happened, such as after I would eat, I couldn't breathe! It's not that I felt the food was getting stuck, but was moving slower or something and I couldn't take air through my nose or mouth...not once did I blame it on this meds...anyhow, My neck started hurting VERY bad! I thought it was just stress....next, my memory feels like it's really slacking and I'm only 38. I can't concentrate. So, I ended up in the ER and was having very bad chest pains...thought it was a heart attack, but everything turned out to be ok and they said I had GERD. They prescribed me Nexium. That's when the true hell began. The first day wasn't bad,but a lot of gas and chest pain, along with the shortness of breath continuing. By day 2 on nexium, I was having severe, and I mean severe anxiety and panic attacks...I ended back up at the ER, again, they said everything was ok and they gave me ranitidine to take too. If I'm not mistaken, nexium and prilosec are almost the same thing? Tonight was the worst of my life.....my panic attacks were horrible, felt like something was stuck in my throat, my neck hurts so bad and my mouth was so dry I couldn't even spit, I was so dizzy I couldn't walk, my ears were cramping from the anxiety and my eyes were blurry...I honestly feel crazy. I have taken prilosec on and off for 3 months, and now I know why my anxiety was so bad for so long, but the nexium topped it off. I heard that 40 mg of prilosec is actually 20 mg of nexium....this drug is BAD and I will never take it again. I will try the apple cider vinegar method w/ some honey. My grandparents swore by it and just start watching what Im eating. I heard its 72 hours before this crap gets out of your system..I can't wait!

I am 44 and getting muscle cramps in both lower back sides,upper back
under armpits also what feels like the heart area and stomach area
everywhere I guess, mental confusion rashes,bloating pink eye and
headaches every day. I take meds every day for pain like fioricet,Prozac,
and xanax I've taken these for many years.I'm not sure what this could be
but I do also take omeprazole 20 mg.every other day just to keep the
acid reflux down.how do you explain to a doctor all the problems I could
keep on naming them maybe its just getting old.BUT I DOUBT IT

I'm 41, male, and have been taking Omeprazole for about a month now due to an H. Pylori infection that was also treated simultaneously with PrevPack and Sucralfate. A subsequent endoscopy found no ulcers, polyps or stomach problems; my entire GI tract down to my stomach is clear.

I was taking a single 20mg pill per day and had it upped by my doctor to twice a day, though it seems that twice a day is now worse for me. Foods that were fine with me on a single pill seem to give me problems with two pills.

Now that I am on Omeprazole alone (taking no other meds) I have had strange sensations, both mentally and physically. My legs and arms get tingly, I have sharp pains across my chest (as if I am doing a heavy bench press and my muscles are being pulled), my heart rate will speed up, especially if I am laying down, and occasionally I suffer bouts of all-over body aches which feel almost like growing pains.

Mentally I am feeling depressed, anxious and on one bad night I felt oblivious to the world, as if I could walk off a cliff and it would be no big deal; scared the crap out of me. Often I have trouble getting motivated to do anything and find that my only way to get around it is to try and absorb myself in a book. Any other chore or project I try, I start but just can't seem to finish; my mind wanders.

I thought this might be connected to angst about dealing with the pain and circumstance of the infection, but previous to my H. Pylori I had another physical trauma that caused me trouble and I had no mental side effects; I was dealing with it and understanding it as a result of getting older and my body doing what every body does as it ages.

Is it Omeprazole? I suppose I can't really say for sure but reading this and other forums I am under the impression that it is probably having side effects that are serious enough to cause concern. I could probably deal with most of the physical side effects but the mental ones are scary. I will stop using Omeprazole starting tomorrow and see how it goes, confining myself to foods which hopefully won't cause too much reaction and go from there.

After reading all of the comments, I am embarrassed to say that I have taken omeprazole for the past 2 years. Originally, I began taking it for nausea from GERD. I began taking it soon after the death of my cousin (as I figured the anxiety from her death caused my stomach issues). I began to become depressed shortly after, which I also attributed to her death, financial issues, etc. However, when life got better I was still depressed and anxious. Two years passed and I still couldn't figure out why I felt so bad mentally. Not to mention I was mildly nauseous most of the time and NEVER had a normal appetite. I would only know it was time to eat when I felt faint. Light-headedness, stomach cramps and lethargy were also side-effects that I experienced almost daily. The worst part was that I didn't know if the nausea was caused by my stomach issues or by the omeprazole. It was obviously the omeprazole. About 2 months ago I switched to Prevacid which caused much less nausea but many of the other side effects were still there although a little less. I weened myself off completely (which I would recommend to anyone) and I actually feel like my old self again mentally and physically. I didn't realize how low my energy was until this last week that I've been off those meds. I'm actually HAPPY again, I WANT TO EAT something, I have ENERGY, and no light-headedness or stomach pain at all. It saddens me to think that I spent over the last 2 years feeling this way needlessly and thinking that I was crazy. There ARE other alternatives to acid reflux, GERD, etc out there that are much safer and more tolerable. If any of you are experiencing some of the symptoms that I or others have described, explore other options before you just "get used to" feeling like crap.

I am taking Omeprazole 20 mg once a day. After about one week of initiation of treatment, an I feel intense pain behind my left ear, just before the orgasm during sex. The pain is so sever, I feel as if my head will explode. Now I am going ask my doctor to change the medicine.

i forgot to mention in my last posting not only 80mg a day but have taken it for 13 years almost without interruption except for 12mths when i then developed hideous diarrhea and life threatening bowel obstruction, and removal of half the bowel. tablets effect people very differently.

have taken 80mg of omeprazole for years without any side effects. it controls my diarrhea and prevents me constantly running to the toilet. as soon as i stop it i get ibd, and after staying off it for a year ended up having half my bowel surgically removed. it is harmless to me. all this talk of bowel flora etc has to be weighed against the protective effect it has on the mucosa of the stomach and entire digestive tract. yes maybe there are more pathogens running round but the defenses are also much greater.

I am only on day 3, and am starting to experience dizziness and very low blood pressure (85/60). Normally I am 110/80. I still am feeling very bloated and have stomach pains. I don't think I will be continuing this med for very long.

I have been taking Omeprazole for nearly 3 years and am experiencing severe fatigue, stabbing pains in toes, tingling or numbness in toes and sometimes in fingers too, also unsteadiness. I was prescribed it because I am taking aspirin daily due to raised blood pressure (also taking something for the blood pressure! which is now back to a very good reading). I also take Naprosyn for arthritis but only when it is very bad as I don't like taking that every day. Omeprazole is supposed to help prevent possible stomach ulcers when one is taking aspirin and also Naprosyn, but I am beginning to think that the constant side effects from Omeprazole are worse than the stomach ulcers!!
I read in the press very recently that Omeprazole can cause a deficiency of Vitamin B12 in the body and a lack of B12 can cause many of the side effects listed for Omeprazole. Does anyone have any knowledge reference Omeprazole and Vitamin B12? From the posts I have read on this site, it does appear that very many people are experiencing similar side effects from this drug. What are the alternatives?

I began taking omeprazole in early june for burning in my stomach for gerd. I started with 20mg twice a day. I felt extremely bloated. I couldn't eat, or lay down. I had to sleep sitting up, and even that didn't work. I was regurgitating the little food I ate. I told my doctor, and he told me to go down to just one pill a day. The bloating went down for about four days, and then came back. I am not on this drug anymore... it has been two weeks. I had an endoscopy yesterday, and I was told that there was a bit of inflammation in my lower esophogus, and stomach (no bleeding). Well the burning pain is gone, but now I am dealing with indigestion. I get a full stomach after only a few bites of food. I am only able to eat one meal a day. I can't drink much water because of the full feeling I have all day. I am very frustrated since I can barely eat (I feel dizzy as a result). I think this drug has thrown my digestive system off balance as I did not have these symptoms before the drug. I understand that this drug changes the ph of the stomach acid as well as lessening the production of it. Because of this, it can potentially bring a bacterial infection, and digestive enzymes cannot help digest food under these conditions. Gastritis can come about from the bacteria, and if I am lucky and do not have this, well I may have indigestion due to lack of certain enzymes. I am trying to get to the bottom of this. I bought digestive enzymes to take, but I want to get a blood test first to check to see if I am lacking this. Is anyone having the same symptoms as me? I will update.

I have recently suffered from severe relux and have been left with a sore croaky throat. My GP put me on a drug, one of the prazole range and I suffered severe diarrhea and has now changed the medication to Omeprazole and the diarrhea still continues is this quite common as I feel I will have to go back to the GP and hopefully try something else whatever there is.

my granddad has been back and for the to doctors for years and just recently been diagnosed with barrets esphagus, lately he has been back and forth to A & E the last time he even collapsed on the bathroom floor due to dizziness my mother is convinced it is the omeprazole. He is on 20mg twice a day but since being put home from hospital 2 days ago he was told to up the dose to 40mg twice a day, today he is in bed, extremely dizzy and sleepy, i am about to print off some of the above comments to show my granny and mother so that they can insist the doctor change his medicine. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FOR THIS INFORMATION, I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD DO WITHOUT SITES LIKE THIS xx

I was wondering if anyone who has discontinued using Omeprazole has completely recovered from all the side effects? I've been using it for almost 7 months and have had pretty much all effects that people have listed except for itching.

Hello:
I'm 27 and have been taking Omeprazole since I was 20. The doctor started me me off with Protonix 40mg once daily which was later replaced with a generic brand and the dosage distribution to 20mg in the morning and 20mg in the evening. Recently (July 2009) I have been experiencing for the first time palpitations and pressure in that region. Very discomforting and a little scary especially being 27 and healthy. I had a thorough physical done about 4 months which yielded normal results. At least I am comforted by the fact that this is pervasive throughout other Omeprazole users. I will explore this further and share any new discoveries I make.

I have been taking 40mg Omeprazole (by APOTEX) for one week. At 3am Saturday 6/20/2009, I woke up with a severe itchy rash from head to foot. Over four hours, I took 125mg of Benadryl, but the rash got worse, At noon, I went to the Emergency Room at UPMC Shady side. They gave me intravenous steroids, but this had no immediate effect, After three more hours, they admitted me to the hospital. It wasn't until almost midnight before I began to have relief. I was discharged the next day. I have been instructed to never take Omeprazole again.

balding

hair falling out, light headed, tired

This site makes for very interesting reading, I guess anyone who's got this far will now have an idea that Omeprazole whilst being an effective treatment for some gastric problems can have some quite severe side effects.
I was prescribed this drug after a stomach bleed (caused by use of NSAIDs for back pain) and whilst it seemed to help clear up the condition the side effects have been quite severe.
Around January i was put on this medication and experienced fatigue, muscle cramps,swollen legs and dizziness for the two months i was on it, it wasn't until i had a recurrence of the bleeding in May and started to take Omeprazole again that I noticed that the side effects had returned, feeling pretty crappy i went back to the doctor and was told to double up the dose, this made me feel twice as bad, heart palpitations, dizziness, constant fatigue, muscle cramps and kind of anxious and depressed (although i put these last two symptoms down to my inability to get to grips with my bad physical health)
After reading the comments posted here I haven't take Omeprazole for four days now and already the symptoms have all but disappeared, I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my body and my mind, my energy is starting to return and I am sure that I have spent the last month suffering because of this drug. If i have a recurrence of the original condition i will seek alternative treatment, Omeprazole made my tummy better but at too high a price for me to ever consider taking it again.

Hi everyone, I read some of the posts here and thought to share my experience with you.
About 15 years ago I started having heart burns and started taking Tums, Gaviscon and some other antacids and they seemed to work for a little while. But my heart burn slowly got worst and worst until I went to my family doctor. He sent me to a specialist and after sending the scope in my stomach (EsophagoGastroDuodenal (EGD) endoscopy), he said that I have H. Pylori infection in my stomach, as well as LES malfunction (LES = Lower Esophageal Sphincter). He prescribed some antibiotics and 20mg/day of Losec for 8 weeks.
After 8 weeks I ran out of Losec, and my heart burn returned again. I went and saw my doctor again and he said I can continue taking Losec and that I can take it as long as I need it and that Losec has been in the market for over 19 years and no one had any side effect from it and it's one of the safest drugs that they have come up with. So I kept on taking it regularly 20 mg/day for 15 years now. Until about 6 months ago I switched to Omeprazole because my insurance company wouldn't cover the cost for Losec but covered the generic brand Omeprazole. I've had none of the side effects mentioned here, BUT PLEASE READ THE REST OF THIS.
Losec is also called Prilosec and Omeprazole is a generic brand with the same active ingredient but different fillers.
About 2 months ago, I went to a Nature's Source store (here in Canada) and was looking around. An employee of the store offered his help to me and I told him about my case. He said you have totally shot down your digestive system and told me to go and see a Naturopathic Doctor.
I found one and went and saw him. His recommendations were: have 2 tablespoons of an Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg brand) 10 minutes prior to each meal. Also gave me some Probiotics pills as well as some Digestive Enzymes pills.
Prior to this, if I missed taking Losec in the morning, I suffered a great discomfort in my stomach with heart burn (a lot!).
I followed the naturopathic doctor's advice and did what he told me. After about 1 month, today is the second day that I haven't taken Losec. I haven't had discomfort in my stomach yet. I'll have to see how long I can go without it. I will post and update this again. BUT PLEASE READ ON!
Losec, Prilosec, Ranitidine, Omeprazole, Nexxium (the purple pill), and all of this family of drugs are Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI). Which means, they stop the production of the stomach acid. Therefore, no acid reflux or heart burn....
But when there is no acid in the stomach, the stomach becomes the biggest target organ and a paradise for bacteriums, microbes and other microorganisms, which otherwise can not survive in it's very high acidic environment (H. Pylori is an exception). We can not digest our food properly any more. Our bodies suffer from lack of Calcium (regardless of the amount and type of calcium intake), because it can not be processed any more. Meat can not be digested properly any more. Therefore, lack of Amino Acids which are the building blocks in our bodies. Guess what, NO AMINO ACIDS = JOINT PAIN WHICH LEADS TO ARTHRITIS. And lots of other problems later in life.
NO SIDE EFFECT, MY A*S.
If you're suffering from heart burns, indigestion, reflux, or GERD, stop eating: ANYTHING THAT HAS WHEAT IN IT, TOMATOES OR ANYTHING MADE FROM IT (i.e. ketchup, tomato sauce/paste...), DAIRY FOOD, COFFEE/TEA, ALCOHOL. NO CHEWING GUMS, SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, FRIED/OILY FOOD, STARCHY FOOD. STOP SMOKING AS SOON AS YOU CAN. These are all irritants to the stomach and esophagus.
I'm still educating myself about this. I read this book about stomach acid called: Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You by Jonathan V. Wright, Lane Lenard. Read it and you will be surprised.
I hope this will help some of you.

God bless.
S. AA (Toronto, Canada)

Muscle /joint pain, Chest pain, vivid nightmares, have had an ablation to cure high speed heart rhythm.
Stopped taking Omeprazole as I was having excessive pain though the arthritic swelling was almost zero.
Now feel MUCH! better
N. K.
Wiltshire

I prescribed Omeprazole about 8 days ago. After several days I started feeling heart palpitations, shortness of breath, tightness in my chest and I was extremely nervous. I couldn't sleep at night because the symptoms were worse when I would lay down. I was ready to call my doctor and have my heart checked meanwhile I kept searching the internet about the meds I take. Then I find postings about Omeprazole and so many people are describing the same symptoms as I am having. I stopped taking the medication 2 days ago and the symptoms are subsiding. I see where it takes several days to get totally out of ones body because it is an extended release capsule. This drug needs to be re-evaluated by the company.

I am 23 and never used to experience heartburn until I had my gallbladder removed last June. So at my Dad's recommendation, I bought the generic brand of Prilosec which was Omeprazole from Target. I was using it as the pamphlet instructed, (1) 20MG tablet for (14) days. Today is my 10th day and the only side effect that I believe I am experiencing is vivid nightmares. I have been taking birth control pills and a multivitamin for a long time now and because I just started with the Omeprazole, that is the only explanation I can come up with. That is how I found this site because I was trying to see if it was a common side effect. I have only experienced the nightmares for the past three nights however, I dream several different scenarios within a night. The last time I experienced consecutive nightmares was about 2-3 years ago when I was taking Lexapro for anxiety in which I had them for six months straight! As for the frequent heartburn -- it has disappeared but now I am afraid of continuing it in the future because of the massive list of complaints from other users. Just when I thought my problem was solved...you're damned if you do and damned if you don't!

J. T.

I've been take omeprazole for 6 months now for the awful peptic ulcer I was diagnosed with. I take 20mg twice a day and all my symptoms have subsided for the most part. No more sour stomachs or sore throats in the morning and my acid reflux is tolerable. I noticed if I only took it once a day, I would still feel my awful stomach pains. So now, I have to take it twice a day which is fine with me as long as I don't have to deal with that nagging dull pain in my stomach from the ulcer.
As far as side effects go, I have not experienced any dizziness, headaches, or depression. It's all been a very positive experience so far and omeprazole is doing it's job!

Oddly, I'm seeming to have the opposite experience. Omeprazole 20 mg was working great for me for two years, no acid reflux, no weird side effects. Then I ran out for a week or so and started taking Protonix 40 mg that my mother had, and I've been having upset stomach, sore throat and sharp stomach pains since. I'm stopping the Protonix and taking nothing at all until I can get some more Omeprazole, and just hoping I didn't do any permanent damage by switching back and forth between the two.

I've been taking omeprazole for years and all this time I've been getting worst from my condition, my digestive system shots down by 3pm and I don't feel better until I wake up the next day. Headaches, fatigue, joint pain, my heart feeling as if it were in my throat when I go to bed, depression, nausea, very sensitive to smells, excessive gas so bad that it makes my lower back ache, feeling like I need to use the restroom all day long but not being able to use it until my normal time in the morning and having no sex drive at all, these symptoms are part of my everyday life. 5 days ago I stop taking it but, I'm beside myself the heartburn and the reflux is worst than when I started to take it. I don't think there's a cure.

Hi: Every patient who have been on Omeprazole are describing many side effects, however none of them have not mentioned osteoporosis. Since I started to take this drug, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, but I have not experienced any other side effect. I am searching for more information about Omeprazole in order to find out if this drug is the culprit to my osteoporosis. If any one knows about this let me know and if you have information regarding omeprazole/osteoporosis, let me know.

I started taking OMEPRAZOLE on April 1 and stop taking it on April 9 due to my heart started feeling like it was in my throat. I'm of balance, high pulse rate, dizziness, and rapid spells of burping. Before taking this medication I was having some stomach problems and was prescribed this medication to clear them up but once I started taking it, I started feeling even worse. I ended up in the ER and had multiply doctors appointment within a week of taking this medication. I had a EKG and everything was normal but I feel like crap.

Hi everyone, I have been taking omeprazole for eight years. The past year my amount was increast to 40mg from 20mg. My very first side effect was itching all over but most of all around the rectum. i have had pains in my chest.Had camera put down behind my heart had all clear. I have high pulse rate been admitted to hospital when it reached 150 a min.Still suffer from this. Tinging in hands, whole left leg tingles when I touch my leg to moisturize it has a pins and needle effect. Had brain scan for blurred vision. Have diarrhea most days.Get dehydrated because of this I am for ever drinking. My muscle cramps are so bad I cannot do baking any more. Cramps in my legs and feet.I have bad fatigue.I am not interested in sex.My whole life has changed completely over a gradule process. I thought it was down to my age 61.My e.s.r.blood rate is raised I have had every test available I have taken steroids to lower it.It worked at first but then graduly went back up even being on steroids made no difference.
I had no idea this was down to this drug.
From reading this site today I am going to cut down first to 20mg a day. Change my diet and drink plenty of water ,If this makes a different on my state of health I will be back to tell you

I am so happy I found this web site i literally thought I was loosing my mind
for the last six months to a year since being prescribed omerprazole I have been to neurologist for tingling in hands, arms, feet,face,head and arms . I have been to the rheumatologist for unexplained pain in my feet, back,stomach.I have made numerous trips to the emergency room for chest pain, lightheadedness only to be told by all of these health care professionals that nothing was wrong with me. I feel so relieved to know that I am not crazy
because that was my next stop the mental hospital

I was given omeprazole (20mg twice a day) for suspected stomach ulcers - though I was not experiencing current symptoms. Initially my stomach felt calmer but I felt very tired. Over the next few days I got more tired, weak and depressed. I completely lost my appetite and food tasted all wrong, also my sense of smell went off (e.g I accused my son of cooking fish but it was bacon). The only food I fancied during taking the drug was pineapple. I did not like the sunlight and curled up in a darkened room for 3 days. Had very strange vivd dreams. Finally checked the side effects on the leaflet supplied and decided to stop taking it. The tiredness and depression stopped straight away and my appetite returned, but also that evening very bad indigestion and burning which I had not had before taking it. Maybe this is because the stomach is over reacting to acid suppression. I am going to try natural remedies and cut out tea coffee and smoking if possible. Still fancying pineapple! Strange that though it's acidic itself, it seems to soothe the burning. Also fancying yogurt, greens, licorice, bananas and honey (not all together!) which I notice from other sites may be beneficial. Taking milk thistle to clear the drug out of my liver. Any feedback from people who have tried alternatives to this horrible drug?

I have been taking Omeprazole for about 6 months. I've had a terrible itchy rash on my chest, abdomen, back and upper arms and legs this whole time. I've tried all sorts of prescribed creams and steroids, but nothing made it go away. It just occurred to me tonight after reading all of these side effects that Omeprazole is most likely the culprit. I won't be taking another dose of it! I'll just have to suffer with the acid reflux until I find a new drug to take.

I stated taking Omeprazole about 4 or 5 days ago. I stated having chest discomfort, pain in my back,left and right arms, pain in the legs,neck pain, tingle in my finger tips on the left. These all happening at different times. My doctor said the same thing as some of the previous post that this drug was not the cause, I disagree! I previously had taken this drug and had the same problems some month ago but I forgot about the side effects. These side effect are considered as minimal or rare 2-9 % I will not be taking this drug again.

I have been on Omeprazole for then past 18 months. It did control the acid reflux however I've suffered with dizziness and joint pain for months. More recently I got muscle spasms in the chest and what felt like heart palpitations. I was ready to schedule a battery of tests but decided to stop taking the Omeprazole first. Within 24 hours of stopping use the symptoms stopped. after 72 hours I felt better then I had in months.

I started to take OMEP on 17th (Tuesday) and by Friday started to have some chest pains (I thought I was getting a cold) Saturday and Sunday, slept most of the day and night by Monday my chest pains start to get worst. Tuesday as I surf the web on the symptoms it matched Anxiety and panic attic. Today was the worst, my employees were ready to take me to hospital because they thought I was having a heart attack but it only last about 10 to 15 minutes where feels like somebody is stepping on my chest and squeezing my heart. I am stopping with the med today to see how it feels next couple of days but I don't think it was a coincidence.

I have taken this drug for 4 nights, as prescribed. It is for GERD caused by RA medications and stress. It seemed to help for two nights, then I started feeling worse, back to the same feelings I had previously. I have difficulty being able to take a "deep" breath and I had terrible nightmares last night. I woke up and was feeling extremely depressed all day and had no energy at all. I think I will have to stop taking this before I get even worse.

Hey everyone was recently switched to omeprazole about 10 days ago:

At first it seemed to be working better than my previous medication yet 3 nights ago i got up to get some water and got a very painful Migraine type headache above my temples and toward the front and back of my head.

Have had the headache since ranging from mild to very painful. Also have tingling in my hands / face.

Can this all by caused by the drug?

I was put oon Omeprazole almost 3 weeks ago and i have found it to be a great medication. My doc thinks i have gall bladder problems and gave me these to try, i take 20mg every morning and it has controlled the pain in my stomach with brilliant ease. I also have Fibromyalgia Syndrome and take 150mg Tramadol SR, 100mg Pregabalin, 50mg Amitriptyline, 500mg Naproxen, i have not had any bad reaction's to this medication. The only problem i have found so far is that my period seemes to have stopped, this is not concerning me much as i have been sterilized, 2 1/2 years ago, i have a partner so i have figured that if i was going to fall pregnant it would have happened before now! As far as i can see, everyone has a different opinion to different drugs, and this site seems to be full of opinions that hate this drug, it's not so bad, not every pill made is perfect for everyone but sometimes, it can be the right one for one person, me, it has stopped my extremely painful periods and it has gotten rid of my gall bladder problems, i would not stop taking this drug, even if it doesn't suit everyone, L.

I just started Omeprazole two weeks ago and am having headaches, extreme blurred vision, upset stomach, gas and constipation. I was depressed all day today which is also unusual for me. I will be asking my doctor to take me off this drug - unfortunately I do need something to treat the acid reflux so I will be researching nexium.

Good luck to anyone who has to take this - oh and I too have had the nightmares and can't sleep.

I took Prilosec last night because my throat has been hurting and a friend suggested that I take the Prilosec to see if the pain might be reflux. I could not get out of bed this morning. I was ready to go get a mono test because of total fatigue and the sore throat but I am going to wait after reading these posts. Prilosec is the only thing that I have done differently. I also have a LOT of gas. I can't be sure if Prilosec caused the problems but I won't take the risk and take it again.