Omeprazole side effects

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.

Hello,
have had partial gastrectomy for cancer nearly 5 years ago and was prescribed Omeprazole 30mg twice a day. I can say that I have not felt well since. I suffer nausea, pain eye problems and joint pains. Doctor says that Omeprazole cannot be the cause. I am going to stop taking it to see if symptoms improve.

I was on 100mg Asprin and 20mg Omeprazole for a few years. Recently, I started to have burping and acid reflux. My cardiologist increased my dosage to 40mg. Lo and behold, Iess than two weeks I began to experience severe pain on my right knee and later on both knee. I suspect it was arthritis. Having read the above input, seem logical that the possible sauce of the severe pain on the knee joints could be the increased dosage of Omeprazole. I will stop the Omeprazole immediately. I shall update again to confirm if this is indeed the root cause.

I have oesophageal ulcers and duodenitis, diagnosed by Gastroscopy exam. I have been prescribed 40mg daily for 8 weeks then follow-up Gastroscopy to check efficacy of drug regime. Seems reasonable to me to wait to see outcome. My reason for adding to this blog: Only been on these pills for a few days and am having headaches (though not severe); and have now become aware of duodenal pain;.

Question about Omeprazole - I have frequent diarrhea, severe burning
sensation in the abdomen with shooting pains. Have been in the hospital
twice for the severe, shooting abdominal pain.
Anybody else have these symptoms on an almost daily basis?
I take 40mg/day. Thanks. B.

I just started taking omeprazole (Zegerid) 3 days ago and I have woken up in the middle of the night the past two nights with a pounding heart and been unable to go back to sleep. I have never had anything like that before, and I plan on stopping the omeprazole right away. Has anyone else had this happen to them? And if you quit, how long did it take before you could sleep again?

After taking Omeprazole for about a year, I became unusually fatigued. I just wanted to lie down and sleep. The acid reflux was under control, but I could not function from being so tired. Once I stopped taking the Omeprazole, the fatigue is gone. I can deal better with the acid reflux than with the drug side effects.

CK

I've been taking Omeprazole on and off for 6 months. I've been feeling increasingly depressed, anxious and apathetic - unable to get out of bed in the morning and having difficulty concentrating. Had initially thought that I was feeling like this because of the adic reflux and ulcers... having read these posts I now think that it could be because of the pills themselves. I'm going to come off them immediately and stick to herbal supplements and controlling my diet.

I'm so glad I found this web site because I did think there was something seriously wrong with me, I took Prevacid for years without any side effects, switched to Nexium because it was cheaper and never had any problems with it, I was just at my doctors in Dec. 08 asked the doctor if there was a generic brand for Nexium because the cost has risen on that also so he prescribed 40mg of Omeprazole, took my 1st dose on Dec 31st, I thought I was having a heart attack, had severe pain between my shoulder blades, alot of burping, sick to my stomach, when I would eat it felt like my food was stuck in my chest, and also had a very nervous feeling, my husband suggested, that I stop taking the Omeprazole until I could talk with the dr. I only took it for 4 days and had these effects, I can only imagine what long term would do, I am feeling better still slight effects, but nothing like before, I will never take this drug again, I guess I will go back to forking out more money for the Nexium, it is just crazy the price we have to pay for meds.

I have always been extremely sensitive to medicine and if there's a side effect, I'll surely have it. I questioned my doc at length about possible side effects of Omeprazole and was told they are very minor, very uncommon and include nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness. Within an hour of the first dose, I became flushed, itchy, and felt heaviness in my chest. I have suffered from vertigo in the past and had a spell yesterday. I suspected the drug because I take nothing else currently. Yesterday I took the second dose and all day had an uncomfortable feeling of anxiety, itchiness, heaviness in chest, had difficulty sleeping, felt heart palpitations, and sporadic hot flashes, sweating. I am afraid to take the third dose; particularly after reading how long it can take for this stuff to clear your system. I'm a fan of holistic medicine and natural therapies and will call my doctor first thing Monday to discuss alternatives to chemistry-altering, manufactured drugs!

I had a mild case of laryngophrayngeal reflux (reflux into the larynx) with no heartburn. My PCP prescribed 20 mg Omeprazole to be taken once a day. I experienced terrible muscle numbness, nausea, gas, burping, fatigue, lightheadness, anxiety and depression. I stopped after 6 days. The symptoms continued. After another 6 days, I had a panic attack and went to the ER. It has been over 20 days since I stopped this awful medication. I still cannot eat normally. I now experience heartburn after almost every meal. I still feel light headed and disconnected with the world. I tracked down the manufacturer of the Omeprazole that I took by asking my pharmacist. The manufacturer's rep wrote up a side effects report for the FDA with my consent. I urge everyone to do the same. You can also contact the FDA directly. This is the only way that we can force the FDA and the drug industry to retest the safety of this drug. Best wishes to all.

glad I found this site. I have Crhons which I have had for a number of years. Had been complain about heartburn and pains for a while and consultant suggested Omeprazole. Before taking it I have been having a flare up. But knew the symptoms and was relatively calm about it. After taking the Ome, I have had severe stomach cramps, terrible runs, weird dry retching and nausea, all in the small bowel. Terrible panic attacks. This drug is awful

I am 39 years old and have been on Omeprazole for 6 years. I have had the worst year ever. I was always a healthy and fit guy until 2008. I had chronic headaches and extreme fogginess which led to me having an MRI and seeing a chiro(all negative). I had chronic chest pain which led to EKG's, stress tests, ER visits, and tons of blood work ranging from cardiac, glucose, liver, renal, thyroid, etc...(all negative). Did gastroscopy and found esophagitis and gastritis. Upped the dosage of Omeprazole. Then I started getting tremors, muscle cramping, muscle pain, fatigue, blotchy red skin, and continued fogginess and lightheaded.

Did I mention i still have constant heartburn despite all the Omeprazole. I have done everything...tilt up head of bed, bland diet, no coffee or alcohol, no eating late evening etc....

Doctor put me on Fluoxetine (Prozac) for all my stress and anxiety from these crazy symptoms. After seeing this site and reading all your testimonies I am now thinking it is from the Omeprazole!!! Scary thought to stop since my chest pain and heartburn can be pretty severe and constant. What do I do? Feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place here.

DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! IT IS POISON!

I have this drunk like feeling in my eyes or lightheadedness, its like you are looking to the world from camera, its been more than a year it didn't go away.

Other symptoms I had; Pressure in the head, than it got frequent in time and turned into headache, confusion, not being able to focus, drunk like feeling of the eyes, blurred vision, tingling under feet, ringing in ears and my stomach got worse instead of getting better.

Here is my story; I had high blood pressure and was using atenolol and had pains around my chest. I went to doctor and found out it was related with my stomach so I started Omeprazole 20mg and used it for 6 months.

During this period I was trying to get off atenolol as I didn't want to use any drugs anymore. So I stopped using atenolol but after 3 months I was having pressure in my head, it got more frequent in time turned into lightheadedness (what i mean is that eyes feel like being drunk, blurry and not able to focus well and in time, its like looking to the world from camera). I was thinking that this feeling is related with stopping of medication for blood pressure so I kept on using omeprazole for 6 months. During this time this drunk like feeling got more frequent and after a year now its everyday.

Because I had this dizzy feeling I started blood pressure medication again this time different drug but the drunk feeling didn't go away so I understood it wasn't related with my blood pressure. I went and done all the checkups nothing was found.

Almost a year has passed over using omeprazole now. I was feeling better by time and this drunk like feeling was getting better in time. Recently I got stomach problems again and started using Omeprazole again and blurred, foggy, drunk like feeling, tingling under feet, ringing ears, symptoms got worsen again, plus it didn't give me relief of my stomach even made it worse, so now I understand these symptoms are all related with this Omeprazole.

How come these drugs can exist and they can be prescribed. I am having horrible year because of this feeling and because of this drug. DO NOT EVER USE IT. I will sue these companies who produce this drug!!!

S.

My husband was recovering well from hepatitis A. He's been bothered by some GERD-related digestive problems so he tried OTC Omeprazole because he didn't find any contraindications for liver conditions on it. He took 20 mg daily for 3 days, suddenly felt too full and had no appetite, stopped it but tried again 3 days later when he started having stomach discomfort again. On the 4th day he complained of stabbing pain in his stomach. The next day he was exhausted, bloated,and had a tickling irritation in his throat, and swelling in his feet. He'd had none of these symptoms before taking Omeprazole. I did some research on the Web (at physician's sites) and learned that it is very bad for people with liver problems -- it suppresses key liver enzymes and remains in the body for a very long time. That's been 10 days ago now and his symptoms continue -- mostly fatigue, bloating and swelling in the feet. He never experienced ANY of these things before taking Omeprazole! I see by postings that many people do experience these symptoms for a very long time.

I too have had all the horrible side effects of this dangerous drug.. Yesterday after much research I started taking Aloe Vera gel capsules available at the health food stores.. I stopped the Omeprazole and I fee like a new woman already!!. Many sites recommend the aloe vera capsules not just one site..They work!! Also am eating a bland diet for awhile..applesauce, serial, apple juice..No Citrus, no chocolate, no tomatoes the list goes on.. Bland bland bland is key.

I've been taking Omeprazole 40mg's once daily for two weeks now. I'm 28 years old and up until September have never been sick a day in my life. After an endoscopy, was diagnosed with a "hiatal hernia" after months of a mysterious vomiting syndrome and put on this drug by my Gastroenterologist.

The first week and a half was great, it was able to control my vomiting. But now, after thirteen days of taking the drug, I've been feeling incredibly fatigued over my whole body, like the way you feel the day after you lift weights. Stabbing pains in my ribs, chest and abdomen that come and go. The feeling in my stomach of being "eaten" from the inside out. It's horrible.

Like others, I've also been getting quick, stabbing headaches that come and go in a flash. Joint pain. Muscle cramps. Bloating. Depression. Waking multiple times in the middle of the night. Strange and vivid dreams. Severe nausea in the morning when I wake up. It's all really, really weird. And as of last night, my vomiting has relapsed. Keep in mind, I've NEVER experienced ANYTHING like these symptoms before in my life.

I've got a follow-up appointment scheduled with my doctor in three days and I intend to get off of this stuff immediately.

hi i have been on omeprazole for 18months now and have had a lot of chest infections has anyone else had this, also does anyone know of a natural remedy for acid reflux.

I have been diagnosed with a pericardial cyst and thought that the problems I have been having were related to this.....until I found this site! I have been taking omerprazole for over a year now and have had several disturbing symptoms. Heart palputations, racing heart, night sweats and hot flashes, sudden onset of nausea that lasts for about 5 to 10 minutes then goes away and horrible chest, back and rib cramping, which is the same feeling as having a severe gall bladder attack. Recently the worst has happened. In the past I have had the sweats thinking it was only menopause and chest pain thinking it was the acid refllux. We shall see....as of today I am stopping the drug to see what happens. In the past week the most severe problems have occured. I started with bronchitis and the antibiotics and prednisone the doctor put me on seemed to be having side effects which I have never had before with them. The only other medication...omerprazole. (haven't had bronchitis since BEFORE I started taking the omerprazole) After the first day I began having severe chest, back and rib cramping which seemed to worsen by the day, more so that ever before. Then came the swelling in the hands and feet until they looked like I had elephantitis. There is aching somewhat in my arms with a strange weakness. And...the heartburn became so bad that I feel like it's coming out of my mouth. So..the doctor increased the omerprazole to 40mg or up to 80mg if needed. I have been taking 40mg and it didn't seem to really cure the reflux! So I was going to increase it. Not now! I believe after reading all the posted side effects everyone has been having, most of my problems are being caused by one thing....omerprazole! I was truely believing I was having a heart attack, but since I just had ALL the tests done and was given a clean bill of health and better with the exception of the pericardial cyst, I couldn't believe this to be the problem, so back to the doctor I went. She has put me on motrin for the pain and skelaxin for the cramping which seems to be helping. But, and this is the big but, I am going to come off the omerprazole and see if this will begin to eleviate the symptoms completely. Will update this in a couple of weeks when the drug is totally out of my system. Thank-you for this site and keep posting.

i had been on zoton for at least 7 years to treat a stomach erosion up until a year ago and my gp upped the dose last year but then i was having terrible wind and then developed i.b.s so they put me on 20 mg of omeprazole i was o/k for a few months and it started again so i recently visited my gp who increased the dosage and the wind and pain again with i.b.s was terrible so he added another tablet for the i.b.s which didn't do anything by now i got so fed up that i went off both tablets and put myself on zantac at the moment the pain and i.b.s symptoms are slowly going away i will in a weeks time be seeing my gp to report my findings as i am pretty sure that omeprazole and its similar compounds are to blame

Stay away from this !!!!!!. I took this for 2.5 months and during the middle of it I started to feel nausea and fatigue. I than started to get light headed during the day for no reason. I started to relate the pills to my symptoms and stopped. I have been off for 2 months now and I still experience light hotheadedness. It is now just starting to get better. Hopefully this will go totally away over time?
I also believe this brought on Anxiety as well?
Anyone else experience this?

A.

I've been on Omeprazole for about 8 weeks now for acid reflux and for the last six weeks or so I've suffered from a very dry mouth (constantly drinking water!!), sore throat, occasional headaches and insomnia in that I'm finding it increasingly hard to get off to sleep. When I do get to sleep and I wake up I feel like death, my mouth, throat and nose feel like they're full of mucus that won't shift.

For the last week or so I've felt like my mouth and lips are swollen up - I've only just read the side effects on the leaflet with the tablets and several of my symptoms are listed on there so I'm thinking it's not psychological, has anyone else had a similar allergic-type reaction?

My GP has advised me to come off the Omeprazole when I finish my current box, but having read the side effects I'm coming off them tomorrow.

i feel that all my joints are sore and have a really sore neck.my eyes burn slightly it is not dissimilar to early stages of the flu.i was searching the internet trying to find out why i feel like a ninety year old(sorry if i offend but im only 41)i take allopurinol for gout and i think that the omeprazole is not mixing well with the allopurinol.i have decided to stop the months prescription of 40mg omeprazole after 13 days!

I got Omeprazole instead of Prilosec for my last prescription refill, not by my choice. I got dizzy within 30 minutes of taking the Omeprazole, and severe exhaustion. I am never taking that crap again, I just bought and downloaded an alternative guide to acid reflux from ****** published by Barton Publishing. I am going to give it a try ! I have basically wasted my day off today because between the dizziness, nausea, and the exhaustion, I don't have the energy to do any of my work I need to do at my house ! Oh yeah, another side affect I noticed: restlessness, a feeling of being overwhelmed for no reason... no more of this drug for me....

I'm only 18 and my doctor didn't know exactly what was causing my stomach to bleed so he dope me up on Omeprazole. I have only been taking it for about 4 or 5 days and I feel increased drowsiness, that only benefits me me because I struggle with insomnia. I find it difficult to keep my eyes awake and concentrating in school is a burden. I have very mild headaches and I feel like I am getting sick. I can't stop sneezing, my eyes are watery and blurry, and my saliva and snot are tasting awful like medication. Anyone have answers for me???

I started taking Omeprazole 20 mg 3 days ago. The very first day I took it at night. The next morning I woke up and my head felt like it was spinning out of control. I tried closing my eyes, putting my head back on the pillow, etc. Finally it stopped. Next day, same thing but not as severe. I am stopping this medicine before any other symptoms occur. Glad I found this site!!