Long term use of omeprazole (PrilosecOTC)

[Rose54]

Anyone familiar with problems associated with long term use of Proton Pump Inhibitors?  I have been on omeprazole for 4 months straight, and it does not seem to help my problems.  I was diagnosed with GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and gastritis.  Although I take the pill daily, many of my symptoms remain.  (Pain in upper right quadrant, sometimes burning, difficulty eating, limited diet).  I go a few weeks with a little improvement, then the symptoms flare up.  When I contact my Dr., he tells me to just continue the medication.  The last time I had a flare up, he sent me for blood work, which came back normal, and x-rays (showed constipation, even though I had multiple BM's that morning).  Each time I have a flare up, I have difficult BM's, but go multiple times.

I had been improving again, but, in the last week, I start the day feeling okay, and, within minutes of taking my omeprazole, I get stomach pain and tightness. Eating becomes difficult.  It gets worse as the day goes on, and, overnight, starts to feel better.  In the morning, my stomach feels near normal, then I take my pill and the cycle starts again.

Anyone have any experience with this?  How long is too long to be on this type of medication?

[Rose54]

Yes, they are a different color. They fluctuate, but, when I have an intense attack of pain, they become very pale and yellow.  

It's interesting that you mention bile reflux.  The acid reflux was a surprise diagnosis for me, as I rarely experienced heartburn.  Any "burning" sensation and pain is URQ. I tend to believe that the bile is backing up into my stomach.  I asked my Dr. that very question, and he said that my lack of a gallbladder had no connection to either the gastritis or other problems.  I also asked if there could be something else and got no definitive answer.

To be honest, I haven't contacted him since the last attack where the bloodwork was normal and x-ray showed constipation. I have had one bad attack since.  All followup contact with this MD has been by phone, and each time I am told to let him know if it happens again.  At one point, he spoke of a CT scan, but backed off on that when he learned I was allergic to the dye.  Said it would not be as definitive as with the dye. I had one several years ago that read normal, without dye.

For years I thought that it was SOD, but now 2 gastro MD's are sticking with the constipation theory.

Thanks for all your suggestions.  Are you a medical professional?

[CalGal]

It does have a sedative/hypnotic effect. It can also cause abdominal pain and cramping in some that might be felt as the 'after effects' of putting out too much bile. However, I haven't heard anything of it having an effect on the ejection fraction itself.

[CalGal]

With the problem of constipation, are your stools 'different' than what you would consider a 'normal' brown color? Are they either whitish or kind of gray in color? I'm asking because after a gallbladder is removed there can sometimes be continuing problems with the biliary system.

In addition, pain in the upper right quadrant if it resembles the type of pain that would be found with a gallbladder issues could also point to the same thing.

People do have problems after gallbladder surgery and it's often attributed to acid reflux. It's possible that that is what is going on, but I'm wondering if there isn't something else playing into this.

Have you looked at the biopsy report and was there any mention of the reflux issues possibly being due to bile reflux and not acid reflux? Does your doc know you're still having URQ pain?

You may want to look up SOD (sphincter of Oddi dysfunction) to see if you think that any of your symptoms may be due to that issue.

[margypops]

This is really for Calgal .I  was interested in what you said about the PPis reducing GallBladder Fraction, my question is could antihistimines do the same ,Hydroxyzine was actually give to me as an anti histimine but is also prescribed as a  relaxant.I have found out that Hydroxyzine can cause Virus infections.any ideas?.

[Rose54]

Thanks for the response.  I do not have a gallbladder.  Have experienced the same pain for 9 years.  It was made worse by taking Miralax (on a MD's advice, to prepare for a colonoscopy).  Cancelled the colonoscopy as the prep contained the same ingredient.  That Dr. became angry when I cancelled, and refused to address my pain. It got worse, and, a few weeks later, ER, and new MD. Endoscopy and diagnosis of GERD, Barrett's and gastritis, with erosion of the esophagus.

Minimal information was given by the new MD on how to handle this, except for a generic handout that covers high-fiber diet for after a colonoscopy.  I have stayed away from coffee, chocolate, tomato, oils, etc., and sleep on a wedge.  I have had difficulty adding back food to my diet.  High fiber seems to aggravate more than help.

I wound up here because, with the last attack and MD brushing it off as constipation, I became very discouraged and depressed.  Had a lot of food/medication allergies to begin with, now I can hardly eat.

No other Gastro Dr's left in my area.

[CalGal]

Not every medication is effective for each person. Sometimes either the dosage or the medication itself needs to be changed. Discuss it with your doc.

You may also need to make sure you are following a GERD-friendly diet. You can find examples on gicare.com.

All PPIs will have side-effects. Again, not each pill will have the same side-effects in each person.

People have been on PPIs for years with few problems, although some experience B12 problems.

Since you're having right-sided pain, have you been checked for gallbladder issues? And if the right-sided pain started after your started taking the PPIs, in some, the PPIs can reduce the gallbladder ejection fraction and cause right-sided discomfort.