Stomach acid

[Catherine50]

I've been reading a lot of posts regarding stomach acid. I've been taking omerprezole 20mg for over 15y I do have reflux and had a rare bought Saturday night this week. My doctor has not said to stop taking it since being diagnosed PA. Should I be taking it?

[LadyNZ]

Ooh......I don't think I would be taking it. I was on a PPI for over 8 years and am firmly convinced that is why I am low in stomach acid and have a lack of B12. PPIs can cause the stomach to lose its ability to produce acid if you take them for a long period. I haven't been able to get an adequate diagnosis unfortunately, but never, in a thousand years would I take a PPI again. Reflux can actually be caused by too little acid as well as too much and a PPI could possibly be making it worse. The other thing is that frequently food intolerances can cause acid reflux. Gluten and dairy are common offenders. After I ended up in a digestive mess, I discovered that I am gluten intolerant. It's a pity I hadn't realized that before I started the PPI! However, I wouldn't want to advise you what to do. You can end up in a vicious circle with PPIs. Sometimes when you stop taking them, your stomach goes into overdrive. Best of luck!

[sweetnessandlight in reply to LadyNZ]

Hi

I would be very careful about giving up ppi. I have been on them for many years and believe them to be a contributing factor in my b12 deficiency and lactose intolerance. So I am no fan of ppi. However I had a heart attack in 2010 and have to take aspirin as a blood thinner. Aspirin can give you serious stomach problems and ppi helps to protect it. I take 15mg lansoprazole. My doctor wants to double the dose but I won't agree to it. For me it is a compromise I have to make. My heart has to be my main concern so I have to put up with PA and all the stomach issues. If you have no reason to take them try to withdraw gradually. Going cold turkey will give you horrendous heartburn. Get your doctor's permission first and good luck!

[LadyNZ in reply to sweetnessandlight]

But the aspirin they prescribe for heart health is enteric coated so that it doesn't attack the stomach lining.

[sweetnessandlight in reply to LadyNZ]

Ours isn't but will see if I can buy enteric coated. Thanks.

[fbirder in reply to sweetnessandlight]

They sell them in Tesco. 28 x 75mg in a yellow box.

[fbirder]

If you have PA then your immune system is likely to be attacking the parietal cells in your stomach. These produce Intrinsic Factor (required for absorbtion of B12) and Hydrochloric Acid (needed for proper digestion, especially of protein, and efficient absorbtion of many vitamins/minerals). This means that your stomach acid is too low (hypo- or achlorhydria), a situation exacerbated by taking PPIs.

Strangely, reflux can be caused by achlorhydria. The reasoning is explained in this link, which also gives a simple test to see if that may be the problem...

scdlifestyle.com/2012/06/hy...

[Sleepybunny]

Not sure if you've seen this link.

nhs.uk/medicine-guides/page...

Sally Pacholok mentions PPIs in her book "Could It Be B12"

[Gambit62 Administrator]

If you have been diagnosed with PA and are being treated for it with injections then I think the omeprazole isn't going to be a factor as this will affect absorption through the gut but you are no longer receiving your B12 via the gut.

I don't think omeprazole has any effects once the B12 is beyond the gut - though I haven't actually looked at what research might be out there on that - but somehow I doubt that there will be much, if any.

[Laura5 in reply to Gambit62]

But it isn't just B12 that you need stomach acid for. There are a range of vitamin and minerals which need stomach acid to be absorbed and the acid also keeps bacteria levels down and is part of the mechanism for pushing the food along your digestive tract.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Laura5]

reply was specifically in relation to B12

[Catherine50]

Spoke to GP he said omerprezole is essential to me and will not effect B12 and has agreed to give me jabs every 8 weeks instead of 12

[MariLiz]

Well Catherine, I am on Lansoprazole for reflux and to prevent oesophageal spasm. The spasm in the oesophagus had me hospitalised twice, first with a suspected heart problem, the second time they thought I had a pulmonary embolism. Both experiences were very scary, and something I'd rather not repeat. So I'm sticking with the medication and having B12 injections. I'm too scared to stop taking the Lansoprazole. MariLiz

[Catherine50 in reply to MariLiz]

Ty Marliz