Is your daily Omeprazole really necessary?

[Purple-Owl]

After a bumpy 4 year journey I have reached 5mg Prednisalone daily for pmr. I'm in the UK and although the NHS Medical Centre take good care of me, I seem to have a different doctor every time I look. The current one is now insisting I take Omeprazole every day.

Why? I have never done this, and suffered no ill effects. Omeprazole is on my prescription, but I only take 1 capsule a week, 20 minutes or so before a weekly Alendronic Acid tablet for osteoporosis. As I understand it Omeprazole prevents gastric acid from damaging the stomach lining, and Alendronic Acid must be taken on an empty stomach. I take my pred with breakfast so have never seen the need to take Omeprazole before it.

Am I right in disobeying Doctor's Orders?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Well I've never taken any! They don't seem as fixated on it here!

[Meggsy]

I’m four and a half years in and like PMRpro have never taken anything - just a banana with my 4 am pred.

[Bcol]

I take a 20mg tablet every day, at least thirty minutes before my Pred and/or other tablets and have for many years with no apparent problems at all.

[Shaza123 in reply to Bcol]

I take omeprazole also been on it for years

[SusyTe]

I don’t take it and have never had any stomach problems.

[oscarandchloe]

I don't take it. It can have side effects which I wish to avoid, especially can reduce kidney function. I take my 5 mg pred. with some kefir. This is with doctor's approval.

[Pixix]

I had stomach problems before PMR & took omeprazole, which worked very well. However, when I started steroids I had a lot of the old problems reoccurring & my doctor tried me on lansoprazole which is working well. I needed them, so I take them. No side effects from either. Wonder if this would be good as an FAQ subject, Mrs Nails, 2 queries in same day (but do wonder if people posting are searching on the word before posting as there’s probably a lot of relevant info already in earlier posts).

[Suffererc]

you take Omerprazole 20 mins before Alendronic Acid. Didn’t think we did that ? 😊

[Purple-Owl in reply to Suffererc]

As the Alendronic Acid is acid and must be taken on an empty stomach I did think the Omeprazole might be needed here.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Purple-Owl]

You could take it the night before - the effect lasts for quite a time.

[Purple-Owl in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PmrPro. I didn't know that. Will have a go at taking omeprazole the night before the Alendronate.

[Viveka]

If you are not having problems, take your pred in dollops of yogurt, have no long-term gastric problems and now on relatively low dose, there seems to be no reason why you should take it. O brings its own problems if taken long term. Doctors can't insist what we do with our own bodies, they can advise, we can ignore. 🙂

[67Blue]

I have stopped taking AA now with the rhumats. permission as my scan said my bones were average for a 75 year old, and I was down to 5 mg pred. but the directions were definitely AA first, half hour before any medication or food. Still take reluctantly take Omeprazole as I was under the impression that was for the pred. Plus I did have acid reflux issues pre Pred.

[PMR2011]

was on Pred for 8 years, never took a stomach protector, just always took it after food. Never had problems.

[Bailybiscuit]

I took Omeprazole for a few years starting 2014 and I took Alendronic acid until I reduced my steroids to about 5mg, then I requested that I stop them. I also have taken Landsoprazole. My GP thought my rheumatologist should be monitoring my lungs more so she arranged for a CT scan. The lungs were fine but a hospital Dr rang to say I had polyps in my stomach caused by those 2 drugs so stop them. I also had to have a camera down my stomach and biopsies were taken, they turned out to be ok but stay off those stomach protectors. It also showed a cyst in pancreas which is being monitored. Following year my CT showed gall stones and something with my bowel. I had a colonoscopy. ( Dreaded but was ok) 1 polyp being tested. It is amazing how 1 thing progresses to the next.I have been without anything to protect my stomach but I do have kefir in the morning and eat my cereal before I take the tablets including steroids. My GP is fine with this, the pharmacist at the surgery tried to put me on something with several possible side effects but GP told me I don't need to take them. I hope this helps.

[Jackoh]

No I’ve never taken it. Have pred with some thick natural yoghurt. Xx

[Nominem]

I take prednisolone at breakfast with yoghurt. I took omeprazole for about 10 months but stopped it because of side effects. I tried lansoprazole for a few weeks but also found that it did not work for me .I informed the pharmacy and my GP..