Omaprazole making reflux worse?: I finally got a... - Thyroid UK

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Omaprazole making reflux worse?

VickyWhitlock profile image
18 Replies

I finally got a diagnosis of silent reflux last week. Apparently unconnected to my Hashimotos though I'm not so sure. He put me on Omaprazole, which has made my stomach agony. I hadn't noticed any acid before (apparently it happened at night), it was the sore throats I was reporting. I was told I had acid scarring. But as soon as I went on these I'm in reflux overdrive all day and all night. Has anyone else had these or got any ideas? Thanks as ever!

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VickyWhitlock profile image
VickyWhitlock
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18 Replies
SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

VickyWhitlock Ditch the Omeprazole, it's no good for us Hypos, most of us have low stomach acid so the last thing we need is something that lowers it further.

Worth a try is organic apple cider vinegar with the 'mother', I use this one ethicalsuperstore.com/produ... before breakfast and my evening meal. Honey to taste in warm water, add ACV, gradually working up to one tablespoonful. Works well for a lot of us. The 'mother' is enzymes that do the magic! Some members use Betaine HCl plus Pepsin but that didn't work for me.

gabkad profile image
gabkad

Vicky, any chance you have sleep apnea?

Here's a child with sleep apnea. As you can see, his abdominal muscles are very active and in these sorts of situations, the stomach acid goes up the esophagus. Same thing happens with adults except I can't find a video about it just now. youtube.com/watch?v=MtyO_Dh...

VickyWhitlock profile image
VickyWhitlock in reply to gabkad

I'm pretty sure it's not that, but thanks! :)

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply to VickyWhitlock

You can have breathing difficulties during sleep without full blown sleep apnea (with reflux as a side effect). Look up Dr Steven Park and UARS. This a link to one of his blog articles:

doctorstevenpark.com/tired-...

hunny59 profile image
hunny59

I was on Omeprazole and its generics for 25+ years. My guess is that the burning you're feeling is fermented food refluxing rather than an excess of acid. Doctors appear to be clueless about this and it makes me increasingly angry. Try a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water with your meals - the acid in the vinegar gently encourages your stomach to increase its own acid production.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to hunny59

PPI's are a multi billion dollar business for Big Pharma - they do not want to lose that income. My Nan used to take a bit of Bi-Carb in some warm water after eating - home made bread - cheese - pickled onions - and all was well. We have lost sight of the old remedies .....

in reply to Marz

With you on that one Marz ...argh the good old days. Violets of Genta, syrup of figs ...I'm back there x

hunny59 profile image
hunny59 in reply to Marz

No kidding! Funnily enough, my mum used to take some pickle juice when her stomach was kicking off - makes me think she had a problem with low stomach acid too. So many negatives have been inherited from my parents. Sigh.

scorpiojo profile image
scorpiojo

I must say, through this and PA forum Betaine has worked well for me... Little strange taking it, not a sucker etc but it's really helped me... I do bottom kisses now and belch a bit more... But no burning.. X

Don't want to overburden you with suggestions, but add a good pinch of sea salt to your meal - Sodium Chloride turns to Hydrogen Chloride in the stomach so will give you an extra boost of acid and will aid with digestion. You could also give Digestive Enzymes a try, they have helped me in the past.

VickyWhitlock profile image
VickyWhitlock

Thanks all! Have stopped the Omaprazole - let's see how these other things work! :)

Anthea55 profile image
Anthea55 in reply to VickyWhitlock

Try this link to read about low stomach acid.

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Hypochl...

OzoneGirl profile image
OzoneGirl in reply to Anthea55

Well said Anthea.. I was going to post that!

It's all about too little stomach acid rather than too much...

Hi, I agree with SeasideSusie . Taking PPi's caused me more issues than I already had. The vinegar she recommends is excellent. I have bought 5 litres from Amazon. Good stuff. Make sure you do not have a stomach ulcer if considering Betaine, it shouldn't be taken if you do (I think mine as healed now ). I take pre and pro biotics and Aloe Vera, it as taken some months but those issues are much improved for me. I stopped taking anything with gluten in. No soy or dairy either, I did have H Pylori ( eradicated now) have you been checked for that? I recently added Kyolic Garlic to the list which I believe is very calming. Best Wishes x

loueldhen profile image
loueldhen

Are you gluten free? I lived on bisodol every night for years. When I went gluten free I stopped coughing and my acid reflux disappeared within a couple of days.

Rick68 profile image
Rick68

PPI's (Proton Pump Inhibitors) are intended for short-term use only (i.e. to completely STOP stomach acid whilst an ulcer heals etc). Once taken for longer than a few weeks, it's hell trying to get off them, as they cause rebound hyper-acidity - the stomach produces excess acid, so you're then stuck in a vicious cycle, and go back on them. This IS stated in the small print, but most ppl dont bother to read it, and Big Pharma love this fact as most people once started never get off the damned things for this reason. Massive money involved here. Ascorbic Acid, (1G in 1/4 pint water) with meals worked for me, but we are all different!. Good luck.

Polaris profile image
Polaris

I've had Hashimoto's and had associated digestive problems for years, including gastritis, heartburn, IBS and H/pylori. This and the prescribed PPIs, etc. caused other problems and depleted b12.

It took a long time for the penny to drop and realise that autoimmune/leaky gut was at the root of it all.

Since g/f and taking daily spoonfuls of sauerkraut, I've been free of all the painful digestive problems I was plagued with for years and don't need to take medication at all 🤗

Sauerkraut is a very old European remedy with many healing properties as well as being one of the most effective probiotics you can take. I believe this is healing the villi in my digestive system, keeping H/pylori and digestive problems at bay, and allowing better absorption of all nutrients, but especially B12!

There is much research done on the autoimmune/leaky gut connection and two of the best books I have read on this are by Dr Datis Kharrizian

VickyWhitlock profile image
VickyWhitlock

Thanks! :)

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