Levothyroxine and Omeprazole

[JMM1950]

Can you tell me if Omeprazole can adversely affect the function of Levothyroxine. For many years my Thyroid keeps going out of kilter resulting in my dosage having to be adjusted. This has started since I went onto Omeprazole. Thanks

[JMM1950]

Thank you very much for this information, I shall talk to my doctor about it.

[Marz]

PPI's have also been known to cause heart problems ...

tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=...

chriskresser.com/the-danger...

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

You probably have LOW acid - symptoms are similar - it's just easier to give out a pill that makes billions for Big Pharma and causes you more harm - requiring more meds and so on ....

The effects of LOW B12 caused by PPI's results in so many very serious conditions ...

[shirley-valentine1]

Very interesting! I'm going to the endo soon would like to mention this .. any idea of the brand name to look for on amazon .. if we are allowed ? I got prescribed omaprazole due to all the meds I take ... reading this thread it will stop absorption so in effect a waste of time takinging them ... if I have understood you right ? How do the probiotics help low stomach acid ?

[Marz in reply to shirley-valentine1]

shirley-valentine1 Lower down I have posted some links about PPI's - could be worth a read Pro-biotics help with the absorption by encouraging friendly bacteria in the gut.

What meds are you having to take ? Are you optimally treated for your thyroid ? Sometimes when we are not correctly treated and the FT3 is low things can go wrong ....

Am afraid we have to learn so much for ourselves as most Docs in the NHS have their hands tied and most of the Governing Bodies that take care of our health are on the payroll of Big Pharma - so who bites the hand that feeds them ??

Just type in Betaine HCL to find the meds mentioned.

[shirley-valentine1 in reply to Marz]

Thank you Marz ... am all over the place with thyroid meds and taking 130g NDT too from a compounding pharmacy in us but do have an endo app in couple of weeks so hanging on .. take at least 20 pills daily including omaprazole including vitamin supplements 🙄

[Marz in reply to shirley-valentine1]

From what I read here there are not many GOOD Endos out there. Most of us have read and learned for ourselves. Did you look at and read the links I mentioned below. Information is power You are obviously suffering from absorption issues and I am betting some of your meds are contra-indicated and affecting your Thyroid meds.

Did you see the video I posted the other day - Polypharmacy ??

Do you have any thyroid results you could share for comment ? Is your Endo a Thyroid friendly one or someone who normally deals with diabetes - have you checked him/her out ??

[salsapixie]

Where is it on NHS choices? Can you provide link? I have bad reflux but want to avoid PPI's

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to salsapixie]

Reflux isn't often caused by high acid, but usually by a faulty sphincter muscle (often caused by low acid). Lowering the acid just means you can't feel the damage it's doing. It doesn't actually help with the underlying problem.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Yes it can. a) especialy because it inhibits B12 and iron, b) because it inhibits absorption of all meds and nutrients - you need stomach acid both to close the sphincter at the top of your stomach and to break down food, vitamins, etc

[HLAB35]

Underlying problem may be helicobactor pylori and/or allergy - they didn't even bother looking for these in me (many moons ago now) even though they said I had a duodenal ulcer... the PPIs did nothing except make my hair go prematurely grey and lose my balance and memory - I was getting all the symptoms of low B12 - I was quite young and didn't know much at the time. I also began having chronic sinus issues - it was probably all linked.

I'd recommend weaning yourself off the PPI's and eliminating any trigger foods and always take digestive enzymes and Betaine-HCl with protein and fatty meals.

Look into using Mastic Gum as a much gentler alternative to PPIs for suspected h-pylori infection - it's pretty expensive, but once it's done the trick you needn't take it forever. Also, try considering allergy testing, or elimination of lactose at the very least. Kefir can help with lactose intolerance eventually as it contains the good bacteria that can digest lactose.

[eghjm100]

So question I take Lansoprazole and am quite stable on this, it does seem to keep the stomach pains at bay. I have a hiatus hernia they tell me I don't get reflux only pain if I don't take the Lanso so am reluctant to switch to something that does the opposite, but I read so much on the perils of ppi's how can I be sure which way to go is there a definitive test or is it trial and error would appreciate some advice please

[Scouser58]

Hello JMM1950,,,good question,,,I take both,,and I think my thyroid levels are ok,,,,a good way to check for medication interactions is on the Mediguard site,,,,it tells you what interactions there are and what you should be aware of,,,I read and check mine once a month,,,,I take 150 mg of levothyroxine and 20mg of omeprazole,,,good luck in getting a better balance with your meds,,,,ttfn from karen.

[HLAB35]

Low stomach acid is a major cause of GERD.

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

PPIs are a quick fix that mask the cause of GERD in a lot of cases. I'm very dubious about them being treated as the 'go to' solution for reflux which just treats symptoms, not the cause. There are obviously some exceptions that necessitate the use of PPIs e.g. damage to the gut lining due to drugs, surgery or radiation.

If weaning yourself off them would be too much to bear, ask your GP to keep a very close eye on your ferritin and B12 levels as it's a well-known fact that PPIs severely limit nutrient absorption; B12 being a very large molecule is particularly tricky for a weak, inefficient stomach to handle.

N.B. For relief from reflux, or throat irritation I've found that diluting some glutamine powder is soothing.. it's not mentioned in the link above, so thought I'd add that. Also, resting on your left hand side after meals.

[Jackiez]

I take Levothyroxine and the patient information leaflet lists ppi's in medication to avoid.

[Vivb56]

I was wondering? What is the exact impact of omeprazol on ferritin levels in blood tests. Does it raise levels or lower the levels. Thank you