Hi all,
I've been on 20mg Omeprazole per day for about 5 years now and would really like to get off it as I'm fairly convinced it's not good for you long term. I had a reflux type problem was prescribed it by GP and just left on it. Had to have an endoscopy (OMG) and it showed I have a small hiatus hernia. Problem is whenever I try to reduce the dose side effects are horrendous!
Has anyone had success with weaning themselves off Omeprazole and how did you manage it?
Thanks!
janesp no experience of weaning cos I refused to take it but, like you, I had an endoscopy which showed a hiatal hernia as well as acid reflux. Apparently you have to come off PPIs very slowly.
I've found Slippery Elm to make a huge difference as well as stopping the foods that I suspected were making it worse. These included assorted fruit and tomatoes unfortunately.
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Thanks so much! 
I guess the only way is to go very very slowly. You were wise not to take them, the longer you are on them the harder it is to get off them.
janesp you're welcome. I was given them a few years ago but only took them for a couple of days as they made me feel quite ill. Not saying I'm 100% and do suffer discomfort sometimes but certainly an improvement.
Good luck!
I also use slippery elm! I prefer the lozenges you can suck, but have also had it as tablets to swallow. You can get a powder to make into a malted milk-type hot drink that I have never got round to trying.
I also take digestive enzyme tablets. Which you will certainly benefit from once you're off omeprazole, but not sure if they'll effect withdrawal symptoms.
I also hear Aloe Vera juice is very good as a purely soothing remedy so that might help on at similar way to slippery elm.
Lozenges sound easy. Once things have calmed down again I will start the slow withdrawal, just need to make sure I have something to hand for the inevitable pain this causes.
Do the lozenges work any better SilverAvocado ? Didn't know about powder either! I'm amazed that Slippery Elm put a stop to my being sick after eating.
The powder is the first thing I ever saw. They always have it in places like Holland &Barratt, it's in a cardboard box, light brown with a picture of an elm on it. I think you could make a porridgy thing, too, if you wanted. I've always thought that is the most serious form, even though I've never tried it.
I like the lozenges. You can tell that a slippery juice is slowly going down into your tummy. I was worried the tablets might be passing through without getting dissolved. But if that's the form that's helped you, they must work, too.
The lozenges are yucky chalky, type ones. The kind I had were in a nice little metal tin, and had maple syrup in. They weren't completely disgusting, but definitely not a treat. Im not at home, but I think I bought them from iHerb. Definitely somewhere quite American.
Hi janesp,
I was put on omeprazole in about 2009, after taking an antidepressant called Duloxetine (Cymbalta). After a couple of months of taking duloxetine, I had really bad gastric reflux. The GP I saw said, 'oh yes, that will be because of the duloxetine. It eats your stomach lining!' So I then was also put on omeprazole, and then became extremely iron deficient. Which, I read, can be down to taking omeprazole. Since then I developed gallstones and eventually had my gallbladder removed.
Not sure why I gave you all that detail - I must still be hacked off about all these different drugs I was put on, without any cross referencing by my GP! Not to mention the fact that there is a thyroid link with all these things!
Ok, now I've got that out of my system.. lol.. here's how I got off them. I'm not saying it will be right for you, but it's my experience.
I did a low carb high fat diet - so I had no sugar, no grains, no bread, flour, pastry etc. I was eating fish, meat, eggs, loads of vegetables (but not many of the starchy ones like potatoes), I completely cut out polyunsaturated fatty acids, eg sunflower oil, but would eat butter, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, lard, full fat yoghurt.
I've since added in more carb - sweet potato at night, a piece of fruit in the day, but I still steer clear of grains.
I didn't do it specifically to sort reflux, I did it for cardiovascular reasons (and low and behold, raised cholesterol is also linked to hypothyroidism!) but I noticed a complete absence of any indigestion or reflux, and have not had the need for omeprazole or any other indigestion remedy since. I did reduce the omeprazole gradually, as it's apparently not good to suddenly stop taking it.
And, in the process, I lost 3 stone, without eating any less! (I do love my food lol) and, for the first time in my entire life, my weight stabilized and has been the same now for two years.
All of this was before I realised I had such a problem with hypothyroidism.
I'm afraid I don't know much about hiatus hernia, so can't comment on that.
I've also read on this forum that most hypothyroids have problems with digestion and with NOT producing enough stomach acid. Bizarrely enough, the symptoms of not enough and too much seem to be the same! I think I've read that taking some apple cider vinegar before eating is meant to help. You could verify that by searching on cider vinegar in the search box.
Feel free to use or ignore - it's just what worked for me
I sympathise - reflux is horrible! Best of luck with getting it sorted
Thanks, that’s good info! I’m also iron deficient and have gallstones...I can relate about being put on different drugs; it p’s me off that they do this and cause a domino like effect of problems. I will certainly think about that type of diet. Bit of a sugar addict so would take a while
I just stopped taking it cold turkey - but I hadn’t been on it for all that long. I was being treated for heartburn / reflux and was checked out for h.Pylori which it wasn’t. Think I was on 20mcg twice a day. I seemed to have an unlimited supply of the stuff too.
In the end I went totally GF. Cut out the chocolate - I used to eat a lot of, cut out fizzy drinks - I only drink water and decaf tea and coffee these days. I eat a low carb, high fat diet - it’s actually lowish Carbs and highish fats because I still eat some of both.
I don’t have anything like your hiatus hernia though and I hadn’t been taking them for as long as you have so my experiences won’t be similar to yours.
Good job you went off them! Yes, that is the sort of diet I am thinking about...
I found changing to Zantac helped get over the worst. It helpfully works in a different way. Also found that caffeine, raw tomatoes, apples, and ginger gave me reflux. Good luck.
Doctorsxont seem to realise it's only to. E used for a short time. I weaned myself off though hadn't been on it as long as you but try losing half a tablet every 2 weeks till down to 2 or 2.5 then if feeling ok reduce in 0.25. If you are finding that difficult then stay on each dose longer till you feel confident of dropping down again. Then continue dropping by a quarter then on your last quarter trying stopping or maybe take alternate days then lengthen the dayswithout until you feel you can stop altogether. So glad you have made this decision as long term causes lots of problems.
Yes, have realised it will have to be very slow process for me.
It will also have affected more than the uptake of iron. Have you had B12 - Folate and VitD tested ? Do you a Patient Information Leaflet with the tablets - I have read somewhere it states they should only be taken as a short course.
A B12 result below 500 can result in neurological conditions - as B12 is more than a vitamin ...
That’s the thing SilverFox, when you read the patient information leaflet it would appear that you should only be taking them for a short while yet I know people who have been taking them for years and I could have been the same.
Frightening isn't it. I suppose we should all read the patient information letter but when your doctor says do this then we do! I refused to take them in hospital a couple of years ago. Pain killers were upsetting me-had a new hip -and I was continually sick. Asked to change the pain relief as that was the only thing New but I was ignored then they said I should take something to help my stomach lining so I refused. She stood over me and forced me to take it. I brought it back along with my breakfast and if I'd been sick in a china dish then you would have happily eaten it. It hadn't broken down at all. Plus it came up whole so very painful. I did get an apology but only because it was a lot less than 4 hours away from my thyroid meds! It's so sad they tend to be given out like sweets without us realising how dangerous they can be.
I read the patient info insert after I came off cold turkey. I felt so miserable I did not notice any side effects of quitting suddenly. I had been on it for 2 yrs due to antibiotic treatment for Lyme. Suddenly I felt horrible, numb spots in muscles that kept moving around...freezing cold and tired...blood sugar all over the place...I think my magnesium was in the hopper, along with other things I imagine.
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