Autoimmune stomach problems & PPI's

[Minimouse1]

Hi all, just had a gastroscopy which showed inflammation of the stomach lining & small bowel. Have been given omeprazole PPI 20mg but I'm worried about implications of taking this e.g. malabsorption of vitamins & Levothyroxine. Doc didn't say if inflammation was autoimmune related but I've heard antibodies can also attack stomach lining in same way as thyroid. Is this slippery slope to more ailments?? Am already being investigated for Lupus & Sjogrens too!! Feeling scared..... Any tips on the omeprazole pls???

[Cariad123]

I have this on prescription and used for many years without problem

If l miss a tablet by the end of the day the bile starts in my throat l also take a very good probiotic daily and this helps

All my meds are reviewed annually

[Minimouse1 in reply to Cariad123]

I'm a bit worried whether I have low or high stomach acid. I think the assumption is always that it's high & omeprazole is required, but in some cases the acid is actually low & omeprazole makes it worse. I have issues with constipation mostly but then occasionally diarrhea & a feeling of fullness or undigested food in my stomach with queeziness & hangover type headaches. Before I take the omeprazole I would like to be sure ......

[Cariad123]

Ps l have Hashimoto,s very little if any thyroid left l am currently taking Metavive11 x2 about to take blood level tests

[Minimouse1 in reply to Cariad123]

Yes I too have Hashimoto's but am on levo - what is Metavive??

[Cariad123 in reply to Minimouse1]

I was using NDT Thyroid -s fairly well then l was unable to source and was running out

Because of potential problems with customs l decided to take Metavive 11 x2 daily a porcine thyroid but classed as a supplement so able to buy without prescription in this country

This will be 2 months and have to say from the first day and about 2 hrs from taking it the uptake of t3 was very noticeable

So l knew something was working !

I will continue to use X

[Fruitandnutcase]

I chose not to take omeprazole - instead I figured out what was causing reflux and eliminated that from my diet.Suppose the problem with that is if the reflux is caused by another medicine that you can’t/ don’t want to stop.

If you read the patient leaflet it looks like omeprazole should only be used in the short term yet people can be taking it for years.

The taking of PPIs can be a contributory factor in osteoporosis so another reason I don’t want to take them.

[Cariad123 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Did all that gluten free diet no bread dairy still didn’t help x

[Minimouse1 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

The thing is I don't suffer with indigestion, burps, wind or burning sensations! Only reason I knew I had a problem was the feeling of fullness after little food, loss of appetite & it was like food was still in my stomach which was accompanied by hangover headaches & queeziness etc. Not sure if high or low acid tbh but wary of taking omeprazole ☹️

[greygoose]

I've heard antibodies can also attack stomach lining in same way as thyroid.

Are you talking about the Hashi's antibodies: TPOab and TgAB? If so, no. They don't attack anything at all. It's a myth that TPO/Tg antibodies attack the thyroid. It's the lymphocytes, produced by the immune system, that do the attacking. And, they only attack the thyroid.

Not sure if high or low acid tbh but wary of taking omeprazole

And, so you should be! Doctors hand them out like sweeties, with no idea of the possible consequences.

Have you started taking them, yet? If not, have a read of this article, and try the home test at the end:

healthygut.com/3-tests-for-...

That will at least give you an idea whether you have high or low stomach acid. But, what you can do from there, about the inflammation, I really don't know. I have an inflammed gut, which comes and goes. I've never been offered any sort of solution for it by the medical profession.

[Minimouse1 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you & no I haven't started taking it yet. Wanted to be sure if acid is high or low 1st. Taking this blindly may be a mistake. Thanks

[greygoose in reply to Minimouse1]

I totally agree with you. Best to be sure. But, as you're hypo, your stomach acid is more likely to be low than high.

[Minimouse1 in reply to greygoose]

So did the acid test for the 1st time today. After 42mins there was no reaction at all!! However it's supposed to be done 1st thing on a morning before anything to eat or drink & I didn't do mine until 1:30pm (got up late as had a bad night) but it was still before any food or drink so expected same result. Wondering if time if day is relevant??? 🤔

[greygoose in reply to Minimouse1]

Probably not. It's the empty stomach bit that is important. And, it sounds as if your stomach acid is really low.