Vitamin B and Esomeprazole

[Dawney63]

I have been prescribed Esomeptazole 40 mg 1 capsule a day, due to having gallstones.On reading the leaflet inside the box it says these tablets can affect vitamin B levels.

I take a B complex supplement daily

Would I need to increase this?

Or would I be best just sticking to the gaviscon I have been taking?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Previous post shows you were in need of dose increase in Levo

Did you get that yet

LOW stomach acid is common when not on high enough dose levothyroxine

Gallstones are more likely when hypothyroid /low stomach acid

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

Retest thyroid and vitamin levels 6-8 weeks after starting any PPi

Take any PPI as far away as possible from levothyroxine

Do you take levothyroxine waking or bedtime

You may need to add separate B12

[Dawney63 in reply to SlowDragon]

No increase in levo got a blood test gp wants doing on 11/11, also got a private one I will be doing next week.Gp daid no increase as could affect my heart, spoke to another gp who said my symptoms are probably not thyroid related she said I need stronger hrt patches as its my hormones, nothing being done until after blood test results.

I take levo in the morning.

[helvella Administrator]

Don't think that Gaviscon is entirely off the hook!

You can find information that products which reduce stomach acidity can affect B12 absorption. But, somehow, Gaviscon is not pointed out. Yet at least some UK Gaviscon products contain sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate which reduce acidity and might well reduce B12 absorption. (There are 35 Product Information Leaflets for Gaviscon and I have not gone through all of them! products.mhra.gov.uk/search... )

If you have any reason to think that your stomach acidity might be being affected, it is definitely good to have B12 tested. And not just once but from time to time in future.

[Dawney63 in reply to helvella]

Thank youI have a private blood test next week to check thyroid and all vitamin levels.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Dawney63]

Make sure to test early morning, ideally before 9am, only drinking water between waking and test and last dose Levo 24 hours before test

If taking any vitamin supplements that contain biotin stop these 3-5 days before test eg vitamin B complex