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[breeze]

Hi

Spotted this in Mondays Daily Telegraph and thought it might be of interest to some of you.  Have had to re type it as could not find it online.

'Some may recall the saga described by a couple of readers who had both undergone extensive cardiac investigations to clarify the cause of heart rhythm (multiple ectopic beats) and had started treatment with beta blocker drugs - only for the ectopic to disappear when they discontinued the acid suppressant Omeprazole, which they were taking for their heartburn.  They would have saved much bother had their respective heart specialists considered the possibility that their ectopics might be a drug-induced side effect.  Four years ago, the Federal Drug Administration issued a warning that prolonged use of Omeprazole-type drugs reduced the levels of magnesium in the blood, predisposing patients to disturbances of heart rhythm.

On the same theme, another reader troubled with diarrhoea consulted several gut specialists, only to be advised after two negative colonoscopies that she had irritable bowel syndrome.  She thought this unlikely, so she researched the matter further and discovered that long-term Omerprazole use could cause microscopic colitis.

"The symptoms fitted exactly". she says.  Within five days of discontinuing the drug, her bowels returned to normal.'

This is from the Daily Telegraph, 23.05.16 by James Le Fanu

[countrybumpkin]

I have been on old type anti ulcer drugs for over 20 years ( ranitidine) and as long as I eat carefully they work well for my hiatus hernia.  My Gp asked me to change due to how much it cost them to omeprazole etc - wow never again, the side effects were awful. I tried all 3 of these drugs and he admitted I just could not take them and back to my old trusty ranitidine.
My friend has barratts oesphagus and has to take ppi drugs for rest of her life and she has terrible side effects.
So what you posted does not suprise me at all.

[Dancinggirl]

Very interesting breeze - I think I'm having bad reactions to PPIs - I don't take them that much - I was just told to take them when I need to take painkillers but I seem to be really sensitive to them!!!!  My GP told me not to use PPIs too much if possible as they can and do result in osteoporosis which terrifies me.  DG x

[Dancinggirl]

After I had a camera down the throat to look and see what was going on, though everything was fine, I was told I should probably keep taking that the PPIs just in case!!!  I was sceptical and decided I would adjust my diet as much as possible to prevent too much acid. 
My problem is when I get such horrible headaches I need to take Aspirin or Ibuprofen to relieve the pain - I find paracetamol dose nothing. The NSAIDs are the main cause of stomach ulcers and heartburn so need to be avoided if you get problems.
I think if one gets constant heartburn or has a hiatus hernia then PPIs are a good idea or there is the risk of cancer developing from the ulcers and acid damaging the stomach wall, upper gut and even the oesophagus.  I think with most drugs it's about the benefits versus the risks and if one is on a PPI over the long term then a DEXA scan every so often to check the bone density is probably a good idea. DG x

[losttheplot]

Omeprazole made me itch 

ive just weaned myself off pantoprazole, carefully reducing the amount over a month  so far so good.
i worry about side effects (i seem senstive to stuff) but also worry about taking things unnecessarily. ....but of course sometimes you have to take medication to stay healthy 

[countrybumpkin]

My friend who has barrats oesphagus and is getting bad side effects from lansoprazole has to take it.  She said nothing for over 20 years when she had heartburn so bad every night that she had a constant sore throat and cough. I told her for 5 years she needed a camera but she avoids Drs and it was only when she vomited blood that she was scared enough to see Dr and sent for tests.
She is lucky that all she has is a very large area of barratts that is not cancerous but if she had gone years before all this could have been avoided.
Now she had to take a drug that is giving her bad side effects and she has to take it for rest of her life!

[CLKD]

  for posting, I meant to and forgot - I also posted this on Friday evening but it got lost in the ether 

[SadLynda]

Wow, this is very interesting to me.  Alongside the recent very long list of illness's my Mother has 'the runs' is one of them, she has always known it is down to one of her meds but never which.  When I told her I started with Reflux she said 'I am fine with that as I have Omerprazole to take, I said at the time I did not think long term that was such a good thing.  Going to suggest she give it a miss for a few days and see how she gets on, she would be very happy with her bowels back to normal.

[countrybumpkin]

My friend with the barratts has had to double her dose of lansoprazole after recent camera showed a new area.  She just said today that her memory has got alot worse and she is horrendously hungry all the time and only eating gets rid of the hunger pains.  She queried both these symptoms with the Dr asking if it could be the drug and was laughed at but she is adamant that they do cause memory problems and weight gain due to feeling hungry all the time.  Another lady I know started these drugs 5 months ago and has put on 2st

[CLKD]

Your friend could stop the medication and go to an OTC preparation, i.e. Milk of Magnesia or Rennies?

[countrybumpkin]

She has barratts oesphagus so has to take the high dose of medication or she is at big risk of oesphageal cancer.  She had spent 20 odd years using OTC remedies but still developed a very large area of barratts and the last camera showed a new patch as well that they biopsied.  She is waiting for result of that.  The older area has decreased in size which was good but the new area not so good.

[CLKD]

   how about a basic 'medication', i.e. milk   

[Miss Lemon]

PPIs are poison! I have IBS and functional dyspepsia - both arrived courtesy of peri - and these drugs made me so ill. The NHS love them for some reason.

I did hear a really good article on R4 about them where a gastroenterologist was saying they should only ever be used short term though.

[CLKD]

There was more in the Telegraph yesterday by Dr James about more and more people realising that side-effects are caused by these ……..

[dangermouse]

Yes I was almost force-fed these by GPs and A&E docs when they assumed my hormonal nausea was stomach ulcers. They made me so unwell and I could barely digest anything. Playing around with your gastrin hormones is not a good idea and it took me a while to get over the rebound effects when I stopped.

If anyone is stopping these after being on regular high doses, then please wean yourself off slowly otherwise the rebound reflux and nausea is intense.

Some conditions do require them though but they are often prescribed with NSAIDs to counteract the acid side effects and create unnecessary turmoil!