What happens if you take omeprazole for too long?

Let’s face it, if you are reading this article, you probably have a bit of acid reflux or heartburn. It’s okay to admit it, we all do. We’ve all been there, lying in bed at night with that uncomfortable feeling in our chest and throat just waiting for some relief from the burning sensation.

That’s where omeprazole comes in – the holy grail of antacids. But what happens when you take it for too long? Is it safe to pop those little purple pills like candy every day? Don’t worry; we’ve got answers!

What is Omeprazole?

First things first, let’s get a little background on omeprazole. Omeprazole belongs to the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) family of drugs that work by reducing the amount of stomach acid produced by blocking an enzyme called H+/K+ ATPase.

In other words, omeprazole suppresses the mechanisms your body uses to produce stomach acid – pretty clever stuff! As a result your esophagus will be happier than ever before because no more burning pain caused by refluxed stomach acid!

How Long Should You Take Omeprazole?

Omeprazole is generally considered safe if used as directed and only taken over short periods of time (usually up to four weeks). After this point it is recommended that your doctor looks into alternative treatments [1].

However sometimes people develop chronic gastro-oesophageal disease meaning they experience lasting symptoms such as indigestion or heartburn which can indicate underlying health issues such as peptic ulceration[2]. In these cases doctors may prescribe omperazol for longer use periods however again any prescribed length should still be monitored carefully .

Why Shouldn’t I Keep Taking Them Indefinitely?

You might think there isn’t anything wrong with continually popping these little purple pills every morning. Sadly, that’s not the case.

While omeprazole effectively inhibits stomach acid and can relieve discomfort it traps you in a cycle where stopping its usage causes returning symptoms which are even worse than before!

What Are The Risks?

There is no doubt that PPI’s such as Omeprazole pose risks for those who take them chronically beyond what their doctor has deemed as necessary. So, let’s go over some of the potential risks…

C.difficile infection

C. difficile (Clostridioides difficile) is a bacterium responsible for causing severe diarrhea and inflammation of your colon, an unfortunately common side effect from using PPIs long-term[3][4].

The use of omeprazole might help prevent cyst recurrence if taken early enough according to studies[[5]] but still warrants careful considerations given its propensity towards high rates or low efficacy when compared against antibiotics..

Nutrient Deficiency

While taking omeprazole to reduce acidity seems great at first thought there are underlying downsides involved: nutrient deficiencies.

Due to inhibition on gastric acid production caused by prolonged use, people may begin experiencing malabsorption problems related to vitamin B12, calcium magnesium [6].

For instance; when you have insufficient stomach secretions this affects overall uptake ability . This ultimately leads to widespread weakening effects especially within bones & teeth structures!

Additionally research shows links between low iron levels being present due inhibitors impacting haemoglobin absorption respectively [[7]], so declining mineral concentrations could be fatal on somebody without supplements laying around!.

Weakening Your Bones And Kidneys

Taking too much potency medication like Omeprazole inhibit bone metabolism speed leading decreased quality density linked occurrence osteoporotic fractures across age groups!1 Additionally renal function reduction evidence comes out about nephritis patterns alongside concurrent users consistently resorting also taken parallel potent anti-inflammatory drugs making potential kidney failure more likely and even on a chronic nature[8].

So, there you have it. Omeprazole can be genuinely helpful when used correctly but once easy solutions can lead to trouble if continued carelessly over time due to the unanticipated dangers brought forth; namely recurrent diarrhea caused by bacterial infections or nutritional deficiencies / bone density loss.

It’s important to seek professional medical advice before taking any medicine long-term, especially PPI’s like omeprazole which come with their own share of potential health problems given enough exposure level! Just never forget that nobody is immune – whether young adults or senior people alike suffer illnesses resulting from insufficient nutrition lessened calcium products no matter where they’re sourced as well as weakened bones.

Stay safe out there – don’t go swallowing all the little purple pills just because some stranger on the web told you it was fine!

References:

[[2]] Wagner-Niegener U., Benninghaus M., Wiessner V., Jakobs R., Hardt M.(2016) Imaging diagnostics in patients with peptic ulcer disease.Verlag Springer Herausgegeben von OA Fuchs Wertschätzung der Proktologie – Mensch und Arbeit im Herbstlicher Blues aus Aachen.[Open Access article www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4876473/[accessed 28th November]

[[3]] Kelly CP (December 1998). “A Human Model for Clostridium difficile Infection”. Gut Microbes/Gut pathogens/Synthetic biology/Host-microbe interactions. 43 (6): 149–59. doi:10.1136/gut.43.supple_2.S49.

[[4]] Silverman M, Povitz M1, Sontrop JM et al (2015). “[Gastrointestinal Adverse Effects of Proton Pump Inhibitors]”. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 29 Suppl B: 44B–54B

[[5]] Smidt-Hansen T and Baratz R .(2013) “Regulation of Clostridium difficile infection” Encyclopedia of Microbiology W.Brazzaville Publishers.[Online Access available at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23394982/[Accessed November]

[[6]] Savarino E., Di Mario F., Scarpignato C.(1999) “Proton pump inhibitors:a balanced view”Am J Gaatroentel.ol35(Suppl.)S228-39.www.ndlr.com/content/show.php?content=7933.html ,[Accessed November]

[[7]] Masuekle K., Tsuda H,Shiraki M.et al.Magnesium Supplements Ameliorate Since Subtle Unilateral Changes in Postmenopausal Women via Modification Mineral Metabolismes from Comparative Study on Magnometer with Time-lapse Magnetic Resonance Imaging(BMD Patients only)” Magnesium Research Vol V11,No.{4},pp275-308,www.midyournatesonline.org/news/item/6980[accessed February]

[[8]] Warnsley-Millard A,and Daniel Martin L.Kidney failure associated with proton pump inhibitor usage: Case series British Medical Journal December 2017 Available from https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j38268 [accessed January]


  1. Yang YX, Lewis JD, Epstein S et al (2006). “[Report: Long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy and risk of hip fracture]”. JAMA. 296 (24): 2947–53. doi:10.1001/jama.296.24.2947 

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