I have been taking Omeprazole since March 28th this year. Everything has been going really well until I started getting loose stools (yellowish colour) soon after.
In April I had a blood test done and it showed iron deficiency. I had another blood test done just over a week ago and now I have a low Folate level and a low normal B12 level.
I have had to do a stool sample to see if my levels have fallen due to malabsorption. I get severe pain on the left (under breast) which travels down my left side and around into my back.
Has anyone else experienced these symptoms with taking Omeprazole?
Not sure about the cause of pain but PPis are dangerous when taken for longer periods of time. Malabsorption is quiet common with these medicines. If you can live without it, stop taking PPis right away.
Lansoprozol I feel left me iron deficient when complimented with metformin. On stopping metformin my IBS eased and iron deficiency too. However metformin isn't known for iron deficiency but low B12. However I didn't have low B12.
This makes me believe it was lansoprozol related.
Sorry. Also wendy68446 I've been using metformin for decades without any iron deficiency.
It only developed on lansoprozol. Which I believe is on the patent leaflet of possible side effects.
Hi wendy68446
PPi's such Omeprazole can block absorption of B12 through the ilium into the system. If you are still being prescribed Omeprazole you should be having loading doses of B12 injections over a 2 week period then every 3 months. Have you asked your doctor what they are going to do about your low levels of folate and B12. It has to be addressed or you can become very anemic which can lead to other problems such as Pernicious Anemia....
PPI’s are nasty, every single one of them. They cause numerous diseases and some are irreversible like kidney damage. They cause B12 deficiency, I ended up with a phosphate deficiency and calcium deficiency, they cause osteoporosis, they can even affect the gall bladder and cause issues with that. They can cause cancer of the stomach because the thin the lining. Horrible pills, better to change your diet completely than depend on those things. 👍
Come off omeprazole if it is causing problems.
Thank you for your reply, I have only been on them since the end of March.
Hi, thank you for your reply. I asked my doctor if she thought Omeprazole may be contributing to my deficiencies and she has said no.
Thank you. My doctor doesn’t think Omeprazole is causing any deficiencies.
Thank you for your reply. I’m currently taking folic acid tablets for 4 months. My B12 is currently in the normal range so she will be monitoring the level in 3 months time to see if it has fallen to below levels.
Thank you for your reply, believe me when I say my diet is definitely under review.
Hi, I’m not sure if it is causing problems, the doctor has told me it isn’t. I’m currently waiting for a stool sample to come back as she thinks it is malabsorption.
I've been on Omeprazole for 3 years now, and my doctor suggested I get my bloods checked for vitamin, mineral and nutrient levels as well as the usual tests, just as a precaution. The only thing I was lacking was Vitamin D, which is likely due to me suffering with Fibromyalgia and being mostly housebound and not getting out enough, plus having to rely on a very restrictive diet due to digestive issues. I've heard of people be on this medication for 10 - 20 years without complications.
I guess it's the same as with all medications, some people can tolerate them and some can't. You've heard a handful of negative comments from the millions that have taken Omeprazole in the past, so I thought I'd throw a more positive comment about this drug in the mix. Yes, it can cause all the complications that others have mentioned, but what it can do and what it will do are two totally different things.
It’s entirely your choice if your happy on it, but remember, you dont always see what these meds do until it’s too late. They were never designed to be taken for longer than 2 weeks, for the simple fact that they are dangerous. Surely changing your diet is the better option, people are becoming too reliant on meds!! I’d find it very hard to believe someone on PPI’s for 20 years, had no side effects!!. 🤔.
I do not know what other things you might have told your doctor that made him say that, but know this doctors are not always right and this is why I have lost my trust on them. PPIs are well known to cause malabsorption, since everyone is different so for some even few weeks of continuous use causes deficiencies and on others it takes months.
Thank you for your reply, Omeprazole gave me back a life when I started taking it (I was in constant pain and nauseous all the time) It took away all those symptoms but since it just feels like my body is going wrong (iron, folate and border B12) I just wish I knew what was causing my symptoms
I only asked her if Omeprazole was causing my deficiencies and she said no 🤷🏼♀️
Hi wendy, hello everyone. Pls Let us know the result of your bloodtest for malabsorption.
Hi, Jeff. It was a stool sample I had to do for malabsorption.