I really regret taking prilosec, i fell ill with a virus last december that caused gastroenteritis (severe acid reflux and diarrhea).. i was told to take omeprazole for 14 day treatment.. at the time i did not experience any side effects so after the 14 day treatment was over, about a week later i experienced acid rebound that sent me to the ER. The er dr said i needed to up the dose to 40 mg 2x/day... and this is when i became more ill.. i had severe diarrhea for 9 days, blurry vision, brain fog, muscle twitching, cramping, body jolts before going to sleep, . i couldnt digest my food.. lost 10 lbs.. but i did not know what was happening to me.. i was so sick i had to have a colonoscopy and egd.. i was told i had unspecified colitis.. i stupidly cont this drug bc thats what the drs told me to do.. and as im trying to heal my gut from whatever virus i had i started to develop new symptoms.. extreme brain fog, memory loss, fatigue, anxiety, muscle twitching, buzzing in certain parts of my body.. frequent urination in am. I feel as if i have nerve damage of some kind because of this ppi.. after 4 1/2 months of this posion i have since stopped this med and it has been 11 days but my twitching is still there.. i know this drug caused these other problems bc as i weaned from 40 mg to 20mg to then every other day i began experiencing body jolts and more nerve problems, numbness in certain parts, etc. has this happened to anyone else and did anyone make a full recovery?? I need some help please..Before I took this med I was a healthy 32 year old. Now 33 and still recovering. Does anyone know if this is permanent?
HELL YES !!! - but I am on Lansoprazole.
I have just looked up the difference at https://www.expresspharmacy.co.uk/blog/posts/omeprazole-lansoprazole-difference There I read that Iron uptake is reduced and calcium loss is increased.
I have been taking Lansoprazole for ten years or more, then I developed massive twitching - RLS - basically, not restless but - as you put it - body jolts. I also felt pain in my joints so started taking Glucosamine.
Multiple doctors have said parts of this story, many have also ejected bits. Your story is the first to put them all in the same bunch as I have experienced. DO NOT take Lyrica or Sifrol to stop the jolts - you get adapted to them and they augment - forcing you to take more and more. It costs money.
I was told my 'jolts' were due to my massively low feratin levels. I had an infusion a month ago. So, it looks as if I have been taking Iron, Glucosamine and Sifrol to offset the side effects of Lansoprazole - for YEARS. I have been researching the crossovers between my ailments for years too. Your post hits the nail on the head. I am 60 by the way. OH YES, Brain fog - again YES.. Fatigue?? Homeopathy fixed my M.E. - Post Viral Debilitation Syndrome. Yes I know its rubbish - but - it worked in 20 minutes after 6 months... another story.
Sadly, if I don't take my Lansoprazole I start burping, then the pain comes - I'm told a heart attack is less painful.
Further - yesterday - before I read your post... I started taking pro-biotics - the good ones that don't just wash you with the yogurt - capsules suggested by the Doctor. OK, this is the same bloke who said there was no link - but hey, what does he know ? That could be a sarcastic comment, an ironic comment or simply stupid... I shall report back if I get any good results. I have stopped my Lansoprazole and started burping again - but - rather than take a pill, I took two spoon of high roughage cereal. I felt better at once, I shall take a spoon every so often to keep it at bay.
Dear olivia53472,
As I read your post, I can relate with many with the nerve/muscle issues you are experiencing. Currently, my main issue seems to be the fact that my traps and lats are extremely tight and this affects everything all the way down to feet. I can also relate to the "numbness/buzzing"/tingling in the extremities as well as the brain fog. I was on lansoprazole for about 3.5 to 4 years. I was able to stop taking them in June 2016. Unfortunately, I can't answer your question as to the duration of these terrible side effects. I can tell you that my symptoms have slowly been improving. The brain fog, for me, has gone away. The other symptoms are still an up and down battle but nowhere near as bad as they used to be. I get deep tissue massages in hopes that adhesions get broken to promote blood flow (uncomfortable but I think they do help). I hope you get some relief real soon. I hope the fact that you have not been taking as long as I, means that your recovery will be around the corner. Best wishes. Please keep me updated on your recovery and if some treatment modalities work well for you.
Hi Simonron,
Thank you for responding. wow I can't even believe it! Everything I've been reading on this forum blows my mind. I'm sorry you have been through a lot as well with the ppi med.. Heres a question for you, have you tried digestive enzymes? Anyone on a ppi should take them to help absorb nutrients/vitamins. I had really low b12, iron, and vitamin d. I still take them and they seem to help. Also have you tried soaking in magnesium flakes in a bath.. this might also help with the RLS. Ive decided to go to a naturopath and see what I can find out. My current dr is useless. I asked her about a micronutrient test and she didn't seem to know.. nor did she know anything about ppi causing so many other issues. Ive seen 4 diff drs, 2 gi's, 3 er visits. Thousands of dollars later and I'm still not better.. Do you think you'll come off the lanso at some point? I also drink alkaline water that seems to help too if you have burning, etc. maybe look into that. Oh yes and probiotics are good too. The only dr that seemed to know was a GI dr at northwestern in Chicago, I switched gi drs bc I was going in circles. luckily he said to come off all the meds I was on and he told me to wean from 40mg to 20mg for 2 weeks then every other day for 2 weeks then every 3rd day for a week then stop. He looked at me strange like why have you been on this for so long.. he said its the strongest one.. so I guess thats a plus.
Hi jhleerph!
Thank you for responding. Yes I will keep updating as I try to recover from this awful med. I'm sorry you also have nerve/muscle issues also.. I can't believe what I'm reading on these forums.. I had no idea. I really wish I would've researched more before continuing to take this ppi. Thats so great you were able to stop taking them! Some things that have helped me are digestive enzymes, a really good probiotic and drinking more alkaline water. these things seem to help at least GI wise.. I don't know what to do about my nerve issues.. my drs are useless except for my new GI. If it wasn't for him Id still be on the meds. I'm going to see a naturopath and see what I can find out. Best wishes to you also! Thanks for chatting.. let me know how you are doing as well.
You too??gosh health system i hate it ...im left basically brain dead and another gazillion symptoms on top of it all...im 37 mother of 2 yong kids i went from an athlete to being in bed 24/7 i barely function ,memory loss,no sense of self,disconnected,no sense of time,tremors,insomnia,depression,cant access my own thoughts im always in a confused state i cant function properly,ringing ears,eye floaters ,just basically a zombie ...ive have many tests and nothing comes up . They say its anxiety wich is B S ..I cry everyday because i cant have my life back ..i have so many symptoms but my worse ones is the malfunction brain ..its pure torture ..these doctors make me sick...they basically fried my brain after giving me meds for hpylori and on top of that they gave me more antibiotics ..poor me the mess i was/am in ...my brain is fried i have brain pressure it hurts it burns i feel like im high or drunk in poison ....pls let me know if you found ANYTHING that helps i am desperate.... thank you
Same story here.. back in februray this year i was treated for h pylori.. the wicked doctor gave me omeprazole for 9 weeks and since them i am not myself anymore.. i had panic attack on day one, then extreme depression, hallucination type feelings, extreme fear and anxiety as days went by.. then it all became chronic on week 5 till i couldnt even sleep or lie down in bed. i still continued the meds not knowing what they were doing to me and unable to understand the cause of my ordeal.. then came dizziness and blurred vision and loss of balance feeling.. now eight months later, i have no life, my mind is messed up, i cant control my thoughts or how i feel, everything around me seems hazy, have lost my job, cry my eyes out, scream with it.. basically i have gone mad and now on antipsychotics and antidepressants which dont seem to be working.. i have lost everything in short!!
Did you recover? How is your blurred vision and other mental symptoms??
Hi, me again. I have had another go at reducing my Lansoprazole dose. I was on 30mg ages ago. I reduced this to 15mg. I use capsules because they can be opened. This week I have taken about 7ish mg only per day. I have yet to empty a capsule. I have had some acid, but ant acid tablets are working for me this time !
Also - and this is the big news - I have been able, just about, to reduce my Sifrol back to two pills from the three I rose to months ago. I tried dropping to one, but got no sleep until and hour after I took a second pill. I'll take the two today around 6ish and see what happens.
So, it turns out that reducing Lansoprazole lets me reduce Sifrol too. Lets see how far I can go. I shall take it slowly. I've not managed to register with a Dr since returning to the UK from Sydney. It will be interesting to see what Drs here say about my condition(s)
About 2 weeks ago I started taking Omeprazole. It has nearly killed me. I have never had anxiety in my life and I developed panic attacks. I was constantly sick. I felt like I had the flu. I couldn’t eat for 3 days straight. It really did a toll on me. I’m only 18 and my life has really taken a beaten because of this evil, disgusting medication. I read that it takes 3-5 days after stopping the medication for the symptoms to go away. I’m on day 5 so I’m really hoping tomorrow I’m better. I missed a lot of school, causing my grades to drop. I didn’t have Acid Reflux prior to taking Omeprazole, my mother gave me some to “prevent” stomach issues. It did the opposite, by giving me acid reflux and in the process almost killing me. Today I’m dealing with blurry vision and some small brain fog, it could just be the blurry vision causing my brain fog, but it really makes me sad. I hate being like this. I’ve become very fragile and all I want is to feel better. I have read many stories and I like many have suffered the rare side effects. It’s a terrible experience and something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I just want to know if anyone who took it for only a week like I did, could tell me how long the side effects will last after you stop taking it, because it’s just hell. I just want to feel better. Some natural remedies I learned to combat some symptoms are things like drinking Chamomile. Helps with anxiety. Gatorade to restore the bodies electrolytes you might lose. (Which I did). Hopefully someone finds this helpful and could also help me. I hate not knowing how long these side effects will last. I’m tired of it.
I’m so sorry 
I have lost everything too. I can’t even go out with my kids and now living with my mom at 37 years old my gosh this is terrible. my memory is gone and left on survival mode I mean how is this possible when doctors are suppose to help ?! I talk to my family about it and they think I’m going bananas. well yeah I feel bananas I’m so lost and confused and symptoms come and go. I can’t even sleep in my own bed without having the feeling I’m being plugged to an electric cord. how is this even possible ?? and doctors say it’s anxiety ??obviously our bodies react to the horror that’s going on. msg me anytime you need to talk I know how scary it can be. my mind has been to the deepest scariest places. I don’t mean to scare anyone here at all ,I’m just talking about it to those who can relate. it doesn’t mean that’s whats going to happen as everyone reacts different. feel free to msg me sorry to everyone who’s dealing with this I know how difficult it is.
You will start to feel better soon..I was taking zoton, it is a PPI also, it lowers the acid in your stomach too…at first I didn’t notice anything different, but after a couple of weeks I got very dizzy, couldn’t walk straight..I also felt faint…generally not feeling well ..just by chance I found out it was the zoton..I got up one morning,was feeling o.k. took a tablet while I got dressed and had a wash…after ten minutes of taking it..I felt faint and dizzy…this lasted all day…I realised then it was the zoton all along…I stopped it straight away…my stomach was sore after stopping it..from rebound acid..but I took gaviscon and it helped…These tablets are poison…xx
I have now managed to reduce my Lansoprazole to taking about 20 grains from inside a 30mg capsule a day. One capsule now lasts me most of a week. I have managed to keep my leg twitch Sifrol down at 2x25mg a day and hope to reduce that further soon. I need ant-acid to stop burps and reflux pain but so far, now almost two weeks, I have not had the crippling chest pain heartburn that stopped my last attempt at Lansoprazole reduction.
I have been stressed this week so I’m not sure if my mood has changed or my abilities have been effected, but I think they have not been and I am just tired.
Basically - this is going well. Gently does it !
what you have to do is reduce your dose slowly…buy yourself some empty capsules at the vitamin store, open your 4o mg Omeprazole capsule and remove 5 of the granules, pour the rest in one of the empty capsules and take it. Do that for 5 days. If you do not get rebound acid and the pain is tolerable the next week take 6 granules out. keep reducing until you teach a dose you can tolerate. its been 3 years for me and i take 99 granules out every day making it about a 31 mg dose. makes a world of difference.
This is effect what I have done with my Lansoprazole. I used the capsules versions and have made one 30 mg capsule last a week. I think I can totally stop taking it now. It has taken me about three weeks, not three years, to do this. I am not yet aware of a massive reduction in my main side effect of body jerks - or RSI as some call it, but I have reduced my pills from three to two. I doubt I can drop further, but I may try soon. This slow reduction technique does work, but I do need ant acids to help me along.
I’ve been off of Omeprazole for about a week and a half almost 2. I still have some symptoms, but far less. The worst of it all is the anxiety. Prior to taking Omeprazole I was a cheerful person, but now I have a debilitating anxiety. But, I’ve slowly learned to handle it. As I type this I survived my first full blown anxiety attack. It’s important to eat at specific times or I feel iffy. Going through the day drains a lot of energy but it’s a fight I keep fighting. Sometimes all you want to do is give up and throw in the towel because it seems like it will never end, but you won’t get better if you do. All I want to know is how much longer this will last. I do want a rest from this all.
Are you taking statins?
It has now been a month since I stopped taking Omeprazole (Prilosec). I don’t have blurry vision other than my already bad vision, but I still continue to have the anxiety. There’s a chance that the original anxiety caused by the PPI caused me to develop generalized anxiety. It has felt like I’ve been sick for ages. But slowly I take it. Some days can get really bad, while others are okay. My biggest issue right now is the fatigue. Since I can’t drink coffee it sucks. If anyone who’s been off the PPI’s for longer can tell me how long the anxiety will last, I will greatly appreciate it!
i hear you.. i am 34 and now my parents are looking after me.. i have been crippled due to fear and trauma induced by omeprazole.. my vision is extremely blurry, my hands dont seem to work, my feet and knees hurt like a 90 year old… i have had scariest depression attacks leading to extreme crying where i thought i was gona lose it and commit suicide to free myself from this pain.. then upon the psychiatrists suggestion, i started taking quetiapine which is an antipsychotic but also an antihistamine .. since then the extreme fear has somewhat lessened and i am able to sleep at least.. and seeing few bearable days in between my misery.. but even on my bearable days i cant do anything except lie in bed and stare at my fone.. it feels like something inside me has died .. dont know if i ll ever recover… do tell me if you saw any improvemnt?