# Does anyone here take Omeprezole for heartburn?



## Mrs. Robinson (Oct 5, 2020)

I have taken it for years-I was pretty much born with heartburn (acid reflux).They gave me radiation treatments of the thymus when I was 3 months old to shrink it, thinking that was the cause. They know better now. Anyway,I have been on several PPIs (Proton Pump Prohibitors) over the years and on Omeprezole for the last several. But when I saw my oncologist at the end of August,she told me to stop,as they are linking it to stomach cancer. Wonderful-been taking PPIs for 30 years.

Anyway,she warned me NOT to stop taking it cold turkey,to wean off slowly,or I would suffer "heartburn from Hell". Well,oddly enough,I had run out and wasn`t rushing to Walmart to get more because for the first time in my life,my heartburn had stopped! (Yes,I still had heartburn,even on the PPI-just not as severe).But heeding her words,I did pick some up next trip and started taking one every other day,then every three days.Then I stopped.Well,I have had the most miserable few days I can ever remember having.There is a fire in my gut and in my chest that won`t quit.I have no appetite at all,and would be afraid to eat anything anyway. Been trying a little bit of Greek yougurt and so far so good,but ugh-this is awful!

Just want to warn everyone-don`t do what I did!

P.S. I have yet to find anything on the internet that says Omeprezole is bad. Ranitidine yes,but nothing on Omeprezole.


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## C'est Moi (Oct 5, 2020)

I have been taking omeprezole for probably 8 years or so.  It is a miracle for heartburn.  I have read that it is more dangerous to have recurring acid reflux (which can causes esophageal cancer) than to take the omeprazole, so I have no plans to stop taking it.   I tried switching to Pepcid and it works OK, but not nearly as well.


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## Pink Biz (Oct 5, 2020)

*I have GERD and a hiatal hernia and have been alternately taking Prilosec, Protonix and Nexium for many years. They are like manna from heaven! *


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## mike4lorie (Oct 5, 2020)

Yes, I have been taking it for a few years now, and haven't had any problems, thanks for the heads up, going to look into it...


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## twinkles (Oct 6, 2020)

my daughter has it real bad---(heart burn) so she drinks mountain dew it helps her a lot


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## Mrs. Robinson (Oct 6, 2020)

If this continues-or if I go back to having the degree of heartburn that I used to have,I am going to go back to taking it and not worry about it. I`m actually more worried about esophageal cancer than stomach cancer from it-esophageal cancer is a known consequence of GERD,where the stomach cancer thing is not yet proven.


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## RadishRose (Oct 6, 2020)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> I have taken it for years-I was pretty much born with heartburn (acid reflux).They gave me radiation treatments of the thymus when I was 3 months old to shrink it, thinking that was the cause. They know better now. Anyway,I have been on several PPIs (Proton Pump Prohibitors) over the years and on Omeprezole for the last several. But when I saw my oncologist at the end of August,she told me to stop,as they are linking it to stomach cancer. Wonderful-been taking PPIs for 30 years.
> 
> Anyway,she warned me NOT to stop taking it cold turkey,to wean off slowly,or I would suffer "heartburn from Hell". Well,oddly enough,I had run out and wasn`t rushing to Walmart to get more because for the first time in my life,my heartburn had stopped! (Yes,I still had heartburn,even on the PPI-just not as severe).But heeding her words,I did pick some up next trip and started taking one every other day,then every three days.Then I stopped.Well,I have had the most miserable few days I can ever remember having.There is a fire in my gut and in my chest that won`t quit.I have no appetite at all,and would be afraid to eat anything anyway. Been trying a little bit of Greek yougurt and so far so good,but ugh-this is awful!
> 
> ...


Mrs. R, now that you mention it I believe I did see something online about Omeprezole being questionable maybe 2 years ago, or less. I don't remember exactly where though.

Back then I was having issues with night time reflux, so I used Famotidine instead. (I since learned the heartburn came after eating ice cream before bed, so I stopped)

I just looked up "Omeprezole and stomach cancer" and found several articles.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Oct 6, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> Mrs. R, now that you mention it I believe I did see something online about Omeprezole being questionable maybe 2 years ago, or less. I don't remember exactly where though.
> 
> Back then I was having issues with night time reflux, so I used Famotidine instead. (I since learned the heartburn came after eating ice cream before bed, so I stopped)



I do still take Famotidine-waiting for that to come up on the list as well.

I did have an endoscopy a few years ago and my esophagus was in fine shape,so I am probably ok there. I believe concerning changes start long before they develop into cancer.


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## RadishRose (Oct 6, 2020)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> I do still take Famotidine-waiting for that to come up on the list as well.
> 
> I did have an endoscopy a few years ago and my esophagus was in fine shape,so I am probably ok there. I believe concerning changes start long before they develop into cancer.


I'm glad you're ok and changes occur long before developing !!!


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## Kadee (Oct 6, 2020)

My daughter suffers from heartburn .

I follow a fermenting site and they swear by milk kefir for HB , I have a rare attack and if I do I make sure I have my homemade milk kefir daily  instead of just when I think of it .
https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/is-kefir-the-answer-for-acid-reflux/


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## LindaB (Oct 7, 2020)

I take osomeprazole, and have for many years, which is the generic form of Nexium, because I break out from omeprazole. I have asked my doctor about stopping but she recommended that I continue use. She seems to agree with the assessment that it is better than taking a chance with acid reflux which can eventually cause Barrett's esophagus and lead to esophageal cancer. The thing that we keep tabs on is bone density because prolonged use can lead to osteoporosis.


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## Nathan (Oct 7, 2020)

Pink Biz said:


> I have GERD and a hiatal hernia and have been alternately taking Prilosec, Protonix and Nexium for many years. They are like manna from heaven!


I used omeprazole for probably 6 months, until my hiatal hernia got better.    What a relief, nothing worse than GERD!


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## ClassicRockr (Oct 7, 2020)

I take a VA prescription of omeprazole each and every morning before coffee. It really controls my acid-reflex/GERD problem.


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## hollydolly (Oct 7, 2020)

C'est Moi said:


> I have been taking omeprezole for probably 8 years or so.  It is a miracle for heartburn.  I have read that it is more dangerous to have recurring acid reflux (which can causes esophageal cancer) than to take the omeprazole, so I have no plans to stop taking it.   I tried switching to Pepcid and it works OK, but not nearly as well.


I too have been taking it for many years... and have read the same as you , that recurring heartburn can cause esophageal cancer.. Caught between a rock and a hard place by the sounds of it


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## hollydolly (Oct 7, 2020)

LindaB said:


> I take osomeprazole, and have for many years, which is the generic form of Nexium, because I break out from omeprazole. I have asked my doctor about stopping but she recommended that I continue use. She seems to agree with the assessment that it is better than taking a chance with acid reflux which can eventually cause Barrett's esophagus and lead to esophageal cancer. *The thing that we keep tabs on is bone density because prolonged use can lead to osteoporosis.*


That's interesting Linda.. because my Doctor has never mentioned Bone density, I must ask him about it... Do you take any supplements to prevent it ?


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## LindaB (Oct 7, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> That's interesting Linda.. because my Doctor has never mentioned Bone density, I must ask him about it... Do you take any supplements to prevent it ?


As of now, no. My bone density remains pretty good and stable.


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## Aneeda72 (Oct 7, 2020)

I take it and regret when I miss a dose.


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## C'est Moi (Oct 7, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> I too have been taking it for many years... and have read the same as you , that recurring heartburn can cause esophageal cancer.. Caught between a rock and a hard place by the sounds of it


Yeah, I think I'll continue to take my chances on omeprazole.  Life is miserable without it.


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## Judycat (Oct 8, 2020)

Raw apple cider vinegar finally worked for me. If you'd have asked me to try it 7 years ago, I'd have said you're nuts, but the meds quit working and I was desperate. Still have to watch my diet and keep my stress level low though. Stress is the thing that really sets it off for me, then it takes forever to cool down again. Tomatoes, peppers, onion, spices are a no-no too. 

Blah the first thing the doctors wanted to do was yank out my gallbladder. I told them I'll wait a while for that. I'm glad I did. Was really bad for about a year. I'd go to the store and feel like crying because there wasn't anything I could eat. I lost 30 pounds in a few months. Endoscopy showed nothing amiss. Talk about hopeless. If omeprazole worked, I'd keep taking the damn stuff. Most of the meds I take list cancer as a side effect anyway. Sheesh these doctors.


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## Autumn (Oct 9, 2020)

My doctor told me to consider the risk/benefit ratio.  I have a condition called Barrett's Esophagus, which is a pre-cancerous condition and, when untreated, it gives me the Heartburn From Hell.  That sort of heartburn can erode the lining of the esophagus and the changes can lead to cancer.  While PPIs MAY cause cancer in some part of the body, not taking them makes esophageal cancer a very likely thing for me.  I actually have been prescribed 40mg of omeprazole twice a day, and I take it and will continue to do so.  It's also a quality of life issue for me, as I'm sure it is for many others/


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## debodun (Oct 9, 2020)

I have a prescription my gastro recommended. I only take it when I need it, but he wants me to take it regularly.


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## Davey Do (Oct 10, 2020)

There's a lot of contention about what foods will and won't increase or cause gastric discomfort as everybody's body is a little different, but here's some information I have learned about myself:

About 30 years ago, I was going through a divorce and suffered through some gastric distress, and avoided spicy foods and vegetables like hot peppers. A friend informed me that, contrary to popular belief, spicy foods are not acid but basic, neutralizing acids. This friend also encouraged me to eat succulents like broccoli and cabbage. I have followed my friend's advice and have experienced virtually no gastric distress for years.

Case in point: I supervised a methadone clinic some years ago and there was a rule where the clients could not receive  a repeat dose of methadone due to vomiting unless the staff actually witnessed the event. A young pregnant lady had just received her methadone dose and complained of nausea. I advised her to wait in the clinic in case she had an emesis and required a repeat methadone dose. While she waited, I encouraged her to eat some of my shredded cabbage. Her nausea passed and she left the clinic without requiring a repeat methadone.

Once again, not everything works the same for everybody and I am not giving medical advice, but wanted you all to know information that I've gained empirically.

The best to you all!


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