Omeprazole belongs to the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) class of medications. Doctors prescribe omeprazole to reduce stomach acid to assist care for a variety of digestive atmospheric condition.

People tin too employ over-the-counter (OTC) omeprazole to save heartburn or acid reflux.

Although most people tolerate omeprazole well, there are certain risks when people use information technology for a long period of time.

In this commodity, we review the uses, side effects, and drug interactions of omeprazole.

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A medico may prescribe omeprazole for intestinal or stomach ulcers.
Prototype credit: Siufaiho, 2006

A PPI will reduce the acid in the tummy, which will aid heal the tummy lining to assistance treat a range of conditions.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) take canonical omeprazole capsules and granules for the following medical weather:

  • intestinal ulcers in adults
  • stomach ulcers in adults
  • Helicobacter pylori infections, in combination with antibiotic therapy
  • gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in people aged 1 and higher up
  • GERD-induced erosive esophagitis in people aged 1 and above
  • maintaining healing of erosive esophagitis in people aged ane and above
  • Zollinger–Ellison syndrome

People can use OTC omeprazole tablets to care for frequent heartburn that occurs two or more times per week.

Notwithstanding, doctors do not recommend omeprazole tablets for immediate heartburn relief because information technology can take up to four days before it has its full effect.

Omeprazole is a PPI. Proton pumps are as well called hydrogen-potassium pumps, and they are located along the inner lining of the stomach. These pumps are responsible for releasing acid into the stomach.

PPIs such equally omeprazole will block the release of acid, thus decreasing the acidity inside the tummy.

Omeprazole takes effectually one hour to block the product of tummy acrid, and its maximal outcome occurs around 2 hours after taking the pill. The action of omeprazole can continue for about three days.

Omeprazole is available in iii dosage types. The table below lists these dosage types, plus their strengths in milligrams (mg).

Dosage course Force
Omeprazole delayed release capsules 10 mg
xx mg
twoscore mg
Omeprazole granules for oral intermission 2.5 mg
x mg
Omeprazole tablets 20 mg

Doctors must make an accurate diagnosis earlier prescribing omeprazole, as each diagnosis requires unlike treatments.

The following tabular array lists the dosing instructions for each utilise of omeprazole.

Use Dosing instructions Frequency of apply
intestinal ulcers in adults xx mg in one case daily iv weeks, simply some people may crave a full of 8 weeks
H. pylori infections, along with 2 antibiotics 20 mg twice daily along with 2 antibiotics 10 days
H. pylori infections, along with 1 antibiotic 40 mg once daily along with 1 antibiotic xiv days
tum ulcers in adults xl mg once daily 4–eight weeks
GERD in people aged ane and above twenty mg in one case daily four–8 weeks
maintain healing of erosive esophagitis in people aged ane and above xx mg once daily studies accept not explored its use past 12 months
Zollinger–Ellison syndrome 60 mg once daily some people with this condition take used omeprazole continuously for more than 5 years

Doctors prescribe omeprazole to children ages 1–16 based on their weight. The following table lists the recommended dosages in mg for each use of omeprazole in children based on their weight in kilograms (kg).

Use Weight-based dosing instructions Frequency of use
treating GERD in people anile 1 and in a higher place
  • five–9 kg: 5 mg
  • x–19 kg: 10 mg
  • 20 kg or greater: 20 mg
once daily upwards to 4 weeks
treating erosive esophagitis due to GERD
  • 3–iv kg: 2.5 mg
  • 5–nine kg: v mg
  • 10–19 kg: 10 mg
  • twenty kg or greater: 20 mg
once daily for up to 4–8 weeks, merely treatment is limited to 6 weeks in babies aged 1 calendar month to 1 yr old
maintain healing of erosive esophagitis in people aged i and above
  • 5–nine kg: 5 mg
  • 10–19 kg: x mg
  • xx kg or greater: 20 mg
one time daily

Researchers have not conducted studies on the efficacy of omeprazole past 12 months.

Doctors suggest taking omeprazole 30–hour earlier a meal. If the dr. recommends taking omeprazole twice daily, the person should take it before breakfast and before supper.

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Headaches may be a side issue of omeprazole.

The side effects of omeprazole include:

  • headache
  • intestinal hurting
  • nausea
  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • flatulence in adults

Side furnishings that children may study are similar to those that adults report, except that they tend to complain more nigh fever and breathing issues, such as pharyngitis and sinus infections.

Healthcare providers should follow upwards with people using omeprazole if their symptoms persist throughout handling, or if their symptoms quickly return later on stopping the medication.

Some doctors will detect kidney dysfunction in people taking omeprazole. A part of the kidney chosen the interstitium may become inflamed, causing a condition called acute interstitial nephritis to develop. People must stop taking omeprazole if they develop this.

Some researchers accept linked PPIs, including omeprazole, to Clostridium difficile diarrhea. This condition is a serious bacterial infection that tin pb to hospitalization and exist fatal.

Some studies report that PPIs may increase the risk of bone fractures. Healthcare providers should therefore prescribe the lowest effective dosage and limit its use to the shortest possible duration.

People taking omeprazole for long periods of time may become scarce in some vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B-12 and magnesium.

Some drugs may interact with omeprazole. People should tell their dr. which medications they are already taking.

Omeprazole may interfere with the action of some antiretroviral drugs. All the same, researchers have non consistently reported this result.

Doctors should closely monitor people taking antiretroviral drugs and omeprazole together to ensure that the combination is safe. However, people should not use rilpivirine and rilpivirine-containing antiretrovirals at the same time as taking omeprazole.

People taking warfarin to foreclose claret clots should employ omeprazole with circumspection because the combination can increase their run a risk of haemorrhage. They may need more frequent blood testing to make certain that the dosage of warfarin is appropriate.

Some doctors take reported college methotrexate levels in people taking high dose methotrexate with omeprazole. These people must provide frequent claret samples and then that their doctors can detect rising levels.

Also, some researchers have suggested that omeprazole interacts with clopidogrel. Taking a high dosage of omeprazole can reduce the levels of clopidogrel in the blood, putting people at risk of blood clots.

People taking phenytoin or digoxin and omeprazole together may be at take chances of toxicity. Doctors will monitor claret samples of phenytoin or digoxin closely when both drugs are required.

Some drugs need exposure to an acidic surround before the intestine tin absorb them. By reducing the acerbity of the tummy contents, omeprazole may interfere with the following drugs:

  • mycophenolate mofetil
  • iron
  • certain anticancer medications
  • certain antifungal medications

Existing research does not demonstrate that omeprazole is harmful during pregnancy. Studies from Sweden and Denmark showed that the chance of nascency defects in women using omeprazole was similar to the usual nativity defect rate in the population.

Researchers have found express evidence to suggest that omeprazole is present in chest milk. The effects of baby exposure to omeprazole are also unclear.

The cost of omeprazole depends on the strengths. The tabular array below provides the prices of each form and strength of 30 days of omeprazole taken once daily.

Omeprazole generic thirty capsules 10 mg
twenty mg
40 mg
$83.01
$67.31
$122.19
Omeprazole generic 30 tablets 20 mg $23.39
Prilosec 30 tablets 20 mg $25.17

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The form of PPI medications include dexlansoprazole, esomeprazole, and lansoprazole.

The PPI class of medications includes 5 other drugs:

  • dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)
  • esomeprazole (Nexium)
  • lansoprazole (Prevacid)
  • pantoprazole (Protonix)
  • rabeprazole (Aciphex)

Other acid suppressing medications include the histamine2 receptor blockers (H2 receptor blockers). These medications also reduce tummy acid but utilise a unlike pathway than PPIs.

H2 receptor blockers typically piece of work more apace than PPIs, simply their furnishings only terminal for iv–ten hours.

Omeprazole is an constructive medication to reduce acid levels in the stomach and care for a variety of tum related conditions. People tin can too use OTC omeprazole to care for frequent heartburn.

People typically tolerate omeprazole well, merely at that place are some risks when they utilise information technology for long periods of time. Doctors should follow upwardly with people taking PPIs to make sure the drug is working and decide when the person can stop taking the drug.

If someone needs long term treatment, doctors need to routinely monitor their vitamin B-12 and magnesium levels and suggest supplements as needed.