Omeprazole belongs to the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) class of medications. Doctors prescribe omeprazole to reduce breadbasket acid to assistance treat a diversity of digestive weather condition.

People tin can also use over-the-counter (OTC) omeprazole to relieve heartburn or acid reflux.

Although most people tolerate omeprazole well, at that place are sure risks when people utilize it for a long period of fourth dimension.

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

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A doc may prescribe omeprazole for intestinal or tummy ulcers.
Image credit: Siufaiho, 2006

A PPI volition reduce the acid in the stomach, which will help heal the stomach lining to help treat a range of atmospheric condition.

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

  • intestinal ulcers in adults
  • breadbasket ulcers in adults
  • Helicobacter pylori infections, in combination with antibiotic therapy
  • gastroesophageal reflux illness (GERD) in people anile 1 and in a higher place
  • GERD-induced erosive esophagitis in people aged 1 and above
  • maintaining healing of erosive esophagitis in people aged 1 and to a higher place
  • Zollinger–Ellison syndrome

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

However, doctors practise not recommend omeprazole tablets for immediate heartburn relief because information technology can take upwardly to 4 days before it has its total effect.

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

PPIs such equally omeprazole will block the release of acid, thus decreasing the acidity within the stomach.

Omeprazole takes around one hour to block the production of stomach acid, and its maximal result occurs around ii hours after taking the pill. The action of omeprazole can proceed for well-nigh 3 days.

Omeprazole is available in 3 dosage types. The table below lists these dosage types, plus their strengths in milligrams (mg).

Dosage grade Forcefulness
Omeprazole delayed release capsules 10 mg
20 mg
twoscore mg
Omeprazole granules for oral break 2.5 mg
ten mg
Omeprazole tablets 20 mg

Doctors must make an accurate diagnosis before prescribing omeprazole, as each diagnosis requires different treatments.

The following table lists the dosing instructions for each use of omeprazole.

Use Dosing instructions Frequency of employ
intestinal ulcers in adults twenty mg once daily 4 weeks, but some people may crave a total of eight 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 antibody fourteen days
tummy ulcers in adults 40 mg once daily 4–8 weeks
GERD in people aged 1 and higher up 20 mg one time daily 4–8 weeks
maintain healing of erosive esophagitis in people aged 1 and higher up xx mg once daily studies take non explored its utilise past 12 months
Zollinger–Ellison syndrome threescore mg once daily some people with this condition have used omeprazole continuously for more than than v years

Doctors prescribe omeprazole to children ages one–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 aged 1 and to a higher place
  • 5–9 kg: five mg
  • 10–nineteen kg: 10 mg
  • 20 kg or greater: xx mg
once daily upwardly to 4 weeks
treating erosive esophagitis due to GERD
  • 3–4 kg: 2.5 mg
  • five–9 kg: v mg
  • 10–19 kg: 10 mg
  • 20 kg or greater: xx mg
once daily for upward to 4–8 weeks, merely treatment is limited to 6 weeks in babies aged 1 month to i yr old
maintain healing of erosive esophagitis in people aged 1 and above
  • 5–nine kg: five mg
  • 10–19 kg: 10 mg
  • 20 kg or greater: 20 mg
once daily

Researchers accept non conducted studies on the efficacy of omeprazole by 12 months.

Doctors advise taking omeprazole thirty–hr before a repast. If the doctor recommends taking omeprazole twice daily, the person should have information technology before breakfast and before supper.

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Headaches may be a side effect of omeprazole.

The side effects of omeprazole include:

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

Side furnishings that children may report are like to those that adults report, except that they tend to complain more than about fever and animate bug, such as pharyngitis and sinus infections.

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

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

Some researchers accept linked PPIs, including omeprazole, to Clostridium difficile diarrhea. This status is a serious bacterial infection that tin atomic number 82 to hospitalization and exist fatal.

Some studies report that PPIs may increase the take a chance 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 deficient in some vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B-12 and magnesium.

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

Omeprazole may interfere with the action of some antiretroviral drugs. However, researchers have non consistently reported this issue.

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

People taking warfarin to preclude claret clots should use omeprazole with caution considering the combination tin can increment their risk of haemorrhage. They may need more than frequent blood testing to make certain that the dosage of warfarin is appropriate.

Some doctors have reported higher methotrexate levels in people taking high dose methotrexate with omeprazole. These people must provide frequent blood samples and then that their doctors tin can detect rise levels.

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

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

Some drugs need exposure to an acidic environment before the intestine tin can absorb them. Past reducing the acidity of the stomach contents, omeprazole may interfere with the post-obit drugs:

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

Existing inquiry 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 birth defect rate in the population.

Researchers have found express bear witness to advise that omeprazole is present in chest milk. The effects of infant exposure to omeprazole are likewise unclear.

The price of omeprazole depends on the strengths. The table below provides the prices of each form and force of thirty days of omeprazole taken once daily.

Omeprazole generic thirty capsules 10 mg
20 mg
twoscore mg
$83.01
$67.31
$122.xix
Omeprazole generic thirty tablets xx mg $23.39
Prilosec 30 tablets 20 mg $25.17

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

The PPI form of medications includes v other drugs:

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

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

H2 receptor blockers typically work more quickly than PPIs, but their effects just last for four–10 hours.

Omeprazole is an effective medication to reduce acrid levels in the stomach and treat a diversity of stomach related conditions. People tin can also use OTC omeprazole to treat frequent heartburn.

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