I guess I can tell you all. I take the acid reducer Omeprazole. It is a very effective drug. It would have saved my paternal grandmother’s life (she died in 1973).
Anyway they tell me I have to take it on an empty stomach, eating food neither 15 minutes before, nor after I take it.
Why?
I ask pharmacists. But they never give me a straight answer. Also, can I take other meds with it? Pharmacists generally say Yes. But I might as well ask you that too:).
Here’s a paper dating from around the time of (shortly after) the original authorisation of omeprazole, so it’s possible this is actually a publication of results from studies submitted in the licence application, or that it was a further study by researchers involved in studies for the application.
Well, anecdotally, I have been taking omeprazole with and without food for several years now. Always with a copious amount of other non-contraindicated drugs. The packaging says nothing about taking it with or without food.
Hmm - I wonder if views on the matter have changed since that paper was published. I don’t know about your local labelling, but I notice that the UK leaflet says:
I have a lot of patients who first come to me on omeprazole from another practitioner. They often complain that it doesn’t help as much as they would like it to. When I ask those patients if they take it on an empty stomach, over half say ‘no’. I tell them to try that, and get back to me if it’s still a problem. Most don’t get back to me.
Anecdotal, I know. But a lot about the practice of medicine is anecdotal.
Otherwise, Treppenwitz already listed the reasons.
First of all, Omeprazole is not an H[sub]2[/sub] antagonist, it is a proton pump inhibitor (ppi) these are two very different medicines that have similar functions. PPI’s inhibit the production of gastric acids directly at the source and were originally used in the treatment of ulcers and GERD. They were originally to be used short term; to reduce the acid production of the stomach to allow the ulcer to heal.
PPI’s should be taken for no more than 14 days in a row with a 4 month interval in between occurances.
Long term use of PPI’s can have some serious side effects such as:
malabsorption of certain minerals such as magnesium and calcium which can lead to muscuar, skeletal, and cardiac degeneration.
vitamin B12 deficiency
exacerbation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
incidence of Microscopic Colitis
etc.
PPI’s can also have some serious adverse interactions with some popular medications such as:
some antibiotics (ampicilin)
Benzodiazpines
anticoagulants
diuretics
etc.
Omeprazole falls into that category of medicines that can have magical healing properties and severe side effects at the same time, and, in my opinion, should not be sold otc. If you have pain from gastric acid production that doesn’t get better after 2 weeks of medicating, see a doctor! If you and your doctor decide to use PPI’s long term, be very aware of possible side effects.
I am not a doctor and this is anecdotal based on my experience and that of some friends.
If you have resorted to taking antacids on a regular basis (like omeprazole), please get yourself checked for H-pylori. It’s a simple test and an effective regiment of antibiotics will control it.
I am not sure why but doctors don’t test for it unless you ask them.
