Is omeprazole giving me hearburn?

[psychedelephant]

Up to now I've been taking naproxen without side effects, but as soon as I started taking it with omeprazole I got searing heartburn.

I've been taking an occasional half-dose of naproxen on its own with dinner and it was so helpful I decided to start taking it regularly (two or three times a week) so added in omeprazole to protect my stomach. More or less immediately I got terrible unrelenting heartburn.

I take naproxen for pain/disturbed sleep due to a slipped disc and osteoarthritis in my spine but it's also helping with other symptoms of menopausal decrepitude like tendonitis and plantar faciitis. I've tried paracetamol, ibuprofen, cocodamol and tramadol (plus heat, ice) and none of them help. I was offered but passed on gabapentin (scared of side effects), I guess that will be next if I can't continue to take naproxen.

Is it unreasonable to stop both for a few days and if my stomach feels better to resume naproxen with food, omitting omeprazole?

Sorry, I was trying (and failing) to keep that brief

Omeprazole is meant to do completely the opposite of that so it’s a bit weird! Might be worth trying without or considering lansoprazole instead?

It appears they interact:

www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/naproxen-with-omeprazole-1690-0-1750-0.html

Funnily enough I found the exact same thing! Cant remember why I had omeprazole now, but I kept getting really bad heartburn in the evenings, and it started happening when I started taking it and stopped soon as I stopped.

Was really strange. Hadn't actually thought about it since until I saw the title of your OP.

But from my experience its definately possible.

@Tableclothing I dont think the interaction would cause heart burn though, and I'm sure that the doctor will be aware of its interaction if they prescribed them both together!

And I know in my experience I definately wasnt taken naproxen or anything stronger then over the counter ibuprofen.

I think it's just a really random side effect of omeprazole

Thanks for that. I had a google and I see you can get rebound symptoms when you stop omeprazole but that's not quite the same.
The heartburn is punishing!
Since naproxen seems to be the only thing that helps I'm a little afraid of giving myself an ulcer or something that means I can't use it anymore.
I've been taking both pills at bedtime with a snack because I don't want to take omeprazole with dinner. I already have some absorption issues (my iron and b12 levels are perpetually low) so I really don't want to make it harder to digest my food.
I'm frequently guilty of overthinking this sort of thing - this is why I'm still only on a half-dose a few times a week - so other opinions/experiences are very welcome

I can see if the doctor has a view but trying to avoid the dreaded phone appointment
Thanks Fox, glad it's not just me. I even took an extra one when it got very bad one night (I'm on a low dose which can be increased if needed for heartburn) and the effect was a bit wishy-washy, not really the instant relief I was hoping for.
wasser thanks, I might ask for an alternative.
Happy to continue taking it on its own with food but GP seemed unhappy with that idea, said I need to protect my stomach, oh the irony.

Ibuprofen upsets my stomach so I always take Omeprazole at the same time. I then get nausea and bloating and am sure it’s the Omeprazole causing it.
Because of this I use Ibuprofen gel rather than tablets.

On another note, have you had a test for coeliac disease? (low iron tendency)

Isn’t it more likely that the heartburn is caused by taking naproxen more regularly, and that the omeprazole hasn’t been very effective in treating this? Or have I misread the timing of your symptoms?

Hovverry that's interesting, I was bloated too yesterday, but that could have been something I ate. I wish the gel worked for me, it would be simpler.

namechange I have other autoimmune issues but blood test for coeliac was negative. I had a colonoscopy for unrelated reasons and apparently everything looked normal. I wish my GP was more interested in the iron problem. I've had to stop taking it this week because my stomach is so messed up.

never that's possible. When I've taken naproxen in the past I've had absolutely no issues, and I'm really on the lookout for stomach problems because it's a common side effect. This time I got heartburn the very first time I took the omeprazole, and I was only able to take it for three days before the heartburn became unbearable.

We're eating slightly different food due to coronavirus (can't choose what's in our veg box and they're sending a lot of fruit instead of the green veg we usually get) and that could have made me more sensitive to whatever is causing a problem, but it doesn't seem to be the problem itself.

To be fair heartburn is tricky, it can take time to come on and time to go away, so it's hard to pin down the cause.

I thought coeliac disease was confirmed via a jejunal biopsy not colonoscopy (that's how mine was diagnosed and a quick google search suggests colonoscopy is looking at further down the gut, not at the small intestine where coeliac disease damage occurs...?). Might be worth pursuing that a bit more. Undiagnosed coeliac disease also can lead to osteoporosis (which is different from what you have, obvs, but seems to be a link there that I can't help pestering you about a bit more).

It's possible to get false negative blood tests for coeliac disease too.

Anyway doesn't help with your current situation, I know....!

OP- have you ever been checked for H pyloric? I suffered with heartburn and reflux for years, I even recall episodes as a child. It can be checked with a stool sample or breath test. Treatment is a combination of 2 antibiotics and a PPI (omeprazole or similar) and called triple therapy. I've never needed to buy another packet of Nexium since! Its worth asking your GP about it when things settle.

namechange thanks, yes, colonoscopy was for something unrelated, I only mentioned it to say no inflammation was found in the colon. I have no compelling symptoms that I can think of and negative bloods so I suspect a biopsy wouldn't be offered - ? GP not interested in low iron as I'm not usually anaemic, just within range. Vitamin d and b12 also a problem but I'm hypothyroid and I understand this is common. How did you get started down the road to your dx?
Before my thyroid meds were sorted out I was so fatigued (in addition to other symptoms obvs) I did wonder about coeliac and I was strictly gf for six months to see if it would reduce my thyroid antibodies but no change.

Elouera the last time I took an antacid for heartburn was about six months ago, and the cause is usually obvious (eg eating acidic foods late at night). I only have the omeprazole rx to protect my stomach from naproxen, but up to now I've taken naproxen with no ill effects.

I was young - 17/18 - and had very gradually started with gut issues and then anaemia that couldn't be controlled with medication so I was sent to a specialist. Back then (I'm in my 40s now) it was a rare, fairly under-diagnosed condition and it took about a year of tests and invasive procedures to get a diagnosis. By the time I was diagnosed I had lost a lot of weight and my bloody count was ever lower so I was rather feeble-feeling.

I think nowadays it's much easier to be a coeliac and to get a diagnosis.

Living with any autoimmune system disorder is pretty rubbish isn't it. Hope you get answers soon. On another note (related to period pain) I have tried naproxen + omeprazole and had SUCH a sore stomach that I had to stop taking the naproxen. In my case, I put it down to the naproxen hurting me, not the omeprazole.

blood count, not bloody. Haha. X

So if anyone is interested I took nothing Fri and Sat and waited for my stomach to feel better. Took some chewable heartburn tablets before bed last night and woke feeling fine. Took my usual half a naproxen about an hour ago after a meal and not a whisper of stomach trouble atm.
If I still feel ok I'll take another with dinner I think, then I'll carry on every other day.

namechange how awful for you, I know it used to take years to get a dx and I still think you need a good GP who's willing to do all the tests. I'm not wasting away (quite the opposite) and my bloods are usually within range, although I suspect my bloods are within range because I supplement (iron, b12 etc).

I take Naproxen for arthritis and also noticed heartburn too, but assumed Omeprazole just didn't work for me. I was buying Zantac (Wilko's own brand version anyway) instead and that worked wonders. But they've taken it off the market now, so I'm stuck with Omeprazole. I find it works best if I take it first thing in the morning, rather than alongside my Naproxen, which I take around teatime.

I was put on omeprazole when I was put on Naproxen for arthritis, however I am under the GP again due to (as yet) undiagnosed bowl problems it was the gastroenterologist who when looking at my medication told me to stop taking Naproxen however my GP told me I could still take omeprazole when I get gastric reflux which is not very often but painful when I do so I can still get a prescription