Omeprazole - how to get off it ?

[freshin]

Ive been taking it once a day at night. After reading the possible long term side effects I really want to come off it. I tried taking it every other day and even talked to my GP who prescribed half the dose but the acid was horrendous.

Has anyone been able to come off it? How ?

Im losing weight to try and help but Im worried it could still be bad even when Im a healthier weight.

I’d love to know. I’m terrified of the fact I’m on it, and have been for over a decade. As a woman under 40 I fear for the effects upon my long term health, but without it the effects on my day to day life are horrendous.

I'm on it too but I don't take it every day I took it every other day for a while and weened off it. I have to avoid acidic drink and food though

I have managed to stay off it for 6 months at a time. I was started on omeprazole in 2017 and when I tried to get off it I got the horrendous acid. I started taking one ramipril per day and that helped but of course it's no longer available. Now I take a spoonful of manuka honey when I get up (only the expensive stuff works but they often have offers in Holland and Barrett), I have Bisodol on hand throughout the day and before bed I take 2 Gaviscon (the two-coloured ones). It's OK most of the time but occasionally I have to go back on omeprazole or esomeprazole for a couple of weeks.
I've heard that apple cider vinegar can help but I haven't tried it.
Good luck- I hope you find something that works

I've tried weaning off it because the doctor said I have low bone density, I basically can cope if I do the fodmap diet. Now I only take it if invited out to dinner and I don't eat much at night these days but It is literally the worst thing to come off, that and citalopram, both prescribed willy nilly

I’ve been out on it recently I’m only allowed to take it for three months. I’m dreading coming off of it incase my symptoms come back. I didn’t realise it can cause health complications if taken for a long time? I’m 45 and since perimenopause my stomach acid is really bad especially at night or early hours of the morning

Put*

I’ve been taking it for 15 years and can’t cope at all without it. Done endoscopy and biopsy and am told to keep taking them as it’s inflamed. Didn’t know they were dangerous long term, although it’s too late now!

I've managed by being very careful about what I eat - it's not always the obvious things (boiled sweets, of all things, trigger instant reflux for me) and not eating late at night. I do intermittent fasting/16:8 as far as possible and I have found that helps.

Losing weight has also helped, but I find things like bending down (gardening, decorating) are really difficult because it's almost instantaneous.

Can you switch to pantoprazole? It is deemed much safer (or ‘lower risk’). I switched after being on omeprazole for over 5 years. Same results (works just as well).

I didn’t know it was bad long term. I only take it when I need it now and if I have to take a strong nsaid for period pains . I literally have no choice when it’s the time of the month

I did it over 3 months and I’ve been off it since October 2024. I’d been on 20 mg per day since 2018 for reflux and a hiatus hernia . It was hard as you get awful rebound symptoms that sometimes feel worse than the usual symptoms. I started with one every other day for about 3 weeks and kept tapering it off gradually to about 2 a week then one, then nothing. I bridged the omeprazole with these deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), Turmeric, Ginger, Peppermint.

I watch what I eat and take gaviscon advance or double action as and when I need it. I feel like I’m in control of my symptoms and looking after my own health. I never felt in control when taking omeprazole as I worried about potential side effects. I had an issue with numbness in my toes and had my bloods checked out for neuropathy twice and both times my result were clear. I delved into Google and found that PPIs can cause neuropathy-like symptoms. GPs won’t talk about side effects because they’re cheap and solve a big problem for them.

It can be done. You’ve got to be in the right frame of mind. I tried a few times without success. I chose a time when I’d got no big commitments and felt well and healthy. I kept a diary throughout my withdrawal which helped me track when I needed to take the pills and I tracked my eating and symptoms I found this useful

Thanks for the advice. I’ve just had a blood test and I have low B12 levels (and low folate) I’ve read that PPI’s like Omeprazole can cause this. The Dr has suggested supplements but not mentioned the PPI. I really want to come off the Omeprazole.
Will Gaviscon or similar help tide me over if I come off it completely?

I am B12 deficient and took Lansoprazole for about 15 years. I managed to wean myself off them by using Betaine HCL instead. The theory is that often reflux/heartburn is caused by a lack of stomach acid rather than too much so this introduces acid back in to your stomach.

OP, get down to a healthy weight, I and many other GERD sufferers have had our symptoms all but cured by losing weight, changing our diets and being generally healthier.

I only take my PPI on rare occasions now such as a heavy weekend out with friends..

Yes.
I had a stomach bleed and gastritis a couple of years ago. I took PPIs for three months until I was over the worst but did not want to be on them long term.
I ate a bland diet with nothing acidic, no onions, no fizzy drinks, no alcohol.
Lots of gaviscon ( or Sainsbury's version) and Rennie's help.

I just gradually cut down. Keep a record so you know your triggers. Mine is sweets and spicy food. I just take one occasionally now if I'm going out for a meal. I find eating small portions and not eating late in the day helps. Also Gaviscon is your friend. If it had been really bad though I would have just continued with the Omeprazole. Constant stomach acid is really bad for you too. It's difficult to know what to do sometimes.

I took it for about 8 years not because of acid problems but as a stomach protector because I was on naproxen.

When I stopped the naproxen (as no longer effective) I just stopped the omeprazole and within a day or two started to get acid reflux, an issue I had never had in my life before.

I reasoned it must be my stomach adjusting so did a day on day off for a couple of weeks and then every two days etc up to completely stopping and then I was fine.

I realise this is not the same as having needed it for a stand alone problem but it could it be that your stomach is reacting to the withdrawal of omeprazole and so very gradual weaning might help?

I was never told of any bad side effects from longterm use which makes me very angry because I got kidney stones (agony!) a year after stopping omeprazole and am pretty sure this was the cause.

I don’t know if this applies to you but when I gave up drinking alcohol I found I could also give up my daily Lansoprazole. I had no idea that wine would be such a big trigger for heartburn.

Luckily I don’t drink alcohol or fizzy

I have lost 22lbs over the last 2 months but do have a very long way to go until I’m anywhere near a healthy weight. I drink so much water now and exercise every other day. No sure this will help the acid. I’ve just bought 2 big bottles of gaviscon.

I had no idea they can be difficult to come off of.

I took them for 18 months when I was on blood thinners and just stopped when I didn't need them anymore.

I have no idea if it really helps reflux but I was on omeprazole for long term said use but refused to continue so now take famatodine. I can't confirm it's effectiveness as I never had reflux and was taking it pretentavely

You can get dissolvable tablets which might help you cut down very gradually.

No advice for coming off, but I’ve been on lansoprazole for more than a decade, dose has varied over time but have had to increase it in last few years to protect my voice. Acid was damaging my voice box and leading to frequently losing voice. I regularly use Gaviscon as well. I was advised to take Gaviscon before and after meals - rather than once symptoms start, and again before bed as lying down is often a trigger. So you could try that and see if enough to control it /help taper down.

If I don't have mine in the morning, by 3pm I'm in agony even with a light lunch. It isn't always possible, I get acid even if I have just taken water and no food. I had to stop Omeprazole for a week pre having a 24 hour pH test and it was utter agony and misery. Never again. I took mine the moment I was out of the doctor's office and was downing rennies like they were sweets trying to make it stop on the journey home. It took a good week to get back to normality.