It is the seventh most consumed drug in Chile, but not always on prescription: many people mistakenly use it as a gastric protector, a bad pass for hangovers from food and alcoholic beverages.
Omeprazole has surely already entered your life. Either because a doctor prescribed it to you, or because a loved one consumes it, or because a loved one recommended it to you to get through intense binge eating days. Its use has become common as this drug helps alleviate reflux problems and also protects the stomach against aggressive pharmacological agents, like antibiotics and others, in addition to relieving troublesome gastric ulcers. Still, many people end up consuming it more frequently than intended, as it allows them to eat or drink with enthusiasm without suffering certain consequences, such as heartburn or bloating.
This popularity makes it according to the National Health Survey 2016-17 , in the seventh most used compound in Chile, just below paracetamol, aspirin and other drugs for chronic use, and above ibuprofen and vitamin C. It is therefore easy to see at free fairs or in street shops, where it is sold informally, and which can be bought and ingested as if it were antacids. But this is not the case. Omeprazole, like any other drug, has contraindications and associated risks if taken unsupervised, ranging from polyps to intestinal infections or acute gastroenteritis.
How it works and for whom omeprazole is indicated
Technically, omeprazole “is a drug from the group of proton pump inhibitors, which blocks the production of stomach acid”, explains Freddy Squella, gastroenterologist at Clínica INDISA. By blocking the acid-generating enzyme in the lining of this organ, omeprazole helps relieve symptoms of conditions such as heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux, and gastric ulcers.
It is for this reason that it is generally indicated for those who suffer from an overproduction of stomach acid. “For example, reflux esophagitis or gastroesophageal reflux,” adds Squella, also a professor at the Andrés Bello University Faculty of Medicine. “It is also used in case of stomach wounds, such as an ulcer or gastritis.”
Another condition in which omeprazole is usually prescribed is after digestive bleeding, “there is probably accompanied by antibiotics to eradicate the helicobacter pylori”. This is another indication of its use: changing the pH so that the antibiotics can have a better effect. Helicobacter pylori inhabits the lining of the human stomach and is associated with various gastrointestinal conditions, such as peptic ulcers and gastritis.
Omeprazole is NOT a gastric protector.
On multiple occasions have you seen someone at the pharmacy, if not yourself, ordering omeprazole or another family medication prazole no prescription “All medications must be prescribed by a doctor”, explains José Daniel Mendoza, gastroenterologist at Pulso Salud. It’s a crazy phrase but essential to avoid adverse effects. “Sometimes it is the pharmacists themselves who recommend the consumption of a drug, but without knowing if the patient has a significant pathological history,” he comments.
The problem with omeprazole is that it is used by people who are not sick and therefore do not need it. “There is a myth that if I need to eat more or drink more alcohol than usual, I use a drug like prazole it will make me feel better,” Squella says. “It is true that its use will block the production of acid, and in the face of a major dietary transgression we will feel less acidity, but it must be taken into account that gastric emptying can be slowed down. Therefore, even if there will be no heartburn, we will have the feeling of having eaten much longer, since the food will stay longer in the stomach”, he analyzes.
“Taking omeprazole before drinking alcohol can reduce the risk of stomach irritation later,” adds Gabriel Skorka, pharmaceutical chemist and head of Farmex. Even if This may seem useful to people prone to heartburn or gastritis, “excessive alcohol consumption is harmful in itself and should not be justified with omeprazole”, he specifies. People, yes, do not think the same thing: every September, at Farmex, they observe a sharp increase in the demand for omeprazole. “In 2022, we had a sales growth of this drug of 300% compared to an average month”, he underlines.
“The big problem with self-medication with omeprazole is that by relieving certain gastrointestinal symptoms, it often ends up masking the symptoms of a serious illness,” observes Mario Rodríguez, an academic at the School of Chemistry and Pharmacy from Andrés Bello University. . One of the most serious is gastric cancer.
It is not that omeprazole generates it, but that it hides or camouflages it, “so that it may delay diagnosis or may interfere with the effect of other drugs”.
What happens if I take omeprazole for a long time?
A study by the Department of Pharmacology and Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and University College London demonstrated the link between prolonged consumption of omeprazole – or similar – and the risk of stomach cancer. Despite this, the doctors interviewed by Práctico are not so alarmist: it is rather isolated and not generalized situations.
“To carry prazoles it doesn’t mean that people have a high risk of gastric cancer,” says Squella. “Studies have shown that there are risks, but they are very low and concern well-defined populations.” According to the INDISA Clinic specialist, prolonged use of prazoles it reduces the production of acid in the stomach, which triggers, to compensate, an excessive production of the hormone gastrin. This can lead to hypergastrinemia, which eventually stimulates the growth of specific parts of the stomach.
“What we usually see in these cases is the appearance of certain polyps of the fundic glands, which are generally benign and disappear when the treatment is suspended,” he explains.
This does not mean that omeprazole and other prazoles have several side effects that need to be monitored regularly. “That’s why it’s important to always use it in the lowest possible doses and for the shortest possible duration,” says Squella. If a specialist indicates his consumption permanently, “there must be endoscopic checks to ensure that there are no complications”.
Contraindications of omeprazole
In general, each drug has side effects or associated contraindications. In the case of omeprazole, Squella specifies that it is always contraindicated for patients with a declared allergy. Mendoza also mentions, as a short-term and long-term effect, hypomagnesemia, ie a loss of magnesium in the body, which can occur as a side effect of prolonged use of omeprazole. What is its consequence? Develop neuromuscular and gastrointestinal disorders.
If a patient does not undergo an endoscopic examination and uses omeprazole in a prolonged and excessive way, there is a permanent acid blockage and “we probably run the risk of suffering from certain conditions such as intestinal infections, acute gastroenteritis or gut bacterial overgrowth because of that means less gut disinfection,” Squella adds.
Where the gastroenterologist does not suggest using omperazol is in patients with trophic gastritis, “who already suffer from hypochlorhydria, a condition in which the stomach produces insufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid “. This can affect the proper digestion of food and is associated with symptoms such as indigestion, bloating, and upset stomach. “When someone with hypochlorhydria has a stomach infection, acid blockage can make treatment more difficult,” he says.
Among the most serious adverse effects mentioned by Rodríguez is a deficiency in vitamin B12, a nutrient that requires a certain acidity to be absorbed by the stomach. “It increases the risk of bone fractures or damage, anemia, gastric polyps, interstitial nephritis, and electrolyte imbalances.” In the short term, omeprazole can lead to an increased risk of intestinal infections and even pneumonia, “because it modifies the gastric pH, which has a protective role for our whole organism”.
Administrative Considerations
If your doctor has prescribed omeprazole for you, it is not to arrive and take the remedy at any time and in any context. For it to produce the desired effect and not cause adverse effects, Squella claims that they must be avoided. irritating agents, such as alcohol, spicy foods and garlic, “in addition to not avoiding foods that cause abdominal distension, such as onions or products high in saturated fat”.
You should also be careful about other medications you are taking. Since it alters gastric pH and is an enzyme inhibitor, it is extremely important to notify the doctor who prescribed omeprazole. “It is essential to report all medications and supplements taken, as omeprazole may interact with other medications and affect their absorption or effectiveness,” Skorka warns.
“You should always follow the doctor’s instructions”, emphasizes the head of Farmex, but generally “it is taken before breakfast, at least 30 minutes before eating, to maximize its effectiveness, because it works best on an empty stomach “. .
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
