Omeprazole for Heartburn, Acid Reflux & Indigestion

Esomeprazole and omeprazole are both acid suppressant agents, which means that they work in the same way.

This means that they may not be safe for you to take together.

If you’re taking one of these medications and don’t think your medication is treating your acid reflux effectively enough, speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

There are a few different causes of heartburn, which is one of the reasons why it’s such a common problem.

Sometimes, it’s hard to pinpoint a cause, heartburn just happens whether you like it or not, but some of the most common causes you can look out for include:

• Certain foods – coffee, alcohol, greasy foods, fatty foods, and spicy foods are all common culprits
• Stress or anxiety
• Being overweight
• Pregnancy
• Smoking
• Side effects from medication
• A hiatus hernia

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You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking omeprazole if you’re taking any other medication, especially antibiotics.

Some antibiotics, such as rifampicin, can interact with omeprazole, causing unwanted side effects or making your medication less effective, but a medical professional can help you to choose medicines that will work together.

You can take omeprazole if you’ve been drinking alcohol, as alcohol doesn’t affect this medication.

However, drinking alcohol can cause indigestion, acid reflux, and heartburn, so you may want to avoid alcohol if you’re suffering from indigestion regularly.

As with all medicines there may be potential side effects.

Any side effects should be reported to your pharmacist or GP.

Common side effects include headache, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, flatulence and nausea/vomiting.

Rare, but serious, signs to be aware of include allergy, reddening of the skin and peeling (potentially Stevens-Johnson syndrome), yellowing skin/dark urine indicating liver problems, bruising/severely reduced general condition and fever (indicating changes in white blood cells).

Omeprazole can be taken by children and babies, but only if it’s been prescribed for them by a doctor.

Children shouldn’t take the adult dosage of omeprazole, but your doctor will be able to give them a suitable dosage and help you to decide whether omeprazole tablets or omeprazole liquid will be better for your child.

If you’re concerned that your child may have indigestion or acid reflux, speak to your doctor, they’ll be able to prescribe omeprazole if they think it’s the right treatment for your child.

You can take omeprazole with food or on an empty stomach, so you may want to try both methods and see if one is better for you.

You can swallow omeprazole tablets with a sip of water and it’s usually recommended that you take them first thing in the morning.

Omeprazole and esomeprazole are two different medications that have a lot in common.

They’re both used to treat heartburn and acid reflux, are taken in the same way and are both equally effective treatments when taken at 20mg doses.

However, omeprazole can be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding, where esomeprazole can’t.

Another big difference between the two is the cost, with omeprazole usually being much cheaper than esomeprazole, making it perfect for the savvy shopper.

The recommended dose of omeprazole differs depending on what you’re using it for.

The most commonly suggested doses for adults are:

• For indigestion: Take 10 - 20mg of omeprazole a day
• For heartburn and acid reflux: Take 20 - 40mg of omeprazole a day
• For stomach ulcers: Take 20 - 40mg of omeprazole a day
• For Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: Take 20 - 120mg a day

Of course, you should always follow the dosage recommended to you by your doctor or pharmacist, so if you’re unsure how much omeprazole you should take remember to speak to a medical professional.

Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux. It occurs when acid produced by the stomach travels up towards the throat and causes a burning sensation in the middle of your chest.

You may also experience a cough, hiccups, bad breath and nausea when suffering from acid reflux.

Although acid reflux is not a serious condition it may be a symptom of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), a long-term form of acid reflux.

If you often experience heartburn and acid reflux it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor, as they will be able to prescribe a medicine known as a proton pump inhibitor (usually either omeprazole or lansoprazole) which can help to reduce the amount of stomach acid that is produced by your stomach.

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