Long Term Omeprazole

Hey Dr’s,

Are you aware of any studies regarding long-term, lower-dose omeprazole? I’m trying to find a balance between symptoms, medication, and lifestyle factors, and it would be helpful to know if there might be a dose that might be low enough to be considered low risk, while still being effective. Here’s the background:

I’ve been taking omeprazole for the last few years. This was recommended in response to my Schotzky ring condition. After a couple of episodes where I had to have the ring dilated via upper endoscopy, the GI doc theorized that it could be caused by reflux and suggested omeprazole to rein it in. While I’ve never noticed any burning sensation, I decided it was worth a shot.

The omeprazole helped a lot - big reduction in Schotzky symptoms. They started me at 40mg per day, eventually dropping to 20mg a day. After doing some reading, I found that long term omeprazole is not a great idea.

After OK’ing with my doctor, I started trying to find my minimum effective dose of the medication. I tapered down from 20mg per day over a year, eventually not taking the med at all. After a few weeks of no medication, I started noticing Schotzky symptoms again, so I went back on it, 2x 20mg per week spaced evenly. This seems to be working well.

I read the thread here, and I’m working on adjusting my diet per those suggestions.

Thanks!

There is not a single dose that defines a particular risk threshold; it’s likely a combination of cumulative overall exposure, combined with a degree of random chance (and/or, unknown factors that confer individual susceptibility).

I think that tapering down to the lowest effective dose needed to control your symptoms is wise.

Thank you, Dr. Baraki. It’s good to know I’m on a decent path, and I appreciate the knowledge on dosage. I’ll work to reduce my risk as much as I reasonably can.