Hi ! Im new in this forum as i am looking for some support group regarding my condition at this time. My story started last year when i had flare up of GERD after drinking slimming coffee. My doctor prescribed me to take Omeprazole and Mylanta.
It became an on and off issue for me, until last January 2020, i had severe stomach ache. I saw my PCP and i was diagnosed to have flare up of GERD resulting to gastritis. She prescribed me to resume omeprazole 20 mgs 2x per day for 2 weeks then once a day for 4-6 weeks. Due to stomach cramps and constipation which i thought to be a side effects of GERD, i stopped on my 6th week; cold turkey... i was fine for a month and then my symptoms came back 2 weeks ago which i initially thought as a pre menstrual syndrome. After my period, my abdominal pain, mostly concentrated on the left lower quadrant was getting worse that i thought i need to go to the ER. Sleepless nights prompted me to call my PCP again... and she told me to resume OMEPRAZOLE 20 mgs 2x per week for 2 weeks then drop it to once a week for 4 weeks then taper off as needed and dont stop all at once. She also diagnosed me to have IBS. Because of the lockdown and virus risk, she is not recommneding me to go to the hospital for any procedure. She is firm saying she is sire that this is my GERD combined with IBS secondary to stress (im a healthcare worker btw). She is telling me that stress is really making my abdominal symptoms worse.
So i started taking omeprazole, to be honest, my on and off mid abdominal cramps is gone so i guess omeprazole is really doing its purpose, BUT my issue now is colon spasms. I feel strong cramps along my lower abdominal area. If i really have IBS, i think omeprazole is making my symptoms for GERD better but worse for IBS. I cant sleep at times, i need to take some sleeping pills.
Is there anyone in this network who are experiencing the same?
Most of the time, im fine. Its just some time of the day that i feel strong stomach cramps, really severe that i think ill collapse. Too bad if its in the evening,i need to reposition myself to the LEFT to find comfort resulting to some back pain issue cause i dont move.
My PCP conducted a blood test on me which turned out fine, it checked my pancreas, liver, etc. i also had stool exam which came back normal too, no blood or so. She did not come to a point to do endoscopy since i am responding well to omeprazole...
So im curious if this is expected for a patient like me getting treatment with GERD/gastritis to have an IBS that is making worse by omeprazole?
Im so helpless. I want to finish the course of my omeprazole and see if this abdominal cramps will go away too.
Btw, im also taking colace every other day.
Any input or advise will be appreciated. Thank you very much.
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I wanted to say l am experiencing the same kind of problems with severe stomach cramp l have a diagnosis’s of GERD and have been on omeprazole for a long while l have done similar things to you with no real improvement l have periods when l feel it’s a bit better and then the stomach pain come back and l can’t sleep it effects my mood and l feel at a lost what to do.
I have changed my diet l eating smaller meals sometimes it help sometimes it does not l understanding how you must be feeling l am still under investigation my doctor now thinks it’s psychological and have referred me to pain management service for further investigation but l know the pain is real. I don’t know what will happen now due to current situation the appointment may not happen. I hope you find out what is causing your symptoms and it can be treated
Be careful on opioids. I was on Vicodin for 12 years for severe degenerative back disease. Pain meds are notorious for causing constipation. My pain mgt Doctor put me on Movantik at that time..but did nothing.
I have IBS thirty years now, and my gut is not liking the stress of lockdown or the change in what I can get food wise that is what I normally keep away from. I have IBS and a diverticuliti, I tend to use alverine citrate, if spasms are really painful. 2016 in hospital for a none related matter, scans showed I had a small to medium hiatus hernia. I was also given ameprozele to counter acid reflux.
It's handy in evenings if know I'm to have a meal which may cause problems at night. But actually ameprozele is not good for you, and should be used sparingly. In some it cause s the runs, in others using it every day ,has been determined that because of its suppression, vital vitamins and good bacteria are lost. I now keep to my last meal of day at no later than 6pm.
This allows me to go to bed at ,say 11pm without getting indigestion in the night.
The meals I keep away from are anything with onion gravy. Creamy pasta meals is out. Any manufactured bread covered chicken or cod pieces. Cream and small portion of life cheese I can take. Yorkshire puddings avoid. They full of fat. Puff pastry is preferable to heavy shortcrust pastry. I don't citrus fruits because they are acidic, and always give me indigestion. Diet and managing stress is the key to lessen flare ups. But not easy in these lockdown times
Omeprazole was the root cause of my entire IBS journey I'm sorry, I dont have any advice. Just needed to throw that out there for others debating trying omeprazole x
I recommend that you watch a channel on YouTube called GutFeelings by Peggy Shirmer. It’s veru helpful for your symptoms. You could actually have a case of insufficient gut acid.
Have you tried Buscopan? I am always wary of a lot of mixt medicines. I am trying to regulate everything as simply as possible. Buscopan has been incredibly helpful to me.
IBS and GERD often go hand in hand. I've had both over the years. Have you taken a look at the FODMAP diet? FODMAPs are carbohydrates found in some fruits and vegetables - there may be specific ones that are causing you problems- they enter your colon undigested, bacteria feed off them and create gas as a by product. This gas can build up pressure in your system and weaken the valve that sits between your stomach and your throat allowing stomach contents and acid to flow back. You eliminate all FODMAPs for 2 weeks which should help to alleviate symptoms and then introduce them in small amounts one by one for 3 days and then wait up to 4 days for symptoms.
I have been on Alflorex probiotic (scientifically studied for IBS and available on a free 2 month trial on joining theibsnetwork.org) and my stomach is more settled and I am able to tolerate more foods - you could give this a go prior to doing an elimination diet. If you have a bit of overgrowth of bad bugs in your gut (we all have good and bad bacteria - the good should have the upper hand), these can feed off FODMAPs and give symptoms such as pain. Probiotics like Alflorex can bring things back in balance. I have heard Symprove works for some people too.
You can also raise the head of your bed by 20cm using sturdy plastic bed risers found on the internet or a bed wedge pillow to keep the contents of your stomach there overnight (though in time the pillow put pressure on my hips).
In terms of whether your PPI can cause IBS I am unsure. I have taken PPIs in short bursts (no more than 6 months at a time) to help heal my throat - this was before I found the FODMAP diet. Possibly you've had IBS all along - a bit of malabsorption of foods creating gases which has then resulted in GERD. However, it probably isn't a good idea to be on PPIs long term.
There are some theories that GERD is due to low stomach acid. My gastroenterlogist refuted this. I have tried Betaine HCL and apple cider vinegar separately to compensate but these just made my pain worse. I can be done as a test to see how you get on but maybe not pin your hopes on it.
As you say stress is a factor. I've read scientific papers that say that stress doesn't increase the amount of acid in the stomach, but makes the nerve endings in your throat more sensitive to a normal level of acid and cause pain. This type of pain also exists with IBS - where the brain erroneously picks up normal activity of the bowel as pain. This is where nerve pain agents come in.
Thank you all for your reply. I apprecIate them big time.
Glossyrose, I tried buscopan but the single dose did not work for me. I got it from the Philippines since it is not available here in the US. How often should i take it? Can i take it with omeprazole?
Xjrs, i will look at the Alflorex, thank u. Someone advised me SYMPROVE as well but they dont have free trial so I guess trying alflorex first is better. Symprove should give free trial too because they’re expensive.
Yes, due to COVID thing, my stress level lately is high. Working in the hospital is crazy. I feel anxious all the time.
I need to print the LOW FODMAP diet and i am planning to consult a nutritionist.
Hello Tobey, i see a lot of people recommending silicol gel, how does it work? Btw, i got tested by H PYLORI and it was negative.
Philibs1980 thank u ill check that video kn youtube.
Asbayford, yes im seeing posts that PPI really made their IBS symptoms worse than ever. I really hope to finish my 2 week course soon so i can taper myself off then stop, im planning to manage my gut issues with diet and lifestyle modification, then stick with it. The problem woth me is i can start really well, but maintaining the good work is the question.... terrible!
Drax83 thank u for all your advise, amazing strategies, thank u so much.
Shanpa, i am in the same boat with u, my PCP kept telling me to reduce my anxiety and calm down as i am OK. She said she tested my blood and stool and that everything is normal. Like ive mentioned, she did not get to the point of doing endoscopy since my mid abdominal pain respond well to omeprazole. It is the side effect of the meds that i think that is killing me.
Thank u all for your understanding help.
Hope everyone feels better. Stay safe and again thank you!!!
This sounds exactly how my IBS journey started !! I suffered with stomach cramps and bad bowel movements for months before being diagnosed with IBS.
First of all I was diagnosed with gastritis like you and was prescribed omeprazole, after a couple of weeks taking this my symptoms were getting considerably worse so I went back to the doctors. It was then when I was diagnosed with IBS and given medication to control this and was advised to stop taking the omeprazole tablets as they actually make IBS worse!!
As soon as I stopped taking the omeprazole my symptoms and flare-ups were not so bad , the pain and the bowel movements were bearable.
It would definitely be worth talking to your GP to see if you can stop taking them or if there is an alternative to omeprazole that won’t interfere with your IBS.
Also are you still drinking the slimming coffees?? as if you are it is strongly advised to avoid all “diet foods” as they contain food sweeteners which have been found to trigger IBS.
Any questions please feel free to message me or reply 😊
Hi Bether, our journey with gastritis to IBS worsen by omeprazole is really aweful. My PCP told me to finish my omeprazole course. I stopped taking slimming coffee since my first severe GERD attack last OCT. I feel terrible. I am more on the C side, so its really painful on the lower left side of my abdomen every now and then.
My doctor is firm for me to continue the PPI since she said i need to take care of my stomach from ulcers. I have to watch my diet really closely for me to function the whole day. 😫
Oh no sounds awful !! It’s a tricky one if you have to keep taking them to delay stomach ulcers , could you not get a second opinion from someone or do some research to see if there is an alternative to omeprazole ??
Hi no fever, my WBC blood work is normal, i was tested for h pylori and it was negative. Liver, Pancreas and Gall bladder were all tested too using blood work, came back all normal. Its just really the left side pain and the generaliZed abdominal cramps that annoys me. I dont know what to do, im almost done with my 2x per day omeprazole and will soon be down graded to one for 4 weeks then taper off.
I took the advise to buy Alflorex so lets see if it will help me .
Had your doctor ever offered an antispasmodic? (Sorry if you’ve previously answered this). As odd as it sounds I’ve found an ice pack to help when I start getting those intense cramps
I am in the US too. My doctor prescribed one for me. It is called Bentyl. Maybe ask about that? I know there are others but my doctor likes Bentyl the best
Hi there, I’m having exactly the same issues. Been having a dry cough after eating which the doctor thinks is Gerd Related as I’ve been suffering on and off for about three years. Now taking omezprazole and my bottom lower abdomen has been given me pain for about 4-5 days, it makes sleeping difficult. I’m thinking of stopping the treatment it’s that annoying but will contact the GP first.
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I'm sorry, I dont have any advice. Just needed to throw that out there for others debating trying omeprazole x
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