Can Omeprazole- Acid Reflux Medication Decrease Ferritin and Cause ED?

[illinoisguy]

I currently have acid reflux and am taking Omeprazole. I have read on here that Omeprazole (Proton Pump Inhibitors) can adversely affect Ferritin, cause ED, etc. so I would like to try something else. Can anyone recommend a probiotic, supplement, or other med to treat my acid reflux? Thanks!

 

[captain]

Proton pump inhibitors can increase prolactin. You can try magnesium and see if it helps. I think H2 receptor blockers are not as bad as PPI. Best thing is to find what the cause of the reflux is and fix it.

 

[PhilM7]

I currently have acid reflux and am taking Omeprazole. I have read on here that Omeprazole (Proton Pump Inhibitors) can adversely affect Ferritin, cause ED, etc. so I would like to try something else. Can anyone recommend a probiotic, supplement, or other med to treat my acid reflux? Thanks!

I have had success with the following; (1) raised the head of my bed about 6 inches higher than the foot (2) taking Pepcid AC before bedtime and (3) having a bowl of whole wheat cereal with almond milk about 2 hours before bedtime. Of course everyone is different, and this might not work for you. I also try not to eat "acid trigger" foods like tomato based foods/sauces or spicy foods for dinner. I gave up all carbonated beverages years ago too. Every little bit helps. Acid reflux is aggravating for sure, and my main issue was when trying to sleep. Omeprazole did not work for me, and gave me really bad headaches.

 

[Mcgiver54]

Try to stay off the Omeprazole if you can, there is a reason the manufacturer says to not use it more than two weeks. The Navy put me on it in 2005, I have tried to quit it several times and cannot. It is addictive once you are on it for long periods of time, if you stop your stomach will constantly produce a lot of acid, the last time I tried to quit, I went almost a year and at the end when I cried uncle I was eating almost a bottle of Tums per day. I use a CPAP and it has eliminated my reflux at night, that is what gave me the idea I might be able to get off the prilosec, it did not work. I have always cut the pill in half to only take 10mg, when I was on 20mg in the beginning it caused weight gain, one I cut it to 10mg it stopped. I feel it has permanently modified my stomach lining.

 

[captain]

You get rebound if you try to stop and you have to use the H2 receptor blockers to help get off the PPI.

 

[Mcgiver54]

I used Ranitidine and two other alternatives over a year. Did not work.

 

[Kev101]

Have you explored cutting out alcohol and "junk food"? My wife and I did and it cured us of acid reflux within weeks. Before that, we always went out and partied, ordered Grub Hub, wings/beer, etc. We both had it so bad, doc had us on meds for it.

That stuff will destory you internally man! I can feel it after having pizza just once a month.

If it's not the diet causing it, I used to do a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar every night before bed and it neutralized about 90% of the feeling.

 

[StevePerkins]

Proton pump inhibitors can increase prolactin. You can try magnesium and see if it helps. I think H2 receptor blockers are not as bad as PPI. Best thing is to find what the cause of the reflux is and fix it.

Yeh, lots of acid reflux these days. Big on ZMA (zinc, magnesium, B6 combo). And papaya enzyme chewable tablets. Probiotics are key throughout the day. Combining many different types of foods stressing out your gut, so maybe try just protein with vegetables (no grains) or just grains with veggies (no protein), see how that goes.

 

[StevePerkins]

Good ol' aloe vera juice in your smoothies or straight, super smart and safe.

 

[drkelp]

DIET, baking soda, dgl, digestive enzymes, this is not a bad article:

Get Rid of Heartburn and GERD Forever in Three Simple Steps - Chris Kresser

Heartburn and GERD can be eradicated once and for all—without drugs. Keep reading to learn about three important lifestyle changes for long-term relief.

chriskresser.com

 

[fun2drive]

For me there is no other choice. I picked up Helicobactor Pylori when I was in Guam curtesy of the USAF and there is no getting rid of it. Yes you can dose your intestines every 5 years or more frequently with antibiotics but it comes back because you can't get into the folds of the intestines. Typhoon Karen wiped the island out and had no drinking water or electric for 6 weeks. Laid in the street when it rained and got water that way, boiled it and washed in the street gutters during rain. My doc told me a long time ago it was my choice. I prefer to have this issue vs possible antibiotics being not effective when needed. For what it is worth having taken these since 1974 it has had really little to no effect on my libido. I never knew until now it was a possible ED issue for some.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy and its Effect on Endocrine Hormones in Selected Patient Population - PubMed

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are commonly prescribed medications for a variety of gastrointestinal disorders around the globe. Long-term utilization of proton pump inhibitors is linked with different adverse events. Although, short-term therapy has been demonstrated to have little or no impact...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Among 65 enrolled participants, patients with sexual complaints have significant variations in mean serum levels of prolactin (p<0.001), sex hormone binding globulins (p=0.043), total testosterone (p<0.001) and progesterone (p=0.001) as compared to patients without sexual complaints. Significantly high values of prolactin mean ranks were observed in patient with sexual complaints (p<0.001). There were statistically significant correlations of serum levels of sex hormone binding globulins (p=0.003), total testosterone (p=0.008) and progesterone (p<0.001) with serum prolactin levels. Similarly, statistically significant variation was observed for decreased libido(p=0.001), erectile dysfunction (p=0.001) and decreased semen mass ((p<0.001) between normal and hyperprolactinemic PPI users. Highly significant differences were observed in serum sex hormone binding globulins (p<0.001), total testosterone (p<0.001) and progesterone (p<0.001) values in normal and hyperprolactinemic groups.

Conclusion: Long-term utilization of PPI may induce endocrine hormone disruption with subsequent sexual complications.