Omeprazole

[Suffolkman]

I am not sure if I am posting in the right category or not. I am a self diagnosed celiac, having had problems with bloating etc three or four years ago. My doctor prescribed Omeprazole to help the problem, after a few weeks and just maybe a small improvement my GP suggested doubling the dose to 40mg a day. Things improved and I have stayed on that dose ever since. A while later started having problems with some foods. I tried several different diets including lactose free dairy free etc. Finally tried a gluten free diet and after a month or so started to feel much better. BUT every few months the bloating would return, and I would live with the problem for a week or two until things settled down again. Recently I have had a period of three weeks or so feeling uncomfortable, the GP has in the last few days taken blood tests and taken a stool sample for analysis. On talking to him I told him I was still taking two capsules of Omeprazole daily. He intimated that taking to higher a dose could be disolving to much stomach acid. I suggested should I try reducing my Omep doseage to just one a day. I don't know whether it was a coincidence, but almost immediately things started to improve and I have had no stomach problems for two weeks now. Today I have taken no Omeprazole at all... Just as an experiment. SO..here is my question, could it be that I am not celiac at all ? and by taking Omeprazole has given me a false celiac reading ? Or am I talking complete rubbish. I would be interested in any views please. 

[trents]

Since you have had no testing done for celiac disease it is possible there is some other food intolerance that is causing your problems. You really need to get tested for celiac disease but if you decide to do that you will need to go back to eating gluten daily in the equivalent amount of 2 slices of wheat bread for at least 6-8 weeks. If you are on a gluten free diet prior to testing it will invalidate the testing. Many physicians neglect to tell their patients this or they may be unaware of it. Once you have gone off the gluten free diet for the specified time you should have your physician run a full celiac antibody panel (not just the TTG-iGA test) as described here: https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/screening-and-diagnosis/screening/

It is also possible that you don't have celiac disease but are gluten sensitive, for which there currently is no test available. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity produces many of the same symptoms of celiac disease but is differentiated from it by testing (serum antibody followed by an endoscopy/biopsy) that eliminates celiac disease as the cause.

I was on Omeprazole for many years after celiac diagnosis and a year ago weaned myself off of it. Long term PPI therapy has some real health risks of it's own. But be aware that there is typically an acid reflux rebound when you try to quit a PPI so you have to wean yourself off of it slowly.

[Suffolkman]

Thank you for your reply, I await results from my blood tests at present, and a further talk with my GP. The problem of course is that if I truly am celiac and have to go on to a diet containing gluten for six to eight weeks...Then that is likely to be a long and very uncomfortable time. I note what you say regarding long term Omeprazole use. And am, as stated earlier just starting to cut down and hopefully cut out Omeprazole altogether.

[trents]

"The problem of course is that if I truly am celiac and have to go on to a diet containing gluten for six to eight weeks...Then that is likely to be a long and very uncomfortable time."

 

We see this scenario play out in the experience of new forum members all the time. The medical community at large is still pretty ignorant about celiac disease and the testing protocols. 

Concerning dairy and lactose intolerance, with celiacs the issue is often not lactose (the sugar in milk) but the main protein in mile, casein. It is very common for celiacs to develop intolerances to other foods. Dairy is one of the most common but also soy, corn and eggs are often culprits. Personally, I have developed an intolerance of eggs. If I eat more than one egg in a meal I get a major gut ache.

[Scott Adams]

Cutting back on the amount of Omeprazole likely caused more acid to be produced in your stomach, which makes digestion easier, so perhaps you need to be on a lower dose, or don't need to be on it at all, but be sure to discuss this with your doctor. This article covers continuing symptoms after going gluten-free, so it may be helpful:

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-treatment-and-continuing-symptoms-r1108/

[Suffolkman]

48 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

Cutting back on the amount of Omeprazole likely caused more acid to be produced in your stomach, which makes digestion easier, so perhaps you need to be on a lower dose, or don't need to be on it at all, but be sure to discuss this with your doctor. This article covers continuing symptoms after going gluten-free, so it may be helpful:

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-treatment-and-continuing-symptoms-r1108/

Thank you for your assistance, Yes..what you state is what I am hoping may happen. I think I have just been blindly taking the double dose, and no one at my GP surgery has thought to question it. Having said that, I am in no way blaming my local NHS Healthcentre. Where in general the service is outstanding.