Generic Drug For Prilosec

[dairy queen]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows if a generic drug substituted for prilosec is gluten-free. It is called omeprazole, made by sandoz(geneva). I looked,but can't find any info on it and my pharmacist is no better than a piece of ....

Also, I read that wallgreens brand is ok. I need to take an 81 mg. aspirin everyday and can't find one that is guaronteed.

Can anyone help?

[Lisa]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows if a generic drug substituted for prilosec is gluten-free. It is called omeprazole, made by sandoz(geneva). I looked,but can't find any info on it and my pharmacist is no better than a piece of ....

Also, I read that wallgreens brand is ok. I need to take an 81 mg. aspirin everyday and can't find one that is guaronteed.

Can anyone help?

Omeprazole is gluten free.

[dairy queen]

Thank you VERY much!!!!!

Now does anyone know anything about wallgreens or an 81 mg. aspirin?

[ravenwoodglass]

On the Prilosec issue, ask the pharmacist for the leaflet that comes with the drug, there should be a phone number you can call on that. Generics can be risky. St. Joesphs baby asprin is for sure gluten-free, I take it anytime I need an analgesic.

[GFJan]

I'm going to try Zegerid powder (comes in packets) which is just omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate. I'm very allergic to dyes, fillers, artificial sweeteners, etc.

It's good to make friends with a pharmacist who wil use special handling with your prescriptions. I have had severe reactions from prescriptions that went through pill counters because of residue left in the counter from other drugs. Also if they use a tray to count out pills they are SUPPOSED to clean the tray between each prescription with alcohol to remove residue, but of course they don't.

I try whenever possible to get the medication in original packaging so that it doesn't have to be handled at all.

Jan

[dairy queen]

I'm going to try Zegerid powder (comes in packets) which is just omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate. I'm very allergic to dyes, fillers, artificial sweeteners, etc.

It's good to make friends with a pharmacist who wil use special handling with your prescriptions. I have had severe reactions from prescriptions that went through pill counters because of residue left in the counter from other drugs. Also if they use a tray to count out pills they are SUPPOSED to clean the tray between each prescription with alcohol to remove residue, but of course they don't.

I try whenever possible to get the medication in original packaging so that it doesn't have to be handled at all.

Jan

Thats very interesting! Thanks for the heads up!!!

[Sparkel620]

I was just prescibed the medication Omeprazole and found out that one of the Companies that produces this generic drug is Mylan Pharmaceutical. I had to call them to find out if their product was gluten free and they said that they guarantee it is gluten free and they do not use any wheat, rye or barley in their product. If your are taking this medication (Omeprazole) and the Pharmaceutical manufacture of the Omeprazole you are using is Mylan you can call them at 1800-826-9526 with any questions you may have. If you are not sure of the pharmaceutical company that manufactured your medication just call your pharmacy and they will tell you. Also, having the lot number of the drug is important so ask your pharmacy that question too.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

You may find that, after being gluten-free for a while, that you might be able to reduce or eliminate your use of omeprazole, as acid reflux is a common symptom of celiac disease. For many of us, it's not the acidic tomato sauce that causes the reflux, it's the gluten-containing pasta!

There are a couple of very important things I learned about acid-blockers, after being on them for over a decade, and neither the omeprazole package insert nor any of my doctors ever mentioned a thing about them.

1) After being on it for a long time, many people experience a strong "rebound" effect when stopping, especially if they've been on high doses. (This, by the way, is true of many medications.)

Instead of stopping cold turkey, WEAN OFF; try cutting your pills in half and see if you notice any change in symptoms. I kept thinking that I must really need omeprazole if I got such horrible heartburn if I skipped even one dose. Turns out, I was able to cut my dosage in half--and then in half again--and then in half AGAIN over a period of several weeks. I'm hoping to be off it for good eventually.

2) Long-term usage of acid-blockers such as omeprazole can cause B-12 deficiency, as you need the acid in order to absorb the B-12. This is posted on every B-12 deficiency site I've ever seen. Celiacs are already at major risk for B12 deficiency due to malabsorption.

After having to deal with both the rebound effect and B12 deficiency, I asked every doctor I saw if they knew anything about these two issues; none had heard of either of them, but 3 said that they weren't at all surprised.