Prilosec Question

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popprincess18

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So about 8 months ago I got my first experience with heartburn, but then it went away the next day. A couple months after that it came back and stayed, until I finally went to the doctor and she told me to try Prilosec OTC, the 14-day course. I did and it worked like a charm. Then I stopped taking it after the 14 days and was fine for a week, then it came back. So I called her and she told me to take it for another 2 weeks. Then I was fine for a couple months. It's now back. I think it's been about 3.5 months since I finished the 28-day course she had me on. It says to wait 4 months on the carton. Do you think it's safe for me to start another regimen? I mean, my doctor did tell me to take it for 28 days instead of the 14 in the first place.
 
I just had a visit with my doctor and she just told me to take it again, twice a day, for two weeks. I totally forgot about the twice-a-day part of the deal. So I'm going to do that and then I'll probably be fine for about 4 months, just like last time.

My family definitely has a history of GERD. My mom takes omeprazole (Prilosec) almost every day, and my grandmother does, too.
 
whoa, whoa, whoa!!!! sometimes prilosec doesn't bother people and sometimes it does. i wouldn't recommend taking this drug for a long time. it can have some bad side-effects.
 
I have been taking Prilosec since 1993. It will be fine for you to take the OTC as often as you want.

Sunny
 
I have taken Prilosec for over 10 years.
No problems yet that I know of.

What type of tumors are you talking about?????
 
My brother in law has been taking it for well over ten years and he's fine. If he misses a day though, he's in agony.
 
I get heartburn really badly when I drink, which happens to be a lot of the time. So when I'm drinking I usually just keep a bottle of tums ultra lying around and I'm fine so long as I eat like 5 or 6 of them.

Other than that I take 1 Prilosec a day and it's a goRABend. Never get heartburn unless I drink.
 
There is actually no evidence that Prilosec causes tumors in humans. I suspect you're referring to an early 90's study that found that "Rats given large doses of omeprazole (Prilosec) or ranitidine (Zantac) throughout life developed hyperplasia of enterochromaffin-like cells that progressed in some rats to gastric carcinoid tumors."

It's important to note that the effect was the same whether the rats were given Prilosec or Zantac (which is the same class of medication as Prilosec), and that the study went on to say the following:

It does not necessarily follow that the hyperplasia in patients treated with omeprazole will progress to gastric carcinoid tumors, as seen in rats and in patients with pernicious anemia or the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Rats have an unusually high density of enterochromaffin-like cells and have an exaggerated gastrin response to achlorhydria. Long-term omeprazole therapy given to species with lower densities of these cells (such as guinea pigs, hamsters, dogs, and mice) has not caused carcinoid tumors

The researchers came to the conclusion that the gastric tumors were caused by a corabination of acid-reducing medication and rat anatomy, not the medication itself, and none of the follow-up studies have shown any conclusive evidence of a similar effect in humans.
 
My dr. told me to take it for 6 weeks and then wean off....Well i stayed on it for about 6 months. I weaned off it and haven't taken it in a couple of months.....If I am not careful what I eat, I feel heartburn coming on......I am being careful but if it continues, i will take the prilisec again. It worked like a charm.!! I was diagnosed with Mild Refulx
Bride527
 
Yes, rat anatomy and physiological processes are different in many ways from humans. Also, it says "carcinoid tumor" which means "cancer-like," not necessarily malignant; however they have the potential to be malignant.

Anyway, on the pack it says not to take two courses within less than 4 months of one another. So I think I'll be okay.
 
prilosec is not safe for you. try to find something a little more natural. i took it for 2 years and all of a sudden i started having problems.
 
I don't know about that. All I know is I started experiencing weird side effects after bein on it for 2 years. < edited >
 
it's not good to be on prilosec long term. it can cause tumors. i've done research and am so freaked out about it that i am weaning of prilosec and taking tagamet now (which i'll switch to pepcid b/c i heard it's better).
 
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