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I Recently Been Suffering With Acid Reflux And The Doctor
Question: I recently been suffering with acid reflux and the doctor has prescribed Omeprazole 20mg. After taking them for a month I decided to stop as they carry a risk of dementia and stomach infections. The doctor then put me on ranitidine but these tablets are not strong enough and I start to feel ill again. I’ve had to take Omeprazole again and am starting to feel better. I am worried about taking Omeprazole and would ask you if you consider them to be safe and what is the safest length of time you should take them for. Thank you
Brief Answer:
Till date, there is no absolute clinical evidence of Omeprazole (PPI) causing Dementia
Detailed Answer:
Hello there,
Welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service...
I've gone through your query in details...
I can understand your concerns...
First of all, please note that you should not stop them abruptly/on your own as they can further increase the acid production and cause even more severe acid-reflux...
Please note, till date, there is no absolute clinical evidence of Omeprazole or any PPI for that instance, causing Dementia...there are still ongoing studies regarding this, and unless there's any conclusive evidence, it's safe to say that the benefits outweigh the risk (unless proven otherwise)...
So, you can take it without worrying...there's no specific safest length of duration, as its entirely an individual factor (in some individual it can be given for a few weeks while in some it can be for several months)...your treating physician would be the best person to decide this based on your day to day progress in the subsequent follow-ups...
Dementia is a multifactorial disease which can be seen due to multiple risk factors i.e. progressive age, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, associated environmental and genetic factors to name a few...
Moreover, apart from taking Omeprazole, you should follow some dietary and lifestyle modifications to avoid acid-reflux in the long run:
-If you take too many caffeine/caffeinated energy drinks please avoid as they are quite notorious for causing this, please stop them altogether...avoid caffeine at least for the time being and observe how you stay afterwards...
-Have simple home-made foods, toasts, organic preparations, home-made vegetable soups, salads; avoid fast/processed foods, avoid any form of soda, refined sugar/sugary products.
-Drink plenty of water throughout the day...never skip breakfast...
-Avoid smoking/alcohol also (if at all do), they're another known to factors which can further aggravate this condition...
-Instead of two or three large meals in a day, eat in small but frequent portions...chew your food thoroughly, avoid eating in too hurry...
Do follow this along with the medicines and observe how you stay afterwards...
Let me know if I can assist you further...
Take Care
Kind Regards
Till date, there is no absolute clinical evidence of Omeprazole (PPI) causing Dementia
Detailed Answer:
Hello there,
Welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service...
I've gone through your query in details...
I can understand your concerns...
First of all, please note that you should not stop them abruptly/on your own as they can further increase the acid production and cause even more severe acid-reflux...
Please note, till date, there is no absolute clinical evidence of Omeprazole or any PPI for that instance, causing Dementia...there are still ongoing studies regarding this, and unless there's any conclusive evidence, it's safe to say that the benefits outweigh the risk (unless proven otherwise)...
So, you can take it without worrying...there's no specific safest length of duration, as its entirely an individual factor (in some individual it can be given for a few weeks while in some it can be for several months)...your treating physician would be the best person to decide this based on your day to day progress in the subsequent follow-ups...
Dementia is a multifactorial disease which can be seen due to multiple risk factors i.e. progressive age, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, associated environmental and genetic factors to name a few...
Moreover, apart from taking Omeprazole, you should follow some dietary and lifestyle modifications to avoid acid-reflux in the long run:
-If you take too many caffeine/caffeinated energy drinks please avoid as they are quite notorious for causing this, please stop them altogether...avoid caffeine at least for the time being and observe how you stay afterwards...
-Have simple home-made foods, toasts, organic preparations, home-made vegetable soups, salads; avoid fast/processed foods, avoid any form of soda, refined sugar/sugary products.
-Drink plenty of water throughout the day...never skip breakfast...
-Avoid smoking/alcohol also (if at all do), they're another known to factors which can further aggravate this condition...
-Instead of two or three large meals in a day, eat in small but frequent portions...chew your food thoroughly, avoid eating in too hurry...
Do follow this along with the medicines and observe how you stay afterwards...
Let me know if I can assist you further...
Take Care
Kind Regards
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
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