The abuse of omeprazole and other proton pump inhibitors results in a number of mild adverse effects. However, in a small percentage they are not so.
Omeprazole is a medicine that belongs to the group of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). This group of drugs exerts a powerful inhibition on the acid secretion of the stomach, which gives them great therapeutic efficacy.
In this way, they are able to alleviate symptoms in patients suffering from gastroesophageal reflux or epigastric heartburn. Although they are also useful to prevent potential drug-induced digestive bleeding.
Omeprazole abuse
Due to their own effectiveness, the abuse of omeparzole and of this type of medication has extended beyond its indications. They produce a deep inhibition of acidity that is associated with an effective symptomatic control and rapid healing of the lesions.
However, these drugs are not without potential adverse effects. Although they are infrequent and generally mild, in some cases serious alterations can occur. For this reason, studies have been carried out showing that the chronic use of omeprazole is not totally safe.
Adverse effects of omeprazole abuse
The most common side effects include:
Headache and dizziness
Nausea and diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Constipation and flatulence
Skin rash
Other less frequent adverse effects, but which have been associated with consumption for a long time, are related to the loss of the defensive barrier function of stomach acid. This adverse effect favors changes in the intestinal flora with bacterial overgrowth. There are data that indicate that it could promote infection by Clostridium difficile.
There is also data on an increase in the incidence of yeast infection. Associations with a higher prevalence of pneumonia are not entirely clear, so more and better quality studies would be required to confirm this.
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