My Doctor wont prescribe Omeprazole any more.

[Dave7]

As a long term sufferer from acid reflux a camera showed a damaged oesophagus. They put me on Omaprazile and it was like a miracle cure.
I take them as needed eg maybe 3 times a week.
My Doctor has read something linking them to dementia so switched me to Nizatidine which, she insists, must be taken TWICE A DAY.
I have tried to reason with her that studies vary so much..... some even show Omeprazile actually lowers the chance of dementia.... she won't listen.
So..... where to now ???

 

[Punkawallah]

As a long term sufferer from acid reflux a camera showed a damaged oesophagus. They put me on Omaprazile and it was like a miracle cure.
I take them as needed eg maybe 3 times a week.
My Doctor has read something linking them to dementia so switched me to Nizatidine which, she insists, must be taken TWICE A DAY.
I have tried to reason with her that studies vary so much..... some even show Omeprazile actually lowers the chance of dementia.... she won't listen.
So..... where to now ???

Private practice? Any indication -why- the doctor has withdrawn the drugs?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What’s wrong with the new drugs?

 

[midlife]

What’s wrong with the new drugs?

New drug is less effective in severe reflux. The endoscopy would have been under an upper Gi consultant. The discharge letter will have a diagnosis and meds plan. For damaged oespogagus / Barrett’s. PPI meds would be top if the list I would guess.

If all else fails go back to the upper GI team.

 

[fossyant]

Unless there is some official guidance (NICE) then the doctor should prescribe medication, not based on something they have read.

 

[tom73]

My wife’s a prescriber and is not aware of any change to guidance or warnings issued. They get stuff all the time about changers. She’d have said something as I’m on the same drug.
The best advice is what midlife says go back to upper GI team. They can prescribe it and all the GP will have to do is do the repeat.

 

[Drago]

Im on it long term for GERD - in fact I've got my annual review by phone this afternoon.

The dementia risk is very low. More likely are done density issues and vit D deficiency, both of which can be kept at by with calcium and D supplements.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Perhaps get another opinion from a different doctor.

A bicycle forum may not be the best place to go for medical advice.

 

[Drago]

A bicycle forum may not be the best place to go for medical advice.

Although seems his Doc might well be doing just that.

 

[oxoman]

Suspect the GP is under pressure to cut costs and you'll probably find the original prescription is dearer. My GP tried that on me but has had to revert to the dearer prescription. Don't think she was happy either as she sent me to to a weight loss and exercise specialist in the practice. That was fun as I actually run with her and she actually asked WTF are you here for. She sent back a report that said something along the lines I was fitter than most 35 yr old apart from the high BP, which is back under control. 🤭 I'll give her 10 out of 10 for trying.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I'm sure you will have seen this before - but just in case
and in case it might be useful to someone else
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-79821-1#Sec10


Conclusion

Our study utilized large-scale bidirectional UVMR and MVMR analyses, effectively overcoming the limitations of traditional observational studies, such as confounding factors and reverse causation. The results showed no significant causal link between the use of five common PPIs (omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole, rabeprazole, and pantoprazole) and six types of dementia. This conclusion was further validated through multiple MR methods and extensive sensitivity analyses, eliminating concerns about weak instrument bias and horizontal pleiotropy. These results support the justification for the use of PPIs regarding cognitive health. Future research should include a more diverse population, different age groups, and individual-level data to further validate and expand these findings.

I was taking that for many year - possibly wrongly (long story) to start but it was helping until I was diagnosed with Coeliac a year ago

and dementia scares me a lot
my Mum had it but I have also heard of people regressing and forgetting their current partner and wanting the previous one back
and the idea of forgetting my wife scares me more than I can state!!!

but this looks like one of those studies that you GP read that was a "needs more research" things


At the end of the day you could get a load of research together and put together a letter asking for the decision to be reviewed

 

[newts]

As a long term sufferer from acid reflux a camera showed a damaged oesophagus. They put me on Omaprazile and it was like a miracle cure.
I take them as needed eg maybe 3 times a week.
My Doctor has read something linking them to dementia so switched me to Nizatidine which, she insists, must be taken TWICE A DAY.
I have tried to reason with her that studies vary so much..... some even show Omeprazile actually lowers the chance of dementia.... she won't listen.
So..... where to now ???

My wife has been through this exact same scenario with both drugs this year. I would ask for a second opinion & demand to be reffered as an urgent case to a consultant. We went through hell over many months through the anxiety caused by chronic reflux after having stopping Omeprazile & using Nizatidine for a few weeks, then stopping all medication as directed by the GP! He was less than sympathetic as was the practice pharmacist. After seeing the gastro team & endoscopies, the Omeprazile has been prescribed again for the forseeable future.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I'm not a medic but have experienced "challenges" with my NHS medical care (completely unrelated to OP's experience and not inadequate care) and without appreciating the impacts of the change on OP ...

One way forward to consider: take the new medication for as long as "reasonable" eg. finish current prescription then "I've tried this and it isn't helping/is worse ..." and ask GP again and if they refuse first informally ask for a 2nd opinion then formally request a 2nd opinion.

I distinguish between formally and informally as on my occasion I asked reception if I could have a brief chat with a different GP to double check ways to address what was happening. My GP practice arranged for GP to call me in an informal way (though I don't know what they recorded) and I saw this as different from a formal request for a 2nd opinion where your condition is reviewed, your medication is reviewed, etc. Maybe there is no difference - I'm no expert.

 

[tom73]

Suspect the GP is under pressure to cut costs and you'll probably find the original prescription is dearer. My GP tried that on me but has had to revert to the dearer prescription. Don't think she was happy either as she sent me to to a weight loss and exercise specialist in the practice. That was fun as I actually run with her and she actually asked WTF are you here for. She sent back a report that said something along the lines I was fitter than most 35 yr old apart from the high BP, which is back under control. 🤭 I'll give her 10 out of 10 for trying.

That is a consent issue and if you work I access different areas are different bean counters. Like my wife has you have remember what they allow and what they don’t.

 

[Dave7]

Private practice? Any indication -why- the doctor has withdrawn the drugs?

As I say, she has read that it's linked to dementia.