Omeprazole, Pantoprazole and Cirrhosis... USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION if your doctor prescribed this for you!!!!!

UPDATE 2/14/15:  Please see my post about the detox water Jake is drinking... HE IS NO LONGER ON A SINGLE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION. I hate to admit this, but... Jake told me that the "triple threat" therapy for his acid reflux didn't totally take his acid reflux away (it helped, but he still had it). HOWEVER... in the last month his acid refulx seemed to vanish. Was this a complete coincidence? I doubt it, but only you can decide. The water is way cheaper than the other stuff I had him on. You can read more about it by CLICKING HERE.

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PLEASE NOTE: YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHY YOU ARE BEING GIVEN EVERY MEDICATION YOU (OR YOUR LOVED ONES ARE ON). THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT.

Doctors give Pantoprazole, Omeprazole, and other PPIs to doctors because they are a quick and easy way to prevent gastric and esophageal bleeding, which can be life threatening. This is a very common way for people to die from cirrhosis. Please make no mistake, if you have stage 4 cirrhosis, you could be at a very high risk for this, so while I am not a fan of this stuff, you need to understand why this is being given to you. I am always saying you should be under a doctor's care, but I need to make this clear. You should be under a doctor's care. You should have your varices checked and get an endoscopy. If they look bad, you need to fix it. It doesn't matter if it's natural medicine or allopathic medicine. Aloe juice or PPIs. If what you are doing  is not working, you should consider something else.

About 2 months ago I wrote a blog post about the dangers of taking Pantoprazole when you have Cirrhosis. You can read that post (or should I say RANT), HERE.

Well, unfortunately, Omeprazole isn't much better!

If you have liver disease or are at risk for developing it, you should know that, according to the article below,  "Omeprazole may damage the liver in several ways."

We went to see Jake's liver specialist about 2 months ago, and you could say I made it pretty clear that I was NOT HAPPY about the fact that I'd learned that Pantoprazole is NOT good for people with Cirrhosis. Jake's doctor admitted he knew that but they still felt it was better overall, for Jake to take it because it reduces his risk of bleeding. I said I still didn't think it was a good idea because I felt Jake was at a low risk for bleeding in his esophagus or stomach. His esophagus looked GREAT when they checked it way back in December, and that was when his MELD score was at 17... now it's just an 8.  He has also been drinking aloe juice, taking Alpha Lipoic Acid, Selenium and Milk Thistle. (As you can imagine they just LOOOOOVE when I show up for Jake's visits... I'm surprised they don't just turn around and RUN).

Jake's doctor suggested that Jake try Omeprazole instead... maybe just as a way to get me to stop bitching about the Pantoprazole thing (not so much because it was "better" than Pantoprazole). It was like, I was the crying baby playing with a toy and Doc was the grownup who handed me a cell phone to play with just to get me to stop crying. It's not a better or safer toy.... just a different one that could distract me long enough to get the noise to stop. After all, he wouldn't have to see me in person for at LEAST another couple of months. Maybe even six months if he was lucky!

Omeprazole is a generic over the counter medication you can get in just about any drugstore, so it sounds harmless enough... but it's still not good for your liver!!! You can read more about the side effects of Omeprazole (when you have liver disease) HERE, or by reading the highlights, cut and pasted from the article below. Scroll down to read "Omeprazole Liver Side Effects."

Overall, if you are at a high risk for bleeding, the benefits might outweigh the risks, but... you need to decide this for yourself. I feel like I should say "you and your doctor" need to decide this for yourself, but... in my opinion you are the ultimate person who has to examine what is going on around you. Do your OWN research, because there are a LOT of things that doctors simply will NOT tell you unless you ask (Jake has seen dozens of doctors and nurses who were aware of the fact that he was taking antacids, but not one of them mentioned they are very dangerous to take in the long term... either because they didn't know they were dangerous, or they didn't believe they were).

I truly believe that Jake was at a very low risk for esophageal bleeding because he was drinking Aloe Vera Juice on a regular basis.

Honestly, I am starting to wonder if Doctors must have some sort of protocol where they have to treat every patient (who has cirrhosis because of alcohol) as if they are at a high risk for drinking. Or they have to treat them as if they could still be drinking and just not admitting it. 

I bought Omeprazole for Jake because they were in tablet form at Costco and this way he could cut them in half and just take on an as-needed basis. He couldn't do that with the Pantoprazole, because it was in capsule form, and therefore, harder to divide in half. 

Today I asked Jake how much Omeprazole he was taking. He said he was taking a whole tablet every day. I was surprised. I realized that... just because we are both constantly busy and distracted by life in general (and don't always have time to check  in with him or look everything up), we both let ourselves somehow fall under the impression that Omeprazole somehow might be less harmful to the liver, than Pantoprazole. After all, it is an "over the counter" medication.... so it's easy to have the impression that it must be "safe" for most people to take. But we really still needed to take the time to look things up and find out all the facts, because the doctors are just not going to disclose them. Honestly, I think the bottom line is, Omeprazole is probably not any better than Pantoprazole, and the doctor just prescribed it to get me stop bitching (until we figured out Omeprazole isn't a whole lot better than Pantoprazole).

The ONE advantage Omeprazole seemed to have, over Pantoprazole, is that it was available in tablet form, and therefore, Jake could cut them in half and it would be easier to take less of it. And THAT'S IT... as far as I can tell (or have the energy to research). Feel free to do your own research, and if you find any other benefits, please feel free to share them with me via this blog. Leave a comment if you'd like. 

For now... PLEASE READ THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED AREAS BELOW. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW THIS STUFF IF YOU'RE TAKING OMEPRAZOLE (OR PANTOPRAZOLE) AND HAVE LIVER DISEASE, OR COULD DEVELOP LIVER DISEASE. If you drink too much alcohol, and are at risk for developing liver disease, PLEASE READ THIS POST.

The following article is from THIS PAGE.

 

Omeprazole Liver Side Effects

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2011 | By Esther Sherry

Omeprazole liver side effects Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images

Omeprazole, a drug sold under the brand name is Prilosec, is a medication used to suppress the production of acid in the stomach. Omeprazole is classified as a proton pump inhibitor and is indicated for the treatment of frequent heartburn due to gastroesophageal disease and for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Omeprazole is also used to treat a stomach acid hypersecretory condition known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Omeprazole may damage the liver in several ways.

Hepatitis

According to Drugs.com, omeprazole may cause hepatitis or the inflammation of the liver. Omeprazole is metabolized in the liver. The liver breaks down omeprazole into products that can easily be removed from the body by the kidneys. Exposure of the liver to omeprazole may cause damage to liver cells leading to the inflammation of the liver. According to Netdoctor.co.uk, early signs of hepatitis include fatique, malaise, nausea, decreased appetite, swollen abdomen due to enlarged liver, skin rash and muscle ache. Omeprazole use should be discontinued to allow the liver to heal.

Biliary System

Drugs.com states that use of omeprazole may affect the functioning of the biliary stystem. According to the National Institutes of Health, the biliary system includes the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts inside the liver, and bile ducts outside the liver. The biliary system is important in the production of bile, which is a liquid important in the digestion of fats and lips. Omeprazole impairs the normal flow of bile and leads this leads to yellowing of the eyes and skin, biliary pain, gall bladder pain, gall bladder inflammation and bile stones.

• Liver Failure

Liver failure is the inability of the liver to perform its metabolic functions. According to Drugs.com, long-term use of omeprazole may completely destroy the liver by causing scarring of liver tissue. Some patients may experience immediate acute liver failure after taking omeprazole. Liver failure is irreversible and requires liver transplant. Signs of acute liver failure include dark urine, clay colored stool, itching, yellowing of the skin and eyes, enlarged abdomen, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.

If you are at risk for liver damage, liver disease, or Cirrhosis due to the fact that you are having a hard time with Alcohol, please...

CLICK HERE TO FIND AN ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS CHAPTER IN YOUR AREA

CLICK ON THESE LINKS FOR MY OTHER POSTS 

to learn about:

What will happen to you if you don't stop drinking (Don't let this happen to You!)

Supplements that Can Help Reduce Fibrosis (scar tissue) in Your Liver

Supplements that Help your Liver Regenerate Itself 
How to Prevent Hepatic Encephalopathy 

How PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy) Can Help Your Liver

Be WARY of Antacids (Proton Pump Inhibitors) Plus... How to Heal Acid Reflux Naturally

Please note: I am not a doctor and I am only able to tell you what I have learned by doing my own research on the internet, and share with you the things that have worked for my husband. Please remember that Liver Cirrhosis is a very serious disease so I am not saying, do not see a doctor. Doctors have helped my 

husband a lot. But I believe it is wise to do as much research as you can, and find out why 

they are giving you every one of the medications and treatments they are giving you. 

I believe they do not always know about or understand every treatment option that is available, 

and there are many good options out there that can help.

Your health is ultimately your own responsibility, above anyone else's.

Best of luck to you!!!

If you have something to share, please feel free to leave a comment on this blog.