![\"WOMAN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/woman-taking-omeprazole.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA family doctor is sounding the alarm about one of Britain’s most commonly prescribed medications, warning that millions could be harming their health without realising it.<\/p>\n
Omeprazole, the acid reflux drug taken by countless people across the UK, might be doing more damage than good when used incorrectly, according to Dr Ana P\u00e9rez Ballesta.<\/p>\n
The medication belongs to a group called proton pump inhibitors, which includes similar drugs like esomeprazole and lansoprazole.<\/p>\n
While these medicines work brilliantly for treating genuine stomach problems, Dr Ballesta warned that too many people are popping them like sweets without proper medical guidance.<\/p>\n
The drug is designed to treat reflux, oesophagitis and stomach ulcers<\/p>\n
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“If you take it unnecessarily, it can hinder the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B12,” she cautioned.<\/p>\n
The numbers are staggering – in 2022-23 alone, doctors in England wrote 73 million prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors, with omeprazole topping the list.<\/p>\n
But many people have started using these pills as a sort of safety net before big nights out or heavy meals.<\/p>\n
Dr Ballesta, who holds a master’s degree in Emergency Medicine, says she’s noticed patients treating omeprazole like a “stomach protector” – taking it before drinking alcohol or eating rich foods.<\/p>\n
The problem is, this isn’t what the medication was designed for.<\/p>\n
It’s meant to treat specific conditions like reflux, oesophagitis, stomach ulcers, or to help eliminate Helicobacter pylori bacteria.<\/p>\n
Using it as a preventative measure without a proper medical reason has become worryingly common, even though doctors say there’s no such thing as a true “stomach protector.” The health consequences of taking omeprazole without a proper need can be severe.<\/p>\n
Dr Ballesta warns that years of unnecessary use can block your body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron and vitamin B12.<\/p>\n
This can lead to brittle bones, various types of anaemia, and a higher chance of catching nasty digestive infections.<\/p>\n
She’s also concerned about links to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, known as SIBO. While these pills are generally safe for short-term use, the risks pile up over time – especially for older people.<\/p>\n
There’s even evidence suggesting long-term users face a greater risk of serious bacterial infections like C. diff, which causes severe diarrhoea.<\/p>\n
It’s worth noting that stopping suddenly can trigger a temporary surge in acid production, making symptoms worse than before.<\/p>\n
Dr Ballesta has encountered troubling cases in her own practice that highlight just how widespread this problem has become.<\/p>\n
“In my practice, I have seen many people who have been taking it for 10 or 15 years without really knowing why,” she revealed.<\/p>\n
Some of these patients were already dealing with osteoporosis, while others had anaemia that wouldn’t respond to standard treatments.<\/p>\n
She’s also seen people with unexplained digestive issues that might be linked to their long-term omeprazole use.<\/p>\n
What’s particularly concerning is that many of these patients couldn’t even remember why they’d started taking the medication in the first place.<\/p>\n
They’d simply continued year after year, assuming it was protecting their stomachs, when in reality it might have been causing the very problems they were experiencing.<\/p>\n
The NHS has clear guidance about using omeprazole safely, particularly for those buying it without a prescription.<\/p>\n
“Do not take omeprazole for longer than two weeks if you bought it without a prescription,” the health service states on its website.<\/p>\n
They recommend seeing a GP if symptoms worsen or don’t improve during this time.<\/p>\n
![\"man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/man-taking-pills.jpg\")
The drug can hinder the absorption of key nutrients <\/p>\n
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The medication comes in various forms – tablets, capsules and liquid – with some tablets that dissolve in water.<\/p>\n
How much you need and how long you should take it depends entirely on your specific condition and why it’s been prescribed.<\/p>\n
While some people only need it for a few days, others might require it for weeks, months or even years – but this should always be under proper medical supervision.<\/p>\n
The NHS advises checking the information leaflet carefully and consulting a pharmacist or doctor if you’re unsure about the dosage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A family doctor is sounding the alarm about one of Britain’s most commonly prescribed medications, warning that millions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":58295,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[103,61,60,371,43,40822],"class_list":{"0":"post-58294","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-medication","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-sgg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}