Dr Ahmed, a GP based in the UK, took to TikTok to issue the warning, saying: “I bet the vast majority of you have even been prescribed or currently take this medication right now”
A medication taken by millions of people every day is the subject of an urgent warning from a British GP.
Antacids, a group of medicines that counteract the acid in your stomach are commonly given to people who suffer from indigestion and heartburn. The treatment can be purchased as a liquid or chewable tablets from pharmacies with or without a prescription. But now a doctor has warned against people using the medicine for too long.
Dr Ahmed, a GP based in the UK, took to TikTok, where he is known as Dr A, to issue the warning, the Express reports. He said: “I saw a patient today who’s been taking this one medication for the last eight years that’s meant to be used short-term and that’s not even the crazy part. I bet the vast majority of you have even been prescribed or currently take this medication right now.
“This medication everyone seems to be on, and some people for many years, and it’s not right because it has many side effects and shouldn’t be taken long-term.” The medication, frequently sold under the brand name omeprazole or lansoprazole, among others, often gets prescribed to people who suffer from heartburn or acid reflux.
Dr Ahmed said: “So this is the common story – you come in to see a doctor because you’ve got heartburn or acid reflux. [The doctor] will examine you, check your bloods, check your stool for H pylori or a blood test for H pylori. So they all come back normal or even if the H pylori comes back positive, everyone seems to get started on omeprazole or lansoprazole.”
Dr A then shared that these medications never really get reviewed “because of the nature of NHS ”, leaving people stuck on antacids for months or even years. However, the long-term use of this type of medication comes with “many, many” side effects. The doctor said: “For example, if you use it for three months and more, your magnesium will become low, [it will] make you feel tired, [it] can cause bone problems, heart problems.
“Six months to a year, your potassium may go low, your B12 may become low. Chronic low B12 can cause things like pins and needles, nerve damage. And any longer than a year, you’re at risk of bone fractures.” Omeprazole and all the other antacids just neutralise the symptoms of an underlying cause which needs to get investigated, Dr Ahmed explained, adding that our stomachs are supposed to be acidic.
“If you’ve been taking omeprazole for months or even years, you need to go to your doctor and ask why you’ve been on it for so long,” he said. “Generally speaking, things like ulcers, bacterial or fungal overgrowth, lower oesophageal sphincter dysfunction, oesophageal muscle dysmotility need to be ruled out – just to name a few. Please top taking the medication long-term,” the doctor concluded.
