Omeprazole 20mg. Long Term Use

As a physical therapist for 20 + years specializing in orthopedics, I see fractures all the time. I asked my GI doctor the same thing. I am on 60 mg of Nexium-a cousin of what your husband is taking. Eventually I hope to get down to 20mg. That is our goal.
So your husband is on a low dose of proton pump inhibitors. My GI doctor said he did not think that study was that significant and given the fact untreated GERD can cause esophageal cancer, I will take my chances.
They have to publish everything now due to all the law suits. So if one person gets a headache, you have to report it as a side effect. If you check any of the PPI's there are quite a few POSSIBLE side effects.
I don't think 20 mg is that much and haven't seen osteoporosis bone fractures related to this. Most medicine related bone loss in men with medications is due to oral corticosteroids such as prednisone being used to treat other things such as asthma or rheumatoid arthritis. I have never seen anyone-woman or man whose fracture was attributed to these medications. I am sure someone has in order to report it as a side effect, but it is definitely not that common. You can ask your doctor about calcium supplements, but I know you have to take vitamin D with it to make it work. Also, TUMs have a lot of calcium in them and definitely will not cause reflux.
Hope that helps...ps,as you probably know most all medications have side effects and the lists are ridiculously long. If the current medication is helping, I would stick with it. Just my humble opinion.

I think there is some evidence that PPIs increase the risk of fracture from what I've read - but you have to balance the risk versus the benefit, or the risk of not taking it! I don't worry too much about Barretts as the risk of transformation is very low.

A study was published recently showing PPIs also reduce magnesium and when I became anaemic I remember reading that PPIs also reduce iron absorption (especially from non-meat sources).

Omeprazole is one of the PPIs and the others all have similar effects because they suppress stomach acid. If you are particularly worried about the calcium, your husband could ask to have this monitored.

I also have Barretts but I wouldn't take a PPI if I had no symptoms - unless there were signs that it had progressed to full thickness, full circumference or showed signs of dysplasia. You could ask whether taking Zantac would be enough to help. But it comes down to personal choice and he could discuss with the consultant what his actual risk is, both for fracture if he takes the PPI, and for progression of his Barretts if he doesn't.

I'll bump up the Barretts thread for you.

MMM