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Omeprazole vs Nexium and anxiety side effects

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Posted 9/25/2014 11:29 AM (GMT 0)
I have just changed medication today -had been on omeprazole for years with a small dose but since April have had flare ups galore so increased dose right up to 40mg but only worked for a couple of weeks at a time so am now trying nexium -first dose today.
What I found interesting is that the omeprazole definitely made me anxious for no reason-as just had h pylori test (neg) and had to go on ranitidine for 2 weeks prior to test. It wasn't as effective and had acid in the throat after a while and loss of appetite. However, I felt MUCH better in myself with no anxiety at all and did not find myself worrying and dwelling on my symptoms as I had on the high dose of Omeprazole. I know it was this med as I took 2 yesterday and by this morning had woken early and had free floating anxiety and restlessness.
Has anyone else had this?? Is Nexium better at controlling the reflux and less likely to cause anxiety problems?
Any feedback much appreciated
Posted 9/25/2014 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
I believe Nexium is a step above the Omeprazole. I'm not familiar with anxiety issues there. Perhaps the situation itself makes you anxious and taking the meds is coincidental with that?
Posted 9/26/2014 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
Croftboy,
Oh yeah! I've had terrible stress and anxiety since I started using PPI's (Omeprazole and then Nexium 40mg 2x daily). Now I take Xanax for the anxiety but it doesn't help much. Please, if possible, get OFF the PPI's and see if an H-2 Blocker would work better for you.

Once you've been taking PPI's for awhile, they stop working and it's very painful to wean off of them. I've tried twice and failed ...
Posted 9/26/2014 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Linda Sue thanks for your thoughts x I wish I could but fear I've been on them too long now- the H2 did work for a week or so but didn't seen to work thoroughly enough- or long enough for me.
I was hoping that nexium would be better( but from your experience it seems not nono
So far I have been on the nexium for only 2 days and all's well but am making the effort to only take 20 mg a day - it's working at the moment but I've ( like so many others) have had too many false dawns to expect it might be the answer- but here's hoping!!!😊
Take care xx
Posted 9/29/2014 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
I've had anxiety with all 3 of those......don't know what to try next.....any suggestions??? Anyone used prevacid???
Posted 9/29/2014 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Lubblady- sorry to hear that- funnily enough I never attributed my anxiety to the PPIs until I briefly changed to an H2 blocker as I am a natural worrier and have always been a bit 'hyper' so people thought it was just 'me' although I Knew it wasn't I had begun to think it was!
At the moment the Nexium is working really well for me so much so that I have been able to be me for the first time in months eating and drinking what I like and going out for meals etc- I hope it lasts - I am actually prepared to trade the anxiety for my quality of life- at least I can ease it with a glass or four of wine 😊🍷
One thing that has interested me is the medical use of cannabis for digestive disorders which I know the U.S. is far more pioneering in. The research is very interesting and offers credible and compelling evidence particularly in its use with IBS sufferers. I tried it for the first time in 15 years recently and it was nothing short of miraculous for the gastritis and the anxiety - but recognise that ( here anyway) it's not going to be a medical option. It is interesting though when you look into the history of it ( it was regularly used to treat digestive problems) - it felt really funny to be doing it not as an old hippy like I use to years ago but as an upright 'pillar of society'😊😊
Posted 9/29/2014 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
lubblady38, I was on Prevacid (30mg) for a little over a month and did not like the side effects. It made my anxious, and I had headaches and weird sensations in my stomach, chest, and left arm. However it was effective in cutting down on acid reflux.
Posted 9/29/2014 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Prilosec made me weak, jittery, anxious, lightheaded......on the first pill.
After a straight week on zantac 150 once a day...weak anxious chest and muscle pains, some muscle twitches......started nexium one a day.....toook for two days and had bae crying spells, bad anxiety, twitches.....went to er becuz i thought i was gonn have a breakdown.......wen several dayw just takng maalox......felt so much better.....then tummy started hurting so wnt back on zantac on thursday........started feeling weird again yestrday......so today i just took q pepcid.......a little lightheaddness and some chest pwins so far......ugggghhhhhh i just dont kno what to do or what i cqn tolerate!!!!! I have acid reflux and gastritis........i get the weird stomach sensations too with zantac.
Posted 9/29/2014 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
Ad ive had the left arm painwith the zantac as well.....my boss told me to try cannabis too lol...havent dne that in years!!
Do any of u kno if here are wihdrawls?? Not acid.......but i had stopped the zantac when i went on nexium......so im wondering if i just felt worse becuz of that and it just seemed like the nexium made me feel really bad?? Im also on carafate.........one of the meds made me feel foggy kinda spaced out like a head cold........plus hot flushes.
I get scared of takng meds.......had horrible reaction to 3 cipr plls back in march and i swer it did something to me cuz ive takn prilosc in the past wth no problem til now........i used to tolerate meds better than i do now.
However ialso going thru perimenopause.........im a mes right now!!
Posted 10/6/2014 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, croft hope everything is going better now! I started taking nexium about 11/2 weeks ago and I have good and bad things to say with it. The good part is, it has helped my gastritis a lot and barely gave had any flare ups since I started, the bad part is, like you were having with omeprasole, I'm getting a jitters, nervousness, slight dizziness and fuzzy feeling in head. I don't know whether to keep taking and deal with side effects or stop taking. I'm confused cause my stomach is pretty good and I'm afraid if I stop taking it, I'll get burning again but these side effects aren't pleasant either!
Posted 10/7/2014 9:37 AM (GMT 0)
I get horrible free floating anxiety and depression from the PPIs. The worse was Nexium, which I took late last year. I almost had a nervous breakdown on it. I don't think doctors or gastroenterologists recognize this debilitating side effect. I was told it was me and not the pills, yet when I'm off them I don't get anxiety. Definitely the pills!!
Posted 10/7/2014 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
WOW, I find this whole thread very interesting. I currently take Nexium and also get bad bouts of anxiety. I never connected the two because I have always been an anxious person but maybe its possible that this could be making things worse? I wish my reflux wasnt so bad I would like to try and see if stopping the med would help my anxiety and depression issues.
Will definitely be checking this thread off and on to see others suggestions.
Posted 10/7/2014 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
Nexium caused me many side effect too, anxiety was one of them, but now that I have weaned myself down form 40mg 1x day to 20mg every other day and I am much better. I plan to be completely off of this ppi by the years end. I have been doing really well with treating my confirmed gerd through other methods, while it hasn't been easy it has been doable for me. If you want off of a ppi it may be possible but it will take time, patience, trial & error and a lifestyle change.

Once I realized that the ppi was only masking the symptoms I knew I had to do something that was not so harsh on my body and causing me all of the nasty side effects. I'm sharing this because a couple of post stated they have tried to stop taking nexium only to go back because of rebound or return of symptoms.

I just wish my Dr. would have told me how hard it would be to stop this drug once you start taking it, hence the reason why so many folks are on it for years. It will be a year on Oct 23rd that I took my first pill and it has taken serveral months for me to get to where I am now. I just feel for those who are prescribed this med without all the info they should have.

Also wanted to say that I know some of us really need this drug and it has helped many with their symptoms including me, but we may not need it in such strong doses or for a lifetime. I'm living proof of that!!! Just my opinion though.:)
Posted 3/13/2019 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
I have read this thread about the link between using Nexium and anxiety attacks. First, thanks, it's always good to realize you're not alone. I suffer from gastritis, or stomach inflammation, and received Nexium/Esomeprazol. I have been taking it for a week. While the heat burn and the stomach-related symptoms improved a lot, the price I paid with anxiety doesn't worth it. So I prefer already to have my heat burn. I admit I've already experienced anxiety before, but this time, perhaps because of the Nexium, it is 10 levels higher. Also, my anxiety before was quite specific towards some triggers, but this time, the first time in my life, I experience some general anxiety, unrelated to any trigger in particular. After reading this thread and similar ones I realize that this is a possible side effect of Nexium.
Posted 3/13/2019 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
Sometimes anxiety is caused from just the GERD-type symptoms themselves, it can be quite overwhelming.

Sharon
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