Omeprazole pour réduire l'acidité de l'estomac

About omeprazole

Acid is produced naturally in your stomach to help you digest food and to kill bacteria. This acid is irritant so your body produces a natural mucous barrier which protects the lining of your stomach. In some people, this barrier can break down allowing the acid to damage the stomach, causing inflammation, ulcers and other conditions. Other people can have a problem with the muscular band at the top of the stomach that keeps the stomach tightly closed. This may allow the acid to escape and irritate the oesophagus, causing heartburn. This is often referred to as 'acid reflux'.

Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole stop cells in the lining of the stomach from producing too much acid. This can help to prevent ulcers from forming, or assist the healing process where damage has already occurred. By decreasing the amount of acid, they can also help to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux disease, such as heartburn. Omeprazole is also given as one part of a treatment to get rid of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium found in the stomach, which can cause ulcers.

Omeprazole is available on prescription. You can also buy short courses of omeprazole at a pharmacy for the treatment of reflux symptoms (such as heartburn) in adults.

Before taking omeprazole

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking omeprazole it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• Si vous êtes enceinte, si vous essayez d'avoir un enfant ou si vous allaitez.

• If you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty swallowing, loss of blood, weight loss, or if you are being sick (vomiting).

• Si vous avez des problèmes de fonctionnement du foie.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.
  

How to take omeprazole

• Before you start this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about omeprazole and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• If you have bought omeprazole for reflux symptoms such as heartburn, take one or two (10 mg) tablets daily, preferably in a morning. You may need to take omeprazole for a day or so to control your symptoms. If your symptoms do not improve within this time, you should talk to your doctor about this. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water - do not chew or crush the tablet before you swallow. Do not take omeprazole for more than four weeks without speaking with a doctor.

• If you have been prescribed omeprazole, take it exactly as your doctor tells you to. There are different strengths of tablets and capsules available so your doctor will tell you which is right for you. It is usually taken once a day. If you are taking it for either Helicobacter pylori eradication or for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, it is likely you will be asked to take two doses a day. Your doctor will tell you which dose is right for you and the directions will also be on the label of the pack to remind you.

• Omeprazole tablets and capsules contain small pellets which are specially coated to make sure that the medicine is absorbed correctly by your body. Do not chew the pellets. If you find capsules or tablets difficult to swallow, let your doctor know. Some omeprazole capsules and tablets can be mixed with water or fruit juice to make swallowing easier and your doctor can prescribe these for you.

• Omeprazole can be taken before or after food, although taking it before food can be preferable.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose à l'heure habituelle, vous pouvez la prendre lorsque vous vous en rendez compte (sauf s'il est presque temps de prendre la dose suivante, auquel cas ne prenez pas la dose oubliée). Ne prenez pas deux doses en même temps pour compenser une dose oubliée.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your progress can be checked. If you are taking omeprazole on a long-term basis your doctor will want to review your treatment at least once a year to make sure it is still right for you.

• A typical course of treatment lasts for one or two weeks if you are taking omeprazole for Helicobacter pylori eradication. It will last for one or two months if it is to allow an ulcer to heal. For all other reasons for taking omeprazole, your treatment will last for as long as is necessary to control your symptoms.

• Certains aliments peuvent aggraver vos symptômes. Les aliments et les boissons qui ont été suspectés de le faire comprennent la menthe poivrée, les tomates, le chocolat, les aliments épicés, les boissons chaudes, le café et les boissons alcoolisées. Si un aliment semble aggraver vos symptômes, essayez de l'éviter pendant un certain temps pour voir si vos symptômes s'améliorent. Essayez également d'éviter les repas trop copieux, car ils peuvent également aggraver vos symptômes.

• Si vous êtes en surpoids, vous exercez une pression supplémentaire sur votre estomac et vous favorisez les symptômes du reflux acide. Perdre du poids et adopter un régime alimentaire sain et équilibré peut vous aider.

• Le tabagisme augmente la quantité d'acide produite par l'estomac et peut aggraver vos symptômes. Si vous êtes fumeur, demandez à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien comment arrêter de fumer.

• Recent studies suggest that there may be a slight increase in the risk of bone fractures when proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole are taken for longer than a year. If this affects you, your doctor will check that you are taking enough vitamin D and calcium to reduce this risk.

• Si vous achetez des médicaments en vente libre, vérifiez toujours auprès d'un pharmacien qu'ils peuvent être pris en même temps que vos autres médicaments.

Can omeprazole cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with omeprazole. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes qui pourraient être dus au médicament, demandez conseil à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

How to store omeprazole

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments