Unexpected Facts About Omeprazole That Will Blow Your Mind

7. Dosage Factors

Proper dosages of omeprazole vary depending on the patient's age, overall health, and the condition for which omeprazole is being used. Adults with duodenal ulcers will normally be prescribed twenty milligrams each day for four weeks, and the adult dosage for treatment of a Helicobacter pylori infection is forty milligrams per day for fourteen days. Patients who use omeprazole for the treatment of this infection will usually take the omeprazole together with clarithromycin. Adults who have erosive esophagitis generally take twenty milligrams of omeprazole each day for four to eight weeks. Pediatric patients with this condition are dosed based on weight. Patients between one and sixteen years old who weigh between ten to 19.9 kilograms should take ten milligrams of omeprazole each day for four to eight weeks. Pediatric patients who weigh at least twenty kilograms can take the standard adult dosage of twenty milligrams per day. Individuals who have liver issues are advised to take only ten milligrams per day as a maintenance dose for healing from erosive esophagitis, and patients with kidney conditions can take the standard adult dose.

8. Who Shouldn't Take It

Patients who are allergic to esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, or rabeprazole should not use omeprazole. The medication may not be safe for use by patients with liver disease, osteoporosis, or osteopenia. Individuals who use HIV medications containing rilpivirine should not take omeprazole, and the medicine should be used with caution in patients who have a history of difficulty swallowing. Patients should ask their healthcare provider or pharmacist before purchasing over-the-counter omeprazole if they have stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, frequent chest pain, wheezing, or unexplained weight loss. Individuals who know they have low magnesium should also ask a physician before taking this medication, and medical advice should be obtained before using omeprazole if heartburn has continued for more than three months. Omeprazole should not be given to children unless a doctor has been consulted. Additionally, patients who have noticed unexplained weight loss or blood in their stools should check with a clinician before taking this medication.