prilosec and weight gain

[JenMarie]

betsy wrote:

did anyone gain weight from prilosec?

I am only 21 years old. GERD runs strongly in my family. I started taking prilosec 0TC a month ago at 115lbs. Now, I am up to 125lbs. I have gained 10lbs in almost a month! Being as young as I am, with the small petite bone structure and height I have, I soundn't be above 116lbs. according to medical standards. I'm going to stop taking this immediately. I would rather deal with the heartburn then be at risk for diseases from being over weight! I used to have stable weight, even fight to keep pounds on. This medicine should be banned!

[T-Dot]

betsy wrote:

did anyone gain weight from prilosec?

I have been on these type meds for many years and weigh 130 so that shoots that theory.

[Roland Riemers]

I have been on Prilosec for about a year, and have scaring and Baretts in my lower esopagus. The doctor actually wanted me to take 80 mg a day, but I have found 20 a day (in the morning a half hour before breakfast) works find. During the course of treatment the swelling has gone down, but still have the Baretts, so have been getting scoped every 3 months so can watch this. After the last scope, I decided to get real serous on this and cut off pop and coffee completely, and now at night take a Pepcid Complete as an additional treatment and thus avoiding additional Prilosec.
As for weight gain, noticed that also. Eat very little and exercise regularily, but have gained about 8 pounds. But it seems to be mostly WATER RETENTION? Cranberrry juice might help that, or get an RX for a diuretic and see if the weight goes down. But when I piss off a lot of water, my weight goes back to normal.

[Katelyn]

FINALLY! An explanation that makes sense!! I'm 22 yrs old and although I've had the usual weight gain problem that college students have and have had to diet over the summers to get back into shape, nothings come on so fast as this weight has. I am 5'7" and was 143lbs before I came over to Ireland to study abroad late January. was noticing the wieght I was losing with all the walking I was doing and feeling great. Then my GERD flared up like you would not believe (probably from drinking tea and alcohol like the Irish tend to do here as I never have before). So a pharmacist I know got me onto omeprazole and wonder of wonders I was so grateful it took the pain away. I didn't notice too much at first but suddenly it seemed after being on it for about 2 or 3 weeks i gained about 10 lbs in the span on 2 weeks following. I couldn't believe it! I thought perhaps it was the drinking or free food people have been buying me but I've been exercising so much more since I got here and have been watching what I eat and NOTHING has changed. I usually lose water weight right after my period and this last time, again, NOTHING changed. I was getting depressed over it and was at a loss for what to do before I thought about the correlation in the timings. Suffice to say I'm stopping this stuff right now. I'll try to take the irritants out of my diet and see how I do but really, gaining so much weight so quickly is ridiculous! If it isn't the whole problem for me I'm willing to bet it's at least got a hand in it. Now I'm just praying that when I stop the weight doesn't take forever to come back off...

[you123]

prilosec and acid pump inhibitors cause weight gain because they inhibit your body from producing stomach acid. The stomach acid is used to break down the fat in the foods you are eating. Without the stomach acid there is nothing to break down the fat in the digestion process, so any fat from any food you are eating just goes straight to your tissue, storing and building fat cells.
i took four pills of priolsec otc for one month and gained 10 pounds. i am thin, in fact i was underweight for my entire adult life. then bam! in ONE month i gain ten pounds. i ate the way i always ate, which did include sweets and what not but no more than i normally would eat. i stopped taking it two months ago, and i haven't lost the weight, but i haven't dieted. i work out often and eat under 2200 calories a day, which would generally maintain the weight. so i haven't tried dieting, which goes to show just refraining from taking the drug won't make you lose weight--because the drug just makes you put on fat, and fat needs to be burned and burning fat requires dieting AND extra work outs. so we are all screwed unless we are willing to diet.

[Christian]

I have been on 40mg of Zegerid for about 4 weeks now. I am a fitness finatic aderhing to a strict diet with 2-3 hour workouts daily, consisting of cardio and heavy lifting. I have maintained a consistant body weight between 170-175 for the past 15years with body fat under 10%. In this short 4 weeks I too have noticed changes around my waist line. For someone like myself who is obsessive about having a six pack There is no question in my mind that this medication is effecting my body's ability to break down fat and/or is effecting how sugars are being converted. Im not a doc nor do I know much about medications but I know my body

[swm]

I believe it does make you gain water weight. I have been working out every day for 4 months and watching what I ate and I have not lost weight. I actually have gained 4 pounds. I going out of my mind until I found this website. I have stopped Prilosec for a few days now and I have lost 3 pounds and I have been going to the bathroom a lot #1. I told my doctor and she said it doesn't cause weight gain but she changed my prescription to pepcid. I have yet to find out if it will do the same.

[Bill]

I've been on omeprazole for about 9 years,and weigh about the same as when I started.

Right now I've been coughing for over two months and am wondeing if this is caused by taking the omeprazole.

[Roy RPh]

I'm amazed that in the age of information so many are seeking medical information in forums like this where anyone can just write complete junk.

The only association omeprazole (and other PPIs) has with weight gain is the rare (<1% of patients) incidence of peripheral edema and the positive effect it has on infants that have reflux and/or vomiting problems. Yes, peripheral edema does mean gaining "water weight", but we're talking pooling in your ankles not bloating and 10+ pounds of gain.

You123's comments are almost comical: "Without the stomach acid there is nothing to break down the fat in the digestion process, so any fat from any food you are eating just goes straight to your tissue." A) stomach acid doesn't significantly help digest fats and B) if you can't breakdown ingested fats the AREN'T absorbed and run right out of you as greasy, uncontrolable bowel movements (as is the case with the drug orlistat, sold as alli).

If you want reliable information please go to a reputable website like Drugs.com or WebMD.com .

[dmj]

I have been taking omeprazole (prilosec) for about 2 years now. Over this past year I have gained about 17 lbs (within a 6 month span). I weighed 177lbs in January of 2009. I had gained that drastic amount of weight in a matter of 6 months when my doctor increased the dosage. I do eat healthy and exercise regularly and didn't know why I wasn't losing weight. Then it dawned on me. I looked at the side effects of taking prilosec and weight gain was one of them. So, the 17lb weight gain I believe was due to the increase in the dosage I now had to take. Since I have realized that this could be a cause, I stopped taking prilosec in February and resorted to just taking zantac and since then have lost 20lbs. I will be meeting with my doctor this week and hopefully he will have another medication for me to take.

[SoCalGal]

Angela wrote:

I've noticed the same thing. I've been on proton pump inhibitors off & on for approximately 10 years. I've put on around 40 lbs. over the last 5 years. I've noticed that I feel very hungry/snacky quite often - wondering if this is because the medication is interfering with my nutrient assimilation and my body is trying to compensate (?!!)
I was diagnosed with Barett's (sp?) and was put on Nexium for starters. Now I take Prilosec OTC. I've tried lots of different medications - some pharmaceutical & some holistic.... My latest thought is that perhaps sodium ascorbate (non-acidic Vit C) powder could help by healing the connective tissue problem which has contributed to the esophageal sphincter not closing properly.
Any thoughts??? Thanks!

I stopped taking Prilosec because I found out from a Red Cross nurse (when I went to donate blood) that antacids or acid inhibitors interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients properly. I had been using Prilosec for 2+ years and found that not only did I gain weight, but my iron level kept dropping - despite my taking supplements. So the last time I was rejected at the Red Cross is when the nurse advised me to stop taking Prilosec for awhile, and to also avoid tea and coffee, as both contain tannins that also block nutrient absorption. I am now simply watching what I eat: No fried foods, nothing too rich or fatty, no caffeine, nothing spicy and chocolate only on occasion. I'm going back to the Red Cross in a month to see if my iron level is up so I can donate blood, and I'm also hoping I'll drop a couple of pounds.

[chris]

i feel the same about omeprazole iv been woundering if it is the tablets iv been on them 4 about 5years iv put on at least 3 stone every body has comented on the same problem 4 the docters 2 say this doesent put on waight or stop u loosing waight then why are all ov us takeing the same tablet and suffering the same problem i all so belive the docters only say that to get more money

[Rhy]

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[Judy McKinney]

GERG medicine and blood pressure medicines caused my 20+ pounds of weight gain. I keep trying to get my doctors to change the medicines because of the weight gain, but they say it's not what is causing the weight gain. They keep telling me to lose weight so that it could help bring down the blood pressure. When I started the medicines I was 138 and 4 years later, although I am eating less and changed my diet to lose the weight, I keep gaining. When I do lose a few pounds, they come back on plus more.

[Carrie]

I started researching this after I heard about the hip issues. Why you ask? Because I am 31 and I broke my hip. I have been frustrated for years working out 1 hour 3-7 days a week and eating well and still gaining weight. I was so upset I would give up on the eating well part for months at a time and but even cutting my calories down to 1500 or less a day and working out and I am still gaining weight!!!! I tried last week to get off cold turkey and I thought I would die! So I went back on and have been slowly backing off with some herbs but after a week of eating less than 1400 calories and working out all but one day I gained half pound I am so done and I have no faith in doctors they are either lying or just to d*** lazy to do the research.

[Laura]

Thanks for all of the posts. I thought I was losing my mind. I am an endurance athlete and started Prilosec 2 months ago. I have put on 10 pounds while running 35 miles a week and biking 120. I eat exactly the same as before and even slightly smaller portions. There is no explanation other than the medication. I have a small pot-belly/spare tire around my stomach that looks so strange! I'm going to stop taking it immediately and see what happens.
I have been seeing an allergist and it looks like my stomach pain was caused by an allergy to milk protein. I had a sudden onset of severe stomach pain doctors thought was an ulcer 6 months ago. No history of heartburn or acid reflux before this. Even on Prilosec my stomach would flare up horribly. Anyone not sure about what is causing their gastritis or stomach pain might want to meet with an allergist. It is the first time things are making sense and I won't need to continue medication. I can't stand taking anything I don't need to and giving the pharmaceutical companies more money. I hope this helps someone. Thanks everyone!

[Diane]

I cannot believe that this pill was causing my muscle weakness and feeling of water retention! just last week I asked my husband if he had any water pills since i just felt so bloated!!! and I have been having a hard time losing weight even cutting out high fat content things and following a strict diet!! and i am a serious walker - every night for the past 15 years i have been walking 9km and for the past 2 weeks -(i started this prilosec 3 weeks ago - I have been feeling like i cannot take another step!! I thought i was losing my mind! I could not find an explanation for the aches and pains in my legs! I said - maybe my body is telling me I have to give up my walking! Maybe I have to stop!! And I even phoned my doctor last week and told her I thought I had the flu - since I felt so weak!! and in the same conversation I just happend to ask her if I can take Prilosec for a long time since it has helped my heartburn and she said YES no problem!! I am off them from today and if the weight drops off - and the terrible water retention goes away and most importantly - the muscle aches and weakness in my leggs go away - well - I am sure going to find a way to let my doctor know!!! Thank you all for posting your complaints!! I guess some bodies react differently to drugs and this internet gives us the chance to communicate this message!! Very important!!!

[Franky]

Im so glad I have come across this discussion. I have been on omeprazole for close 5 years now until early this year when my doctor prescribed zantac. Since then I have lost close to 10Kg and I feel so happy. I didnt realize omeprazole made me gain so much weight and when I lost close 8kg since taking zantac, i was a little worried. But now Im relieved. Im a Kenyan.

[davros]

betsy wrote:

did anyone gain weight from prilosec?

utter rubbish fatties - if anything proton pump inhibitors will cause you to lose weight rather than put it on. Stop eating and get some excercise you spuds

[grandmaautos]

I am so glad I finally looked this question up! I've been taking one prescription Prilosec on alternating days (because my husband had some extra and I had heartburn). My weight is skyrocketing! I exercise nearly every day and try to eat nutritiously for the most part. I am a 59 year old female, just now post-menopause. I thought maybe it was the menopause, but now I'm convinced it may be the Prilosec. Thanks for all your comments! I'm quitting that stuff!