Pancreatitis is a disease that worries most people, regardless of age and gender. There are many folk remedies for its treatment, and scientists have developed many different drugs. Of course, only a doctor who has carried out all the necessary laboratory tests, made an accurate diagnosis and determined its stage of development can prescribe the correct drug for pancreatitis.
What kind of disease is pancreatitis?
The pancreas performs a very important function in the body, regulating many important processes. The enzymes that iron produces help break down and absorb proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and hormones help regulate blood glucose levels.
Pancreatitis is an inflammatory process in the pancreas that disrupts its functions. There are acute and chronic forms of the disease, which require completely different approaches to treatment.
In about a third of cases, it is quite difficult to determine the cause of pancreatitis. In other cases, it is most often excessive alcohol consumption, as well as inflammatory processes in the gallbladder.
Symptoms of pancreatitis include severe pain in the upper abdomen, but an accurate diagnosis can only be made with the help of tests and ultrasound.
At the slightest suspicion of pancreatitis, you should immediately contact a gastroenterologist, since the disease can be very severe, even fatal.
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Pancreatitis is a disease that requires adherence to a diet that alleviates the patient’s suffering, but only with proper medications can a speedy recovery be achieved.
An antiulcer drug, the main function of which is to suppress the secretion of hydrochloric acid, is Omez. The main active ingredient is omeprazole.
It is familiar to everyone who, at least once in their life, has encountered the feeling of heartburn, overeating, pain in the abdomen, pancreas, and all kinds of gastritis. The drug acts as a pain reliever, but using it uncontrolled and not as prescribed by the attending physician is quite dangerous.
Brief information about the drug Omeprazole
This drug belongs to the group of antiulcer drugs. It affects the cells that produce hydrochloric acid, suppressing their work. In addition, it has a neutralizing effect on ready-made gastric juice, reducing its acidity. Thanks to these two properties, excellent conditions are created for the healing of wounds and erosions that occur on the walls of the stomach during a peptic ulcer.
The drug has a cumulative effect; after finishing taking it, the stomach will need several days to restore acidity.
Among the indications for the use of Omeprazole, in addition to the already mentioned peptic ulcer (stomach and duodenum), one can also name: reflux esophagitis, gastrinoma and gastroesophageal reflux.
What else does Omeprazole treat - a complete list of indications.
Use of Omeprazole for pancreatitis
This drug is used in complex therapy in the treatment of many diseases, including the pancreas. Some may naturally question whether Omeprazole is needed in the treatment of pancreatitis, because it is not on the list of indications for use. But one should not doubt the qualifications of the doctor who prescribed Omeprazole to a patient with pancreatitis, because there is a fairly simple explanation for everything.
Before entering the market, any drug undergoes many years of testing for effectiveness, safety, interaction with other drugs, and side effects.
But even after the drug goes on sale, research continues. Sometimes it is during this period that new properties, both beneficial and harmful, are discovered.
As for Omeprazole, during its use it turned out that it works well in combination with other drugs in the treatment of pancreatitis.
It reduces the amount of pancreatic juice produced and helps relieve tissue swelling and pressure in the pancreatic ducts. In addition, it helps maintain an optimal alkaline level in the duodenum, which is necessary for the normal digestion process.
Thanks to the above effects, taking Omeprazole eliminates pain in the abdomen that was caused by inflammation of the pancreas tissue.
Thus, Omeprazole has been used in complex therapy in the treatment of pancreatitis for the second decade, and its prescription is a common practice among gastroenterologists. However, to add a new indication for use to the instructions, additional expensive studies are required, in which the manufacturer is not interested.
Do you know how long you can take Omeprazole without a break? If not, then be sure to read it!
Dosage
How can you take Omeprazole for pancreatitis if the disease is already quite advanced and has reached the chronic stage? In this case, doctors prescribe a dosage of 60 milligrams for 24 hours, preferably after meals. Sometimes the dose can be increased, in other cases, on the contrary, reduced. But this is done on the basis of analyses.
In the most severe cases, the dosage can be increased to 80 milligrams per day. The duration of treatment is prescribed individually, usually at least two weeks. Of course, a specially selected diet is a prerequisite. Without this improvement, the condition may not be achieved. This may be justified in acute chronic pancreatitis.
Side effects from taking Omeprazole
Like any medicine, Omeprazole has a number of contraindications, from almost invisible and harmless to very serious health problems.
The following side effects may be relatively common:
- noise in ears;
- disruption of taste buds;
- weakness;
- sleep problems;
- nausea;
- increased gas formation.
There are a number of side effects from taking Omeprazole, which, against the background of inflammation of the pancreas, may go unnoticed, since they are also symptoms of pancreatitis:
- constipation, diarrhea;
- nausea, vomiting;
- pain in the abdomen.
When treating pancreatitis, Omeprazole can cause allergic reactions, most often manifested in the form of skin rashes. However, more severe forms of allergies also occur, so at the first sign of intolerance you should stop taking it and consult a doctor.
In addition, taking Omeprazole can cause changes in the composition of the blood, which can be noticed during clinical and biochemical tests. Most often, the quantitative ratio of leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets changes, but if the patient also suffers from liver pathologies, then the level of the liver enzyme alanine transaminase, as well as bile enzymes, may change.
There have been isolated cases where taking the drug provoked the occurrence of jaundice, hepatitis or liver failure. The patient's advanced age, as well as the presence of serious illnesses, are an additional risk factor - there have been cases of depression, nervous breakdowns and encephalopathy.
Analogues of the drug
In addition to the Russian cheap Omeprazole, its generics are produced with higher quality:
- Losek , Austria (price from 300 rubles);
- Ultop , Slovenia (from 150 rub.);
- Omez , India (from 210 rubles);
- Ortanol , Slovenia (from 150 rubles).
The difference from budget options is the variety of dosage forms (Omez is produced in injection solutions, powders for preparing a solution and for oral administration, capsules).
Omeprazole can be replaced with other proton pump inhibitors:
- Pantoprazole;
- Esomeprazole;
- Rabeprazole.
Their method of application is similar, although there are some differences.
Pantoprazole
Price: from 200 rub.
Produced under the trade names Nolpaza and Controloc.
The effectiveness and harmfulness of this medicinal substance has been confirmed by numerous clinical studies.
Available in different packaging and dosages - this allows you to buy the number of tablets needed for the course and save money.
Due to the lack of data, the drug should not be used by adolescents and children under 18 years of age, nursing women and pregnant women.
Esomeprazole
Price: from 400 rub.
It is presented in pharmacies under the names Nexium (Sweden) and Emanera (Slovenia).
The active substance is a modified omeprazole molecule, therefore it has better absorption and fewer side effects, and is well tolerated.
The positive result after using the drug lasts for a long time.
Can be accepted from 12 years of age.
Rabeprazole
Price: from 350 rub.
The original drug is produced under the name Pariet, a cheaper drug is produced by domestic pharmaceutical companies under the name Rabeprazole.
Unlike other inhibitors, it does not have a negative effect on hormonal levels, the endocrine system, or the concentration of glucose in the blood serum. The likelihood of osteoporosis even with long-term use is minimal.
Directions for use and doses
In most cases, it is enough to take the medicine once a day, but if indicated, your doctor may prescribe it twice a day. The optimal time is considered to be in the morning, half an hour before the first meal, but there is no prohibition on taking a pill in the evening before dinner. The dosage is calculated individually, depending on the patient’s body weight and tests.
There are two ways to take the drug, orally and intravenously. The course of treatment for the treatment of pancreatitis is usually one to two weeks, but here, too, everything depends on the patient’s condition and is prescribed by the doctor on an individual basis.
It is worth recalling once again that if a patient has previously experienced an allergic reaction to Omeprazole, then such people are strictly prohibited from taking this drug, regardless of the form of release.
Release form
Today, gastroenterologists prescribe Omeprazole for pancreatitis in 95% of cases. The drug is produced in the form of a white powder, which is difficult to dissolve in water. The biggest problem is finding the dosage. This can only be done by the attending physician. It depends on the volume of gastric secretion, which is individual.
Drug interactions
Omeprazole has established itself as a drug that combines well with other drugs that are used in therapy for the treatment of pancreatitis. However, if the patient has other diseases for the treatment of which he takes medications, this must be reported to the attending physician.
- Antifungal drugs. Omeprazole reduces the activity of drugs used to treat fungal infections, so it is recommended to avoid taking them together.
- Antibiotic "Clarithromycin" . Taking these two drugs together may cause the tongue to turn brownish-black. After finishing taking the medications, this goes away without any additional measures.
- Cardiac medications. Digoxin and Warfarin increase their concentration under the influence of Omeprazole. Therefore, medications should be taken under constant medical supervision. In addition, the combination with Clopidogrel significantly increases the risk of thrombosis.
- Neurological drugs. Omeprazole helps to increase the concentration of many drugs used in the treatment of neurological diseases, therefore, when taking antiulcer drugs simultaneously, the doses should be carefully adjusted by the attending physician.
- Other. There are a number of drugs whose effectiveness will not decrease due to taking Omeprazole: oral contraceptives, Diclofenac, Piroxicam, Theophylline.
Peculiarities
"Omeprazole" for pancreatitis is prescribed strictly after a confirmed diagnosis. Most often, the oral form of the drug is prescribed, much less often - intravenous injections. Doses are prescribed individually. The most dangerous diagnosis is acute pancreatitis. The disease is accompanied by severe pain, and in the absence of proper treatment, severe deterioration of the condition is possible. This may include fever and severe vomiting. In this case, Omeprazole is successfully prescribed for pancreatitis. How to take it is decided by the attending physician. The standard regimen is 20 milligrams once a day. It is recommended to take the drug in the morning, immediately after breakfast. The standard admission time is 2 weeks. If necessary, treatment can be extended.
If the disease returns again and again, or recurs, then the dose of capsules is increased to 40 milligrams per day. The course of treatment is at least a month; the prescribing specialist will tell you more exact numbers. Your attending physician can answer more precisely how to take Omeprazole for pancreatitis. Each treatment regimen is individual and has its own characteristics.
After the general course is completed, maintenance therapy can be prescribed, 10 milligrams per day. If the pancreas is difficult to recover, then the dose is increased to 20 milligrams.
Prevention of pancreatitis
Self-administration of Omeprazole, including for preventive purposes, is strictly not recommended.
It is impossible to cure pancreatitis, especially chronic pancreatitis, forever. However, subject to a number of measures, it is possible to minimize the likelihood of attacks of the disease.
In order to prevent the occurrence of pancreatitis, you should follow a diet, exclude from the diet all spicy, fried and pickled foods, as well as alcohol. It is necessary to monitor your health very carefully, because the inflammatory process in any of the neighboring organs can provoke an exacerbation of pancreatitis. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify and treat diseases at an early stage.
In general, we can say that a healthy lifestyle and complete abandonment of bad habits is the best prevention of pancreatitis.
To summarize, it can be used quite successfully for the treatment of acute pancreatitis. Despite the fact that pancreatitis is not its “main goal,” the drug successfully eliminates inflammation and swelling of pancreatic tissue and copes with pain. However, you should not take the drug yourself, much less diagnose yourself. Symptoms of pancreatitis may indicate the presence of much more serious diseases, therefore, at the first suspicion of a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, you should consult a gastroenterologist.
