Can i take omeprazole while pregnant

If you are taking Prilosec and find out that you are pregnant, you should consult your doctor immediately. Roshan advises his pregnant patients against taking Prilosec in the first trimester, since it is classed as a category C, but Dr. Roshan says women can take it in the second and third trimesters, if necessary. Nursing mothers should avoid breastfeeding while taking Prilosec, since omeprazole can pass into the breast milk and may harm your infant.

Even if you do not normally experience heartburn, you may find that during your pregnancy you have it as early as the first trimester. This occurs for a variety of reasons. Changes in digestion can also lead to increased instances of heartburn during pregnancy. Hakakha says. There are many remedies to help ease the symptoms of pregnancy heartburn, from changing your diet to trying out a new sleeping position.

Hakakha recommends eating small, frequent meals instead of three large meals each day, as well as cutting certain foods from your diet, such as citrus fruits, spicy foods, tomatoes and tomato sauces, caffeine and chocolate, all of which can make heartburn worse. Roshan also suggests elevating the head of the bed, drinking a lot of water and avoiding tight clothing.

Because Prilosec has a category C rating, doctors typically recommend alternative medications for pregnant women. Safe alternatives for treating pregnancy heartburn including over-the-counter Tums or Mylanta, and prescription medications including H2 blockers Tagamet, Zantac and Pepcid and other proton pump inhibitors like Prevacid, AcipHex and Nexium , which have a category B rating, which indicates that they're routinely and safely used during pregnancy.

Prilosec and Pregnancy. By Jennifer Barton April 03, In a person who was breastfeeding and taking 20 mg omeprazole per day, no harmful effects were found in the infant.

Less data is known about taking esomeprazole while breastfeeding. Limited data shows low levels of esomeprazole to be present in breastmilk and so it is considered unlikely to be harmful.

Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all of your breastfeeding questions. Can it make it harder for me to get my partner pregnant or increase the chance of birth defects? There are limited studies looking at the effects of using PPIs on male fertility. One study found that when PPIs were used for any period between 6 and 12 months, sperm count was decreased.

However, a more recent study looking at the effects of PPI use on male fertility did not support these findings, with their study showing that PPI use was not associated with any negative impact on sperm count or quality. In general, exposures that fathers and sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy.

Please click here for references. Media Inquiries Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer. What is omeprazole and esomeprazole? Can I breastfeed while taking omeprazole or esomeprazole? One of the important things to keep in mind is the use of over-the-counter and prescription medication. Omeprazole is one such medication that is taken by pregnant women for heartburn and acidity.

This article tells you all you need to know about how safe it is to take omeprazole during pregnancy. It also discusses whether omeprazole increases the risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, premature deliveries, and birth defects in the foetus. Omeprazole is both a prescription and over-the-counter medication that is taken by pregnant women for acidity , heartburn, stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD. Our stomach produces acid to digest food. Overproduction of this acid causes acidity and heartburn.

Omeprazole is part of a group of drugs called proton-pump inhibitors PPIs that can reduce the production of stomach acid, thus reducing the symptoms of acidity, GERD, and stomach ulcers. Stomach ulcers are sores in the lining of our stomach caused by bacteria called Heliobacter pylori. Our stomach acids aggravate the pain in these ulcers. This is why omeprazole is prescribed for the treatment of stomach ulcers. GERD is a problem where the sphincter valve of the oesophagus relaxes, and over-production of the stomach acid causes reflux of the acid into the oesophagus, resulting in heartburn.

Omeprazole is commonly prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of this condition. Omeprazole usually comes in the form of delayed-release capsules or powdered form that are to be mixed in water and taken.

It works by turning off the acid-producing proton pumps in the stomach, thereby reducing the quantity of acid made by our stomach. If you are wondering whether you can take omeprazole while pregnant, the answer is yes, but only if the benefit of the drug significantly outweighs the risk to the foetus. Studies have shown that taking omeprazole does not cause any harm to the unborn baby. It is, therefore, vital to decide if the benefits of using omeprazole outweigh the possible risks to the foetus.

It is also possible to reduce symptoms of acidity without using drugs. For example, the following can help reduce symptoms of acidity without taking medication — eating smaller meals more frequently, avoiding very spicy and oily food, regularly consuming yoghurt and buttermilk , and raising your pillow so that your head is raised when you lie down. If you have already taken omeprazole while pregnant, let your doctor know. The doctor can analyse whether you still require the medicine and recommend the lowest possible dose that is effective in reducing your symptoms.

Research has not found any evidence that omeprazole harms the foetus. However, high dosages could still be risky, and it is best to speak to your doctor before taking any medication during pregnancy. There have been studies that involved examining the foetus of more than pregnant women that showed that the risk of birth defects in the baby did not increase due to consumption of omeprazole.