Can you take omeprazole when you are pregnant?

Gastrointestinal conditions like heartburn, ulcers, acid reflux or GERD may cause imbalance of acids in your digestive tract. You are likely to witness undigested or semi-digested food particles making an upward journey in the food pipe. This may also cause episodes of coughing and pain when you swallow foods. If you are leaving them untreated these can become acute intestinal conditions. Drugs called proton pump inhibitors – like omeprazole – are widely administered to arrest these problems. But can you take omeprazole when you are pregnant? Added inputs on this can be of great use.

Incidence of gastric conditions like acid reflux or heartburn are closely associated with acidic levels in your stomach. In such cases, you tend to experience chest pain, soreness of throat, bitter taste in your mouth, etc. Drugs like esomeprazole, omeprazole, etc. are prescribed for these problems. Studies show heartburn occurs when your lower esophageal sphincter (a valve) malfunctions.

This valve serves as a compartment between the food pipe and your stomach. If this valve works well, it closes your stomach area and thus inhibits semi-digested food items from gaining access to your food pipe. But when the valve is not shutting well, partially processed foods from your tummy can enter inside your esophagus. Owing to this, you are likely to witness acid reflux or other gastric problems.

In this light, what is omeprazole?

Medications such as omeprazole are grouped as part of a family of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (or PPIs). These meds are chiefly consumed to treat symptoms of acid reflux. Omeprazole aids in reducing acidity level in your digestive tract. Such a reduction catalyses needful remedy from signs of heartburn.

As an extended use, this PPI med can be administered for inflammation of your food pipe (due to its coming in contact with gastric acids). This med is also capable of managing peptic ulcers that form on the walls of your intestines. These ulcers may show up when you take an overdose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds like ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.

Can you take omeprazole when you are pregnant?

Omeprazole is administered during times of pregnancy if the merits of usage outweigh risks it poses to the fetus. Agencies like therapeutic goods administration (TGA) group omeprazole under B3 category of drugs. B3 category means only a limited count of women who are pregnant have taken this med, without a marked increase in frequencies of fetus-related malformation. However, malformations have been observed in increased frequencies in studies done on animals.

Due to a few risks associated with use of omeprazole pregnancy time use of this med remains an uncertain thing. Also, as an added precaution, women who are breastfeeding their infants must not use omeprazole. This is chiefly because of the discharge of key ingredients of this PPI through mother’s milk.

Added information about safer intake of omeprazole

As there are multiple options available, it takes the expertise of a qualified healthcare provider to make the right choice. Hence, it is considered safe to talk to the caregiving team about which type of proton pump inhibitor functions well for your system. Intake of omeprazole may cause some unwanted side effects.

Common among adverse effects caused by omeprazole are diarrhea, migraines, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, etc. Many of these adverse effects are grouped as not very severe. In a few remote instances people who took omeprazole noticed some very adverse effects. These are episodes of sweating profusely, rapid heartbeat rate, mental conditions like depression or mood swings.

If you develop any of these very adverse effects, call 911 if you are in US. It is highly recommended to contact Health Canada if you are in a Canadian province. Above all, take needful guidance from your doctor prior to using omeprazole.

Disclaimer

Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.