Can I take Omeprazole if I am pregnant?

Omeprazole is a medicine that is part of the so-called proton pump inhibitors , which work by reducing the production of stomach acid. Omeprazole reduces this production by up to 95% and does so by causing the inactivation of the proton pump, which is a structure by which the parietal cells present in the stomach secrete gastric acid.

Specifically, Omeprazole is used for the treatment of diseases that affect the stomach, duodenum or esophagus and that are related to gastric acidity. Some of these conditions are:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease .
• Duodenal ulcer or stomach ulcer.
• Ulcers infected by the Helicobacter Pylori bacteria,
• Ulcers caused by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Gastritis.
• Functional dyspepsia.
• High digestive bleeding.
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: excessive stomach acid due to the presence of a tumor in the pancreas.
• Prevention of peptic ulcers in patients who are hospitalized due to sepsis, clotting problems or after surgical interventions.

This medicine also provides protection to the wall of the stomach or duodenum, since by inhibiting the production of gastric acidity, the healing process of ulcers, erosions or inflammations is favored.

There are very few medications allowed in pregnancy and Omeprazole is one of them, so you can take it if you are pregnant , but always consult your gynecologist in advance if its intake is appropriate for you and following the specialist’s instructions regarding dose and duration of treatment. It is very important not to self-medicate during pregnancy without first consulting with your doctor.

Several studies have been carried out in this regard to find out if the consumption of Omeprazole and proton pump inhibitors pose a danger to pregnancy and what is the relationship between treatment with these drugs and the appearance of congenital defects or malformations in the fetus . The results of these studies concluded that there are no significant adverse reactions or a significant risk of birth defects in the fetus from the use of this type of medication during pregnancy, so it could be taken under medical supervision.

However, Omeprazole has been classified as a category C medicine because, although no teratogenic effects (ability to cause congenital defects in the fetus during pregnancy) were found when administered in animals, certain toxic effects were observed in embryos and fetuses of the animals when the administration was done in high doses. The fact that a medicine is category C means that studies carried out in animals showed a certain risk to the health of the fetus, but that there is no adequate or conclusive data in the case of humans.

Therefore, we can conclude that Omeprazole can be taken in pregnancy if required, since the known risk to the fetus to be reduced, but that as with all medications, it should always be used with the utmost caution and following the indications. medical. If possible, it is best to avoid its consumption during pregnancy and take it only if the benefits after taking Omeprazole outweigh the potential risks.

During the first trimester of pregnancy is when there is a greater risk of miscarriage and birth defects in the baby, so it is normal for the expectant mother to wonder if she can take Omeprazole in the first weeks of pregnancy or if doing so could pose a danger for your pregnancy and the development of the fetus. As we have explained in the previous section, the studies carried out showed that there is no significant risk of malformations in the fetus from taking this drug, so it could be taken during the first weeks of pregnancyAlthough, as we have already pointed out, it is preferable to avoid the consumption of this and other drugs during pregnancy and, if possible, adopt healthy lifestyle habits or other natural treatments to alleviate or calm the condition in question. It is advisable to take it only in case of very persistent gastroesophageal reflux problems and under medical prescription.

The question of “can I take Omeprazole in the first weeks of pregnancy” is also very common among pregnant women because it is in this period when they begin to experience gastroesophageal reflux or heartburn.typical of pregnancy due to the hormonal and physical changes that the female body undergoes. On the one hand, there is an increase in the production of the hormone progesterone, which leads to the relaxation of the so-called gastroesophageal sphincter and this in turn causes the digestion process to take place more slowly. On the other hand, the production of hydrochloric acid, responsible for digesting food, is reduced, which also affects digestion and makes it easier for stomach acid to rise up into the esophagus and discomfort, heartburn and heartburn appear. Likewise, the problem of heartburn can reappear or intensify in the last weeks of pregnancy due to the enlargement of the uterus.

If you suffer from heartburn or heartburn in pregnancy, before taking Omeprazole or any medication for its relief, it is important that you consult with your doctor so that he can assess the severity of the symptoms and determine what is the best treatment for you.

In most cases, to prevent and calm gastroesophageal reflux and heartburn during pregnancy, it will be recommended to adopt a series of measures and healthy lifestyle habits such as those detailed below:

• Distribute meals well and eat five meals a day with small portions instead of three large meals.
• Eat a healthy diet and avoid heavy, greasy or spicy foods.
• Avoid lying down right after eating. It is best to wait at least 2 hours to lie down or lie down, otherwise gastroesophageal reflux is favored.
• Drink more healthy fluids between meals and reduce the amount of fluids during meals to prevent stomach bulging.
• Avoid the intake of those foods that promote heartburn and can aggravate the discomfort. In the following FastlyHealarticle, we show which are the foods that can cause heartburn .
• Wash food very well before consuming it.
• Rest or sleep keeping the trunk of the body a little higher than the rest of the body.
• Calm heartburn in pregnancy with some safe natural products with good properties for it. We show you the most effective ones in the article Home remedies for heartburn in pregnancy .

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

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