Get Informed: Prilosec
Active Ingredient(s)
Omeprazole
What does it do?
This product is commonly used in the treatment of gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). It works by reducing production of acid in the stomach.
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Mar-20 2:33 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Mar-19 9:03 PM
Other Names
- Prilosec
- Omeprazole
- Prilosec OTC
- Losec
- Omeran
- Zanprol
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- C
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 14 Sep 1989
- Est US Patients*
- 8,260,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- Yes
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Prilosec or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Prilosec
Prilosec Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
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What is Prilosec used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 55,000 patients that use Prilosec (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Heartburn/GERD | 94% | 
|
| Stomach Ulcers | 7% | 
|
| Cough | 4% | 
|
| Irritable Bowel | 2% |
|
| Other | 5% |
|
How well does Prilosec work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 55,000 users taking Prilosec (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 85%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Prilosec outweigh the bad things.
- 6%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Prilosec.
Common Side Effects of Prilosec
iGuard regularly polls our more than 55,000 users taking Prilosec (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
10% of patients experience side-effects on Prilosec
< 1% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Prilosec
Most Common Side Effects...
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Bloating/Gas, Chest Pain/Tightness, Constipation, Cough, Diarrhea, Dizziness, Dryness, Hair Loss, Heartburn/Reflux, Hoarse Voice, Vivid Dreams
Global Patient Feedback for Prilosec (Omeprazole) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I have been taking the generic Prevacid for several years and it has always worked well for me. I have also taken the branded Prevacid and I have found no difference in the two.
68 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-16 23:53:48
Question/Comment:
I had a horrific gall bladder attack in July 2001 & had emergency surgery, I had no bad reactions to the surgery (just the Nurses Aides who insisted that they shave my face). I was off work less than two weeks & have had no trouble since.
68 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-16 23:49:59
Question/Comment:
I am an asian and started taking this medication because i'm having constant abdominal pain. why does asian increase level of this medicaiton?
25 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-06 22:04:06
iGuard Answer/Reply:
There are published studies that show a difference in the way various ethnic groups metabolize certain drugs. It is related to an enzyme difference that can occur within a small subgroup within certain ethnic populations like Asian, Indian etc. This enzyme difference can cause either drug increases in your bloodstream or in other cases lower amounts of drug in your system. All Asian people will not neccesarily have this altered enzyme. The manufacturer suggests using a lower dose of omeprazole in Asian people. You should followup with your doctor about your concerns and how it impacts you.
Posted: 2010-02-09 22:04:24
Question/Comment:
I have been on previcid for years and as always th insurance co. want you to take some thing cheaper. So far nothing has wored and I have to go back on Previcid, I'v been on omeprazole for over 2 weeks now, so far so good. hope it keeps up.
57 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-16 07:35:45
Question/Comment:
I am a 74 year old female. For years I have taken Omeprazole in one form or another, but have found that lately the form it comes in has given me bloody stools. The NEW Omeprazole is in tablet form and works better. Any pills in a gelcap form (the sort of opaque see-through form)began to give me this problem so I cut out everything in a gelcap - vit. E, vit. B, Vit. D 50,000 IU, CoQ10, etc. and am okay so far.
74 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-12-29 10:21:02
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Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
174
Patient Comments about
Prilosec