My understanding is that it causes a slow and gradual decline of kidney function. Here's one article on it. Proton-pump inhibitors increase risk of kidney damage
I'm not a doctor but my spouse is a RN, BSN and she also brought it to my attention. It is kind of tricky because the relative with the ulcers believes he got them from taking his heart meds. So you have to balance out all the risks with the pros. I have heard some say they take the Prilosec every other day. I'd find a way to talk to the doc without going in. It sounds like slow kidney decline could well be from one or other meds. There has to be some sort of medium or solution to balance out overall health better.
thanks for the links to that article will read it today-
I’ve tried taking it every other day- i can’t miss a day- after about 6-7 days or so my stomach starts to hurt too much- even one a day is a bit too little i think, but it’s helped me be mostly pain free- whatever i’ve got has come on slowly- I probably should request the readings on it for the last couple of years- I hope it’s not from the ppi- don’t know what I’ll do if it is- maybe there is an antacid that works differently- i could try- over the counter stuff though doesn’t work except on an attack- need something to prevent the acid pain in the first place
My first husband was put on prilosec many years ago, when it was new. The directions clearly stated, “not to be used more than 6 weeks”. Don’t know if he still takes it, or if it still contains that warning, but as far as I know, he doesn’t have renal issues.
My cousin was put on it for interstitial cystitis! Her internist is a brilliant diagnostician, and at her first visit, after her exam, he asked her if she had any symptoms of any kind, pain, etc. She denied any symptoms but one -—she said her head often itched like crazy. No pain or any bladder symptoms whatsoever. Based on the itching, he diagnosed interstitial cystitis, and prescribed prilosec for two or three weeks. She took the medication, during which she said she felt better than she had ever felt in her life. The itching stopped, and that was the end of it. I don’t know how many interstitial cystitis patients have head itching as a symptom, but it was a symptom in her case, and the prilosec took care of it.