Omeprazole🔊

What is Omeprazole for?

Omeprazople is a proton pump inhibitor which suppresses the production of stomach acid by stopping the proton pump from working. It is therefore used for a wide variety of gastrointestinal disorders including the following: 

• Helicobacter pylori eradication (in combination with antibiotics)
• Benign gastric ulcer
• Duodenal ulcer
• Prevention of relapse in gastric ulcer / duodenal ulcer 
• NSAID-associated duodenal ulcer / gastric ulcer / gastroduodenal erosions 
• Prevention in patients with a history of NSAID-associated duodenal ulcer / gastric ulcer / gastroduodenal lesions / dyspeptic symptoms who require continued NSAID treatment 
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
• Gastro-esophageal reflux disease 
• As a long-term treatment for acid reflux disease
• Dyspepsia (heartburn)  
• Major peptic ulcer bleeding 

How to use it?

The adult oral doses for different uses are listed below: 

For H pylori eradication (in combination with antibiotics) 

20 mg twice daily.  

For treatment and prevention of benign gastric ulcer

20 mg once daily for 8 weeks, increase the dose in severe or recurrent cases to 40 mg once daily. 

For treatment and prevention of duodenal ulcer

20 mg once daily for 4 weeks, increase the dose in severe or recurrent cases to 40 mg once daily. 

For prevention of relapse in gastric ulcer

20 mg once daily, increase the dose if necessary to 40 mg once daily. 

For prevention of relapse in duodenal ulcer 

20 mg once daily, increase the dose if necessary to 10-40 mg daily. 

For treatment and prevention of NSAID-associated duodenal ulcer / gastric ulcer / gastroduodenal erosions 

20 mg once daily for 4 weeks, continue the treatment for 4 more weeks if complete healing is not achieved. 

For prevention in patients in with a history of NSAID-associated duodenal ulcer / gastric ulcer / gastroduodenal lesions / dyspeptic symptoms who require continued NSAID treatment 

20 mg once daily. 

For Zollinger–Ellison syndrome

Start with 60 mg once daily, the usual dose is 20-120 mg daily. For the dose that is greater than 80 mg per daily, Omeprazole should be taken in 2 divided doses. 

For treatment and prevention of gastro-esophageal reflux disease 

20 mg once daily for 4 weeks, continue the treatment for 4-8 more weeks if complete healing is not achieved. Maintenance dose is 20 mg once daily. 

For gastro-esophageal reflux disease that does not respond to other treatments 

40 mg once daily for 8 weeks. Maintenance dose is 20 mg once daily.  

As a long-term treatment for acid reflux disease

10 mg once daily. If symptoms recur, increase the dose to 20 mg once daily. 

For dyspepsia (heartburn) 

10-20 mg once daily for 2-4 weeks according to responses. 

What are the side effects of Omeprazole

Common side effects of Omeprazole include constipation, diarrhoea, dizziness and headache. Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors can lead to magnesium deficiency.

Where to buy Omeprazole in Hong Kong?

Depending on the strength and formulation of Omeprazole, it is generally divided into pharmacy only medicine and prescription only medicine. As for pharmacy only medicines, they are over-the-counter medicine which can be purchased without a prescription in a pharmacy by speaking with the pharmacist. As for prescription only medicines, they require a prescription from a doctor to be purchased in a pharmacy (and can also be obtained from doctors). To find a pharmacy near you, refer to the list of pharmacies (“Authorized Sellers of Poisons”) from the Hong Kong Department of Health.