How soon can you drink coffee after taking Omeprazole?
Do you know that the things you eat and drink can affect how some drugs work in your body? Even coffee. Omeprazole is one such drug. You’ve probably heard of it. It is used in treating heartburn and gastrointestinal problems, but when you take it along with coffee, it can affect how your body processes it.
That is not saying you have to stop drinking coffee when you’re on medication. You only need to understand how soon you can drink coffee after taking Omeprazole so it doesn’t affect you differently. Fortunately, this article has been written to help you know that and more.
While reading, you’ll find in this article:
- What is Omeprazole?
- How to take it
- Side effects
- How soon can you drink coffee after taking Omeprazole?
- Tips and warnings when taking Omeprazole.
WHAT IS OMEPRAZOLE?
Omeprazole is a prescription and over-the-counter medicine that is used to treat conditions that are due to high stomach acidity, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic gastritis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, H.pylori infection of the stomach lining, heartburn, erosive esophagitis and rare conditions such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome that causes increased stomach acid production.
It belongs to a class of medication known as the Proton-pump inhibitors that work by partially blocking the stomach’s ability to secrete acid. It may be used alone or with other medications and most often comes in capsule or tablet form, but also exists in oral suspensions.
HOW TO TAKE IT
Omeprazole should be taken exactly as directed by a doctor, but since it is also an OTC medication, you may not go to your doctor for directions, so instead, follow the instructions on the label of the drug. It can be taken with or without food, but preferably in the morning without food. If you must take it after eating, do so after 2-3 hours at least.
The pills and tablets are usually taken once a day but may be taken twice a day when used with other medications. Swallow the medication whole. Don’t split, chew, crush or mix it with food. It may take 2-3 days for the drug to begin to kick in and up to 4 weeks for you to notice its full effect, therefore, for better results, take omeprazole around the same time every day.
The dosing of this medication will differ based on age and the medical condition it is used for. The number of doses you take every day, the time allowed between them, and the length of time you take the drug depend on your medical condition.
For instance, to treat duodenal ulcers the recommended dose is usually:
- Adults: 20mg once a day (this may be adjusted by your doctor if necessary).
- Children: Must be determined by your doctor.
Meanwhile, if it is used for treating Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, the recommended dose is usually:
- Adults: 60mg once a day, which may be adjusted by your doctor when necessary.
- Children: Must be determined by your doctor.
When you miss a dose of Omeprazole, take it as soon as you remember, however, if it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed one and keep on with your regular dosing schedule. Don’t double dose.
SIDE EFFECTS
Omeprazole can cause mild to severe side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about any possible side effects.
Some of the common side effects of Omeprazole are:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Flatulence (gas)
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Upper respiratory infection
These are mild side effects and should go away on their own after some time, but when they don’t and get worse instead, inform your doctor immediately.
It is rare to have serious side effects while taking Omeprazole, however, it could cause some serious side effects when taken together with some antibiotics, when taken for an extended period or if you have an allergy to taking the drug.
Severe side effects of Omeprazole include:
- Nasal congestion
- Lupus
- Severe abdominal pain
- Liver disease
- Tongue discoloration
- Pain in the wrist, thigh, hip, or back
- Change in taste
- Seizure
- Blood in urine
- Sudden weight gain
- Irregular heartbeat
- Jittering
- Muscle cramps
- Cough
- Hives or rashes on the skin
- Muscle spasm
- Low level of magnesium in the blood
- Swelling and irritation of the stomach lining.
These are not all the possible side effects of Omeprazole, so be sure to speak with your doctor when you notice any discomfort while taking the medication.
COFFEE AND OMEPRAZOLE
Drinking coffee has been linked with so many benefits for conditions such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cardiovascular disease. There is evidence that backs up some of these claims, but not all.
Coffee contains useful nutrients such as riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), magnesium, potassium, and various phenolic compounds and antioxidants, which have shown to be beneficial in several ways.
However, drinking coffee and taking Omeprazole can result in an over secretion of stomach acid, hence altering the way the drug should work. This is because a side effect of drinking coffee and taking Omeprazole is that the drug lowers your body’s ability to absorb caffeine, giving caffeine more time to stay in your body while causing more stomach acid secretion.
Coffee has been associated with increased gastric acid, heartburn, and worsening stomach and GERD symptoms by:
- Increasing gastric acid production
- Triggering secretion of gastrin
- Its effect on the esophageal sphincter in GERD can trigger heartburn symptoms because it relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter.
Therefore, drinking coffee right after taking Omeprazole may be the reason why you’ve not noticed the effect of the drug.
HOW SOON CAN YOU DRINK COFFEE AFER TAKING OMEPRAZOLE?
Just as we’ve said earlier, taking Omeprazole does not stop you from drinking coffee, but does not alter the effect of the drug, it is best to give yourself at least 30 minutes after taking it before you drink your coffee. The time frame is because it takes Omeprazole 30 minutes to start kicking in. if you can, wait an hour after taking omeprazole before drinking coffee.
Since Omeprazole is best taken in the morning before breakfast, drinking your coffee after breakfast is better than drinking it on an empty stomach after taking Omeprazole.
TIPS AND WARNINGS WHEN TAKING OMEPRAZOLE
If you’re taking Omeprazole, then you’re probably suffering from one of these conditions:
- GERD
- H. pylori infection
- Chronic gastritis
- Stomach ulcer
- Duodenal ulcer
- Heartburn
- Indigestion
- Upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding
- When you have any of such conditions above, there are certain foods and drinks you should keep away from as they can aggravate your symptoms by triggering your stomach to secrete more acid ad while Omeprazole inhibits this secretion, if you continue taking foods or drinks that are likely to trigger stomach acid secretion, they interfere with the efficiency of the drug, thereby making it less potent.
Avoid the following foods or drinks when taking Omeprazole:
- Acidic foods and drinks such as apples, lemons, Coca-Cola, oranges, wine, grapefruits, and tomatoes.
- Food spices such as onions, garlic, and peppermint.
- Greasy or fatty foods such as pizza, French fries, and deep-fried chicken
- White wine and alcoholic beer.
- Omeprazole should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest period. Long-term use of the medicine can lead to severe side effects, and you might develop a sort of dependency on it. Unless told otherwise by your doctor, discontinue the use of Omeprazole after 12 months at most.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should not take this medication unless directed by their doctor. Although there is not much data that suggests that Omeprazole could be harmful to both mother and baby, it is better safe than sorry.
- Omeprazole may be used in children aged 1-16 years for the treatment of GERD, and erosive esophagitis and for maintenance of healing of erosive esophagitis provided it is strictly monitored by your doctor.
- An overdose of Omeprazole may cause symptoms such as blurred vision, confusion, vomiting, drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea, headache, and other adverse reactions.
- Omeprazole can interact with other drugs and substances such as some anti-HIV drugs, antifungal medications, anticoagulants, St. John’s wort, cystic fibrosis drugs, barbiturates, anticonvulsants, diuretics, some oral antibiotics, some cancer drugs, iron supplements, and thyroid hormones. Let your doctor know of any medication or supplement you’re using before taking omeprazole.
- Antacids such as milk will interfere with the absorption of Omeprazole, causing indigestion.
- Reduce your caffeine consumption including tea and cola. Also, reduce your intake of alcohol and limit smoking.
- If you experience symptoms at night, don’t eat for at least 3 hours before going to bed and when you go to bed, keep your head and shoulders in a raised position to prevent stomach acid from entering your bloodstream.
CONCLUSION
Coffee has been linked with increased gastric acid and heartburn, and since Omeprazole is used in treating conditions and symptoms that result from high acid content in the stomach, it’s not wise to take coffee immediately after taking Omeprazole as it can interfere with its efficiency. Instead, wait for 30 minutes or an hour after taking the drug before drinking coffee.