What’s It Like to Take Omeprazole (Prilosec) for Heartburn?
Key takeaways:
Omeprazole — commonly known as Prilosec — is a medicine that helps people whose bodies produce too much stomach acid.
It works by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach, which helps relieve symptoms like heartburn and indigestion.
It’s available over the counter for heartburn and with a prescription for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other conditions involving an excess of stomach acid.
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People who get heartburn or have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are often looking for ways to prevent that burning feeling in the chest.
Omeprazole — commonly known by the brand name Prilosec — is a medication available over the counter (OTC) for occasional heartburn or by prescription for those diagnosed with a stomach acid-related condition. Omeprazole is different from an antacid. It’s a daily medication that can help prevent acid reflux and reduce its intensity and frequency.
Here’s how three people describe their experience taking omeprazole.
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It helps when she takes it as prescribed (daily)
When Eva Keller was 25, she started having severe heartburn and acid reflux.
“I’d just be lying on the ground — it hurt so bad,” says Eva, who’s now 28 and living in Anaheim, California.
Three years ago, Eva’s healthcare provider prescribed omeprazole. Since then, Eva has taken it on and off.
Because Eva has always had issues swallowing pills, she often takes omeprazole with applesauce. She’s learned that she should take it at least 30 minutes before eating for best results.
She says that when she’s consistent about taking omeprazole as prescribed (daily), her symptoms are less frequent and less painful. When she takes it in the morning, it also improves her bowel movements, she says.
Another issue Eva faces that might be gastrointestinal-related is dry heaving. She says it’s sometimes brought on by food textures and smells. She says her provider attributed this problem to GERD. Omeprazole helped minimize that symptom as well, Eva says.
“It’s still an inconvenience,” Eva says of having to take omeprazole daily. It was also an added expense, especially when her husband got laid off early in 2023. “It’s just kind of a nuisance — like how many times am I going to have to keep buying it?”
It stopped the burning sensation
Carol Gee — a 72-year-old retired veteran, mental health counselor, and educator in Georgia — has been taking omeprazole for more than 20 years.
Carol first started having heartburn symptoms in 2005. “I could feel the burning sensation going up my throat,” she says. She took Tums, an antacid, but it didn’t seem to help. She turned to her provider, who prescribed omeprazole.
“I take diabetes medications daily, so just adding one more pill, especially if it helps me — and it does help me — was fine,” Carol says. “It really helps to keep the heartburn away.”
It solved the problem
When Wesley Wright was about 20, “I was getting a lot of that burning, acidy feeling in my esophagus,” he says. “So I went to a doctor, and they prescribed [Prilosec], and it was something that helped.
Wesley remembers feeling relief soon after he started taking it.
“It seemed to solve the problem,” he says. “So what was that like? It was like nothing. It made it so my life was more normal, because I didn’t have a burning feeling in my esophagus that I was dealing with.”
Wesley, now 40 and working in the Detroit area as the founder of a news site for the outdoor cooking industry, has continued to take Prilosec since then. The possibility of having to take it for the rest of his life doesn’t bother him.
“It’s not a big deal,” he says. “It’s just one pill a day to take.”
What does the pharmacist say?
Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS
Pharmacy Editor
Omeprazole (Prilosec) is a common medication for heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and other conditions related to stomach acid. In fact, it’s one of the top 10 most prescribed medications at U.S. pharmacies. You can find a 20 mg version of omeprazole over the counter, while other dosages (2.5 mg, 10 mg, and 40 mg) are available with a prescription from your healthcare provider.
Omeprazole is a type of proton pump inhibitor (PPI). It lowers the amount of acid released into your stomach. But it doesn’t work quite as quickly as other heartburn medications. It takes 1 to 4 days to fully kick in. So if you need faster relief, a medication like calcium carbonate (Tums) or famotidine (Pepcid AC, Zantac 360) may be a better option.
If you do start taking omeprazole, you’ll likely take it once daily. It works best when taken 30 to 60 minutes before a meal. It’s also most effective when paired with certain lifestyle adjustments, such as avoiding trigger foods and not eating too close to bedtime.
Thankfully, omeprazole is pretty well tolerated. Many people can take it without experiencing side effects. The most common short-term side effect is headache, but stomach-related side effects are possible too. Some long-term side effects have also been linked to PPIs like omeprazole, but the connection isn’t fully clear.
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