Started Prilosec OTC on Sunday and Gained 6lbs!!! What Is Your Experience??

On Sunday I went to Niagara Falls, NY and bought 6 42 capsule packages of Prilosec OTC for the cost of a 1 month Prevacid Rx in Ontario. (OTC is not available in Canada and I just started a new job and don't have benefits yet)  I was thrilled to have saved so much money until I googled Prilosec and weight gain today.  It seems some people have lots of weight gain while taking it - I might be one of them. :-(

I have been doing great with losing weight since my PMS ended 10 days ago. (put on 5 lbs, then lost it all plus 4 more)  It's no longer my TOM and yesterday I stepped on the scale and was up 4 lbs!!  This was unusual but no biggie, I'm getting used to the fluxuation and taking it all in stride. My philosophy is...I'm happy as long as it averages -2 lbs on non PMS weeks, anything else is a major bonus. 

Today...I'm up 6 lbs and feel bloating in my tummy.  Since I walked about 4 hours on Sunday and haven't changed my diet, I thought maybe Prilosec OTC was the culprit so I googled it.  Yep, many people have this issue.  Just wondering what your experience has been.  Did you gain weight?  Was it just temporary?  Am I out $120?  Do you want to buy some Prilosec? lol

The stuff definitely works (and quickly)...I've had no acid issues since yesterday morning and I feel full most of the time again.  I didn't have any weight gain issues with Prevacid...but it's appx. $100 for 30 days - that's crazy expensive.

After reading this i got up to see what I was taking because thats about when my weight loss stopped also...sure enough...prilosec...but mine wasnt OTC mine is a prescription?  I am gonna try and not take it for a week and see what happens because ive been stalled 3 weeks and the entire time I've been on prilosec...here where I live prevacid is OTC...im so confused :S

Hello I started having extreme pain and acid reflux my doctor did a scope he found a hiatus hernia put me on prilosec and carafate to coat my stomach . I did pretty good then I notice a 2 to 3 pounds weight gain every week I started at 190 I'm up to 220 I devastated I've had to buy new clothes almost every week and wear sweats a lot.  I have other health problem that prevent meet from being active in awaiting a 7th back surgery.  I'm only 41 I'm 5'7" and weight is awful.  It is mostly in my mid section.  I do tian much more water than usual.  I stumbled across this prilosec info out of pure curiosity  and amazing to see others women having the same problem I thought I was crazy.  I've tired eating habit more salads changing everything I do and eat I still gained.  But Thank you I will be changing.  Now I'd I understand prepaid is working and not making anyone gain weight correct .... I wish you all the very very best.  Thank you 

How ironic, here I thought I was all alone with my quirky symptoms and health issues! I to have a hiatal hernia and was put on Prilosec. I have gained a ton of weight in the last 3 yrs, like about 70 lbs...and nothing I try seems to work. I had left an extremely high stress job and started with a new company in Feb 2010, and about 2 months later is when the hernia presented itself. Chronic stomach pain and no appetite, lost a ton of weight because I literally couldn't eat without a chronic stomach ache/nausea. Had to take Mylanta just to get bowels to work on a regular basis. It was a nightmare. After getting on Prilosec (and stopping the Mylanta), things seemed to get a bit better. I was somewhat able to maintain the weight loss for almost a year but still not much appetite.I had a partial hysterectomy in Dec 2011 and things have went downhill ever since. All of a sudden, after feeling fabulous for 2 weeks after the surgery, I started getting weird symptoms of pain in my upper arms, and in my thighs/upper parts of my legs only...then I had muscle pain and fatigue something horrible....not joint pain, just muscle pain (docs don't seem to understand that part). I've since been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis....and the weight gain has horrible. I've tried everything to lose it and now starting to wonder if it could be a medication or OTC prescribed pill that I'm taking. After reading your post(s), I'm wondering because that's about the time that the weight started to pack on. I'm now up 70+ lbs and keep gaining little by little. I'm the biggest I have EVER been in my life, and I'm miserable. Bad thing is, I don't eat much AT ALL...maybe one square meal a day, because my stomach does not allow me to eat more than that because of the hernia. You'd think I was a closet eater the way I've gained weight! It almost feels like it takes forever for the food to digest. I've had every test done...nothing is showing up as an obvious culprit. Docs don't know what to tell me and because it was proven that I had a bad ovary (warranting the hysterectomy) that it may be from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, but the blood work all comes back normal to. I've tried protein diets as meal replacements, I've tried more exercise (hard to do with RA), and even some weight loss supplements, etc... I would love to know if you found anything out. I don't know what to do, but I'm going on 40 this year and I need to do something fast. Menopause is now presenting itself (hotflashes) so its already going to get harder to lose weight from that as it is. I've pretty much ruled out all the other meds I'm taking because Prilosec was the first one I took before everything else, and I've not had a change in the amount/time of gaining when adding them into my regime. My quality of life really sucks not being able to do much while having so many issues...all after the stomach issues & hysterectomy. I'm hoping someone may have some tips/ideas!! Is there an alternative to Prlosec that works as well, and is not Prevacid? I don't tolerate Prevacid very well, so I'd rather try something different. Thanks!

I took it from about 2 months out or so. I have lost fine. I think I did stall about the time I started taking it, but as you can see I have lost about 109 pounds all together. There are lots of other PPI out there, if one doesn't work for you, move on. Or you could wait another week and see if your body acclimates to it and you start losing again?
Summer

I was once told (because I have taken heartburn meds since I was around 17) that taking pills like prilosec and prevacid slows down your bowels 10 fold because the acids help break down the foods you eat and so constipation is a major  too. Have you been going to the bathroom? This can cause weight loss stalls and even weight gain. You may just need to poop to lose that weight. I know they have caused bowel problems for me forever! An increase in fiber usually does the trick...stool softeners do too.

Ok I just looked this up in my medical books, (I am a nurse) and it says that if you experience weight gain while taking this drug to stop immediately and tell your Dr.
Weight gain in patients taking omeprazole was limited to less than 1% and is believed to be a form of allergic reaction to the drug. The weight returned to normal when the pt stopped taking it.
 So talk to your Dr and stop taking it. I am sorry you bought it and now can't use it.

Thanks for looking it up for me Summer.  It just dawned on me that  I have also been eating La Tortilla Factory low carb, very high fibre tortillas since Sunday night. I've had them for breakfast and dinner yesterday and today...only 80 calories!!!  I bought them on Sunday and it's the first time I've had them since surgery.  (you americans are sooooo fortunate...we don't have many low carb/low cal foods available here)  I wonder if the tortillas might be the problem.

Do you think it would be ok if I kept taking the prilosec for a few days and cut out the tortillas to see if that is the problem?  Of course if the weight doesn't budge or goes up more I would stop immediately.  I have a sneaking suspicion it might be the tortillas because the bloating started after I had one for dinner stuffed with chicken breast, mushrooms and spring mix.

It should be ok, watch for any other signs of allergic reaction. Shortness of breathe, or swelling of the tongue, etc.

Thank you for the info I've gained 60 pounds on this and on done as of today.  My doctor should of caught this I told him every time I saw him.  And now I hope I lose the weight.  I'm or the money but I don't care I need to lose the wait I've changed all my habits more salads everything . I'm a chronic pain patient hard to exersice but I do what I can in waiting for another 7th back surgery.  But i thank you so so so much I don't know what I would do if I didn't find your post.