People 'self-medicating' on Omeprazole issued fresh 'nothing worse' warning

People 'self-medicating' on Omeprazole issued fresh 'nothing worse' warning Pharmacist Juan Jiménez issued the alert for people taking proton pump inhibitors without a prescription Self-medication is a major health issue in modern society. A consequence of this is that when someone is suffering from a serious illness, the treatments prescribed by healthcare professionals could ultimately prove ineffective. Juan Jiménez, a pharmacist from Cádiz, shared an experience with a customer on his social media about why self-medicating can be problematic. In the video, which has garnered over 400,000 views, he describes a unique situation where a customer asked for a box of Omeprazole, a medication primarily used to relieve heartburn and acidity after meals. Around one in seven Brits takes a proton pump inhibitor such as Omeprazole. However, using this or other medications without proper guidance can come at a high price. Each drug has very specific usage instructions, and medical recommendations must be followed to the letter. But there is no guarantee that everyone takes the time to read the packaging, which can lead to serious errors. The pharmacist began his video by warning that “there is nothing worse than buying Omeprazole without a prescription and, on top of that, believing you need to take it to protect your stomach before a barbecue.” This is a misconception stemming from the drug's benefits in alleviating symptoms caused by overindulging in a heavy meal. It turns out there is an explanation for everything: “Omeprazole lowers stomach acid and prevents the activation of an enzyme called pepsin, which digests proteins.” This would only worsen our digestion, making it much slower and heavier, and could even lead to severe stomach pain. “If you’re going to a barbecue and plan to stuff yourself with meat, and on top of that, you take Omeprazole before eating, you could be in for real trouble,” the professional concluded in the video. "If you self-medicate with Omeprazole before you go out for a ‘big meal’ and then come to see me, I’m going to have a word with you. It’s for your own good." Mr Jiménez went on to explain a conversation he had with a potential customer who wanted to pre-emptively self-medicate themselves with Omeprazole: "A young guy came into the pharmacy today and told me, 'I’ve got a barbecue this weekend. I need Omeprazole to protect my stomach'. "Naturally, I told him off. I said there is nothing worse than buying omeprazole without a prescription, and actually thinking that for a barbecue, where you will be eating meat and protein, you need to take omeprazole to protect your stomach. Omeprazole lowers stomach acid and prevents the activation of an enzyme called pepsin, which helps digest proteins. "So, I steered him away from omeprazole. I told him not to take it, since he was planning to buy it without a prescription, and he went with Colitab instead, which contains digestive enzymes, such as anise, fennel, cumin, and passionflower. These digestive enzymes are needed to digest that meat and all the food you are going to devour at the barbecue. Digestive herbs and probiotics. "So, send this to that friend who always buys omeprazole without a prescription just to protect their stomach, and save this video for your next barbecue."