In the article, we will consider how an overdose of Omeprazole manifests itself.
Drug overdose is quite common. It can be extremely dangerous for the human body and lead to irreversible consequences, even death. The most toxic drugs in this sense are nootropics, painkillers, antidepressants and drugs that affect the coronary vessels.
When does a drug overdose happen?
Omeprazole overdose can happen to any patient, since this drug is widely used in clinical medicine and in self-treatment. Timely first aid allows you to quickly eliminate the symptoms of this pathological condition, normalize the patient's well-being and avoid many unpleasant consequences. Widespread gastrointestinal disorderschronic forms of gastritis and peptic ulcer contributed to the frequent cases of self-treatment of such diseases. In this regard, the question of the occurrence of adverse reactions and an overdose of medications that reduce the acidity of gastric juice is acute.
Omeprazole overdose is a relatively rare condition that occurs when taking a large dosage of this medication. However, every person who takes such a drug should be aware of the symptoms of drug poisoning and first aid directions.
About the drug
Why is Omeprazole prescribed? The drug belongs to the category of proton pump inhibitors. Such medicines reduce the level of formation of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which contributes to positive therapeutic changes: the acidity of the gastric juice decreases, the level of damage to the mucous membrane of this important organ decreases. A similar effect with regular use of the drug persists for quite a long time, and therefore this drug has gained great popularity among gastroenterologists and their patients.
Composition
The composition of this drug includes the substance omeprazole, which is the main active element, as well as a number of additional substances. It should be noted that the medicine is produced in the form of tablets and capsules, so the inactive components in the composition are somewhat different. This is extremely important to consider when using the drug in patients with allergic reactions toany additional substances.
Like any pharmacological agent, the prescription of the drug is regulated by a list of contraindications and indications for prescribing, which are determined in the patient by the attending physician based on information obtained during diagnostic examinations.
What is Omeprazole prescribed for, described in detail in the instructions.
Indications
Indications for use include the following situations:
- infection of the body with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which increases the acidity of gastric juice;
- chronic form of gastritis, peptic ulcer of gastric localization or affecting the duodenum;
- symptomatic ulcers due to stressful situations or certain medications;
- reflux gastroesophageal disease, in particular reflux esophagitis.
In all cases of using the drug "Omeprazole", the specialist must necessarily take into account contraindications, otherwise not only overdose conditions may occur, but also a provocation of the development of more serious pathological phenomena.
Contraindications
Contraindications to the medicine are:
- history of allergic reactions to medication or other drugs of this group;
- individual intolerance to the elements of the composition;
- age less than 1 year old, body weight less than 10 kg.
If the patient has contraindications, then from prescribing the medicine or its analoguesshould be discontinued due to high potential for side effects or overdose.
Main symptoms of Omeprazole overdose
The causes of overdose in children and adults are different. Adult patients usually take a large dose of the drug by mistake, confusing it with some other drug or when trying to commit suicide. However, it is important to note that there is no chance of death.
Children often take a large number of capsules or tablets when they accidentally find a medication. Therefore, it is necessary to store all medicines in a place inaccessible to them.
How many Omeprazole tablets should I take for an overdose? This is a very important question.
When using a high dose of the drug (more than 12-14 tablets), the patient may experience the following negative symptoms of an overdose of Omeprazole:
- dyspepsia: nausea, pain in the upper abdomen, vomiting;
- manifestations of excessive drowsiness, feeling of general weakness, weakness.
For liver diseases
If the patient has any liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatitis, hepatosis), then this situation is the most serious. At the same time, the liver cannot cope with the drug load, it is not able to utilize high doses of the drug taken and, as a result, severe intoxication of the body andthe occurrence of disorders of the heart and nervous system. Such pathological conditions are characterized by the occurrence of arrhythmia, tachycardia, impaired consciousness, severe headache.
All manifestations of an overdose of Omeprazole are non-specific, therefore, in certain cases, they are extremely difficult to detect at an early stage of occurrence. Any person who experiences these symptoms after using a proton pump inhibitor, or a relative who notices such symptoms, should start proper first aid.
In children
In adults and children, the symptoms of an overdose of this medication are practically the same, but in childhood they can occur in a more intense form. If an overdose occurs in a child, self-medication is strictly contraindicated, and the child should be taken to the doctor immediately.
First Aid Rules
So, there was an overdose of Omeprazole, what should I do?
The initial therapeutic measure in the development of overdose symptoms in a patient of any age category is to call an ambulance team, whose specialists will be able to correctly assess the person's condition, provide assistance, and decide on the advisability of hospitalization.
While waiting for the brigade, the poisoned patient undergoes the following medical manipulations:
- To cleanse the stomach cavity from the drug, washing is carried outstomach in 2-3 doses, until clean washings appear. For such purposes, the patient needs to drink several glasses of water and reflexively induce vomiting by pressing on the root of the tongue. It is very important to repeat this manipulation until pure water from the stomach is obtained as vomit, as this serves as a criterion for the quality of this therapeutic procedure.
- Various enterosorbents (activated carbon, Smecta, Polysorb) effectively help to neutralize the molecules of the active element of the drug in the intestine. Therefore, every patient with symptoms of overdose receives a similar drug in accordance with the annotation for its use.
- If first aid is given to a child, then in this case you need to be very attentive to the volume of water for washing the stomach and setting the dosages of the enterosorbent. For such questions, you can consult a doctor by phone.
Quick first aid helps to quickly cope with the symptoms of this pathological condition and prevent the occurrence of dangerous, and sometimes irreversible, complications. In case of severe drug poisoning, the ambulance team conducts specialized therapeutic measures (forced diuresis, infusion therapy) and the patient is hospitalized in a medical facility.
What are the consequences of an overdose of Omeprazole? Let's look further.
Consequences
The drug is not highly toxicdrug, so the consequences of an overdose of this drug may not occur. However, this is only subject to the provision of timely assistance to the poisoned person. Otherwise, as well as when taking a very large dose of the drug, the consequences may be heart failure, a decrease or increase in blood pressure levels, pathological phenomena from the central nervous system - dizziness, headaches, etc. In addition, a variety of functional disorders of the digestive processes in the form of stool disorders, abdominal pain, etc. often become a consequence of an overdose.
In children, the consequences of an overdose of Omeprazole are extremely rare, since most parents keep medicines out of reach of them. If this happens, then children endure such conditions harder than adults, but the children's body recovers much faster.
Correct drug dosing regimen
Dosage of "Omeprazole" for adults 20 mg.
Means is taken orally, washed down with water. The capsules must not be chewed. Many parents are interested in the dosage, and at what age children can take Omeprazole. In the annotation to the Omeprazole capsules of most manufacturers, there is information that such a medicine is not used in childhood. However, in practice, gastroenterologists and pediatricians prescribe "Omeprazole" to children if they have an acute disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, patients under 5 years of age are given medication in extremely rare cases and only under the supervision of a doctor.
The maximum daily dose of Omeprazole for adults is 120 mg (in severe cases).
Often, parents, before giving their child this drug, forget to read the instructions or do not do it because of their confidence in the safety of the drug, and this often causes overdose symptoms in their children. Therefore, one should always remember that before using any pharmacological drug, it is necessary to take seriously the study of its properties and contraindications to its use, since irresponsibility can cause severe, and sometimes even tragic consequences.
