In the article, we will consider how an overdose of Omeprazole is manifested.
An overdose of drugs is a fairly common occurrence. 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 coronary vessels.
In what cases is an overdose of medication?
An overdose of Omeprazole can happen in any patient, since this drug is widely used in clinical medicine and with independent 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. The widespread occurrence of gastrointestinal pathologies, chronic forms of gastritis and peptic ulcer contributed to the frequent cases of self-medication of such diseases. In this regard, an acute question arises of the occurrence of adverse reactions and an overdose of medications that reduce the acidity of gastric juice.
An overdose of Omeprazole is a relatively rare condition that occurs when taking a large dosage of this medication. However, everyone who takes such a remedy should be aware of the symptoms of drug poisoning and first aid directions.
About the drug
Why is Omeprazole prescribed? The medicine 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 juice of the stomach decreases, the level of damage to the mucous membrane of this important organ decreases. A similar effect with regular use of the drug lasts quite a long time, and therefore this drug has gained great popularity among gastroenterologists and their patients.
Structure
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 medical product is in the form of tablets and capsules, so the inactive components in the composition are slightly different. This is extremely important to consider when using a medication in patients with allergic reactions to any additional substances.
Like any pharmacological agent, the purpose of the drug is regulated by a list of contraindications and indications for use, which are determined by the doctor in charge of the patient on the basis of information obtained during the diagnostic examinations.
What is prescribed "Omeprazole", 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 the gastric juice;
- a chronic form of gastritis, gastric ulcer, or affecting the duodenum;
- symptomatic ulcers due to stressful situations or taking certain medications;
- reflux gastroesophageal disease, in particular reflux esophagitis.
In all cases of using the omeprazole medication, the specialist must 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:
- a history of allergic reactions to a medication or other drugs of this group;
- individual intolerance to the elements of the composition;
- age less than 1 year, body weight less than 10 kg.
If the patient has contraindications, then the appointment of the drug or its analogues must be abandoned due to the high probability of developing side effects or overdose.
The main symptoms of an overdose of omeprazole
The causes of overdose in children and adults are different. Adult patients usually take a large dosage of the drug mistakenly, confusing it with any other remedy or when attempting suicide. However, it is important to note that death is not possible.
Children often take a large number of capsules or tablets when the medication is accidentally found. Therefore, it is necessary to store all medicines out of the reach of them.
How many Omeprazole tablets for overdose should be taken? This is a very important issue.
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:
- dyspeptic symptoms: nausea, pain in the upper abdomen, vomiting;
- manifestations of excessive drowsiness, a feeling of general weakness, weakness.
With liver diseases
If the patient has any liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatitis, hepatosis), then this situation is most serious. At the same time, the liver does not cope with the drug load, it is not able to utilize high doses of the drug taken and, as a result, the development of severe intoxication of the body and the occurrence of disorders of the heart and nervous system are possible. Such pathological conditions are characterized by the occurrence of arrhythmia, tachycardia, impaired consciousness, severe headache.
All manifestations in case of an overdose with Omeprazole are non-specific, therefore, in certain cases, it is extremely difficult to detect at an early stage of occurrence. Any person who observes similar symptoms at home after using proton pump inhibitors, or relatives who notice that he is having these manifestations, should start providing first aid.
In children
In adults and children, the symptoms of an overdose with this medication are practically no different, 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 a doctor immediately.
First Aid Rules
So, an overdose of "Omeprazole" occurred, what should I do?
The initial therapeutic measure for 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 a person’s condition, provide assistance, and decide on the appropriateness of hospitalization.
During the waiting period for the brigade, the poisoned patient is given the following medical procedures:
- To cleanse the cavity of the stomach from the drug, gastric lavage is carried out 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 zone of the root of the tongue. It is very important to repeat this manipulation until clean water from the stomach is obtained as vomit, as this serves as a criterion for the qualitative performance of this therapeutic procedure.
- Various enterosorbents (activated carbon, Smecta, Polysorb) effectively help neutralize the molecules of the active element of a drug in the intestine. Therefore, each patient with overdose symptoms receives a similar medicine in accordance with the annotation for its use.
- If first aid is given to the child, then in this case you need to be very attentive to the volume of water for washing the stomach and establishing dosages of enterosorbent. On such issues, you can consult a doctor by phone.
Quick first aid helps quickly cope with the symptoms of this pathological condition and prevent the occurrence of dangerous, and sometimes irreversible, complications. In case of severe poisoning with medication, an ambulance team, specialized therapeutic measures are carried out (forced diuresis, infusion therapy) and the patient is hospitalized in a medical facility.
What are the consequences of an overdose of omeprazole? We will understand further.
Effects
The medicine is not a highly toxic drug, so the consequences of an overdose with this drug may not occur. However, this is only subject to timely assistance to the poisoned person. Otherwise, as well as when taking a very large dose of the drug, the consequences may be impaired heart function, lowering or increasing levels of blood pressure, pathological effects from the central nervous system - dizziness, headaches, etc. In addition, the result of an overdose often becomes a variety of functional disorders of the digestive processes in the form of stool disorders, abdominal pain, etc.
In children, the effects of an overdose of Omeprazole are extremely rare, since most parents keep the medicine out of reach of them. If this happens, then children suffer such conditions harder than adults, but the child’s body recovers much faster.
The correct dosage regimen
Dosage "Omeprazole" for adults 20 mg.
The drug is taken orally, washed down with water. You can not chew capsules. Many parents are interested in dosage, and from what age children can take Omeprazole. In the annotation for the capsules "Omeprazole" 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 old 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 of the disease).
Often parents, before giving their child this medication, forget to read the instructions or do not 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 serious and sometimes even tragic consequences.