Q: My doctor prescribed Prilosec for heartburn, and I took it for about a year. After discontinuing the Prilosec, I was feeling very tired. The blood work that was done showed I had very low magnesium levels.
I took magnesium supplements as my doctor recommended and got my levels back to normal. This side effect of taking acid-suppressing drugs is worth sharing. Too few people pay attention to the possible side effects of drugs before they start taking them.
A: Omeprazole (Prilosec) and other acid-suppressing drugs such as lansoprazole (Prevacid) and esomeprazole (Nexium) control heartburn symptoms, but they also can reduce absorption of important nutrients, including magnesium and vitamin B-12. Everyone taking one of these medications for long periods of time should be monitored for such nutritional deficits.
Source: Syndicated columnists
