Question about Omeprazole

[Teri]

Hi everyone, Sadie went back to her neuro on Tuesday for a re-evaluation. She was last seen July 2008 and recently she had a new symptom of biting frantically at her side, just in front of her back legs so he said it was time to see her again. He did a complete neuro exam, and also checked for back/disc issues and other things that might explain the symptoms. She came through, again, with flying colors. No numbness, weakness - her exam was completely normal. Again. You'd never know by looking at her that her MRI showed a severe case of SM with hydrocephalus. Anyway, he feels that her symptom is related to SM so wanted to start her on Omeprazole (Prilosec).

I picked some up Wedneday morning and gave her another dose on Thursday morning. Late Thursday afternoon and all evening she had sporadic moments of dry heaving/drooling. Was worse over night (or it just seemed that way because we were sleeping!). I have a call into the neuro's office this morning to see if it's a side effect or if its reacting to something else she's on, but thought I'd check with those of you who have experience with this drug. She is on furosemide and gabapentin as well since July 2008, as well as Ursodiol for a gallbladder condition since July 2009. He said he wanted to keep all other variables the same while he introduced the Omeprazole, so she's still on the other drugs too. Does anyone know if this could be a side effect of the Omeprazole?

[jacies]

Chaos is on Omeprazole but have not had any problems like you describe with Sadie. In fact it has had the added bonus that she has not had any colitis or tummy upsets since she started having this.
However, I would not know about the other meds she is having as the only one that Sadie has that Chaos also has is Gabapentin. I also thought that furosemide had the same effect as omeprazole so would query with your neuro whether she should be on both of these.

[Teri]

Thanks for your reply Judy. The neuro explained the uses of Omeprazole and furosemide to us and how they were different. He said that Omeprazole reduces the fluid she makes. The furosemide gets rid of the fluid that is already there. He wanted to evaluate her again after a month to see if the Omeprazole was making a difference and if we needed to adjust her meds. He only wanted to make one change at a time. And it sounded like he may want to take her off the furosemide once she had been successfully on the Omeprazole for a while but he was reserving that decision to see how things go.

Also, I just got a call back from the main office saying that the entire neuro department was closed today. <sigh> Guess I won't find out anything until Monday. I didn't give her the dose of Omeprazole this morning to see if it helps, so I guess we'll go from there.

[frecklesmom]

Think she may be having side effects to it as her symptoms are possible according to;
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library...sec/page1.aspx

there are alternatives that your neuro may suggest . Hope Sadie's tummy feels better, I think tummy upsets caused by medicine are the worse.

[hbmama]

Hi Teri. So sorry little Sadie is having so many side effects with these meds.

My Dottie has been on 5mg per day Omeprazole for months with excellent results and no side effects. We are really blessed I know, at least for now, as it is working and she is happy and fine on it.

I have read other posts where some Cavaliers have had problems with loose stools or diarrhea while using this medication, although that hasn't been our experience, thank goodness.

I think dogs are just like people in that some are sensitive to certain medications and some aren't. You will just need to work with your neurologist and find the best fit for Sadie. Please let us know how it goes with her.

[Teri]

Thank you for the article Frecklesmom. That was very helpful! There wasn't anything on the packaging of the Prilosec about nausea and vomiting as a side effect so I wasn't sure if it was different for dogs or not.

Marianne, Sadie is also on 5mg but maybe its too strong for her. She's just a tiny thing, about 10-11 lbs, and I remember when she first started on Gabapentin she walked very drunk. So we had to cut it down 25% and then gradually build it up and it hasn't been a problem since. Maybe we can do the same with the Omeprazole.

Thanks so much to both of you for your support. We have been in the bathroom on the tile floors for the last hour or so while she threw up several times just lots of phlegm. The second to last time she threw up a small leaf and tiny twig so maybe it wasn't the Omeprazole after all? Time will tell I guess! She had a long drink of water and now is currently asleep in her favorite spot on the sofa and the constant drooling has stopped, so I think her tummy has calmed down. At least for now. Now to figure out if it was the leaf and twig (which she has eaten before without a problem although we try to stop it), or if it was the new drug. Might need an e-collar for her just in case!