Overview
- Dr Punam Krishan said prolonged use can slightly raise risks of low magnesium, low vitamin B12, and C. difficile gut infection.
- She urged patients to contact a GP for persistent diarrhoea or a new change in bowel habit.
- NHS advice says see a doctor if symptoms worsen, fail to improve after 14 days, recur within four months, or if there are alarm signs such as difficulty swallowing, bloody vomit, or black stools.
- People on long-term prescriptions should have routine reviews, particularly if treatment continues beyond a year.
- Use of PPIs is widespread, with 73 million NHS prescriptions in England in 2022–23 and omeprazole among the most dispensed medicines.