A GP has issued a warning about the extended use of three commonly prescribed medications, highlighting their potential for addiction and other serious side effects. Dr Asif Ahmed shared his advice in a TikTok video, urging anyone taking these drugs to consult with their doctor before making any decisions about continued use.
He first discussed omeprazole, a “proton pump inhibitor” used to treat conditions caused that result in excessive stomach acid. “In my experience a lot of people are put on this for simple heartburn and reflux but aren’t investigated and are put on it for many months, even years,” Dr Ahmed said.
“They get stuck on it, get rebound symptoms and can’t come off it and this has lots of side effects.” He suggested that if you’re using omeprazole long term and unsure why, you should speak to your doctor who may be able to gradually reduce your dosage.
Dr Ahmed then moved on to gabapentin, a potent painkiller typically used for nerve pain. “When gabapentin is prescribed for pain – from my experiences and the studies I have read, the dose you need to treat pain is so high that the side effects of feeling drowsy and sleepy are so severe,” he explained.
However, the GP emphasised the need for a balance between managing pain and maintaining quality of life. “In some patients it’s working great and the pain is well controlled and they don’t have many side effects,” he elaborated. “But these cases are rare. Please ask your doctor if it’s something that you have side effects from.”
Dr Ahmed concluded with a cautionary note about diazepam, a drug typically prescribed for anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures. “This is a highly, highly addictive medication,” he cautioned. “Whilst it’s also highly, highly effective – especially in treating things like panic attacks and short term use is not an issue – any longer than this, people can become addicted.”
The GP added: “If you then try and come off it, you can get really bad withdrawal symptoms that can be life threatening. In rare cases, people need it to maintain a good quality of life, but these patients are normally ones who who have been on it for many years and it’s more risky to their health coming off it.”
TikTok users with health concerns were quick to share their experiences. One user wrote: “I’ve been on omeprazole for years. If I miss a couple of days, I’m in agony. Very uncomfortable throat burning and acid gurgling in my throat.”
Another shared: “I’ve been prescribed diazepam for eight years and I’m not addicted. I use it when needed.” A third commented: “I was on two omeprazole a day for over 10 years and they wanted me to go on three x three 300mg of gabapentin a day but I stopped the gabapentin and omeprazole altogether.”
Whilst a fourth shared: “I was on gabapentin in my late teens for fibromyalgia related pain, when I asked my doctor to take me off them and try something else because they made me feel hungry all the time, he tripled the dose.”
The NHS advises: “All medicines are designed and prescribed in order to help patients overcome the symptoms of illness, or to prevent symptoms coming back. They are intended to help. It is true, however, that medicines can also cause unwanted effects, which we also call ‘side-effects’.
“No-one can promise, or be promised, that a treatment will not cause side-effects. This is not realistic or honest. A great deal can be done to share information about how small or large a problem or side-effect might be, whether it will lessen over time and what else can be done to reduce a particular side-effect. Do remember that information about side-effects is based on averages. Even a common side-effect doesn’t affect everyone who takes the medicine.”
It adds: “Understanding which side-effects a medicine might cause can make them feel more manageable and less worrying. This is clearly very important for patients. It is also important for healthcare professionals. Having honest and open conversations about side-effects helps patients to get the best out of medicines. Ignoring the issue can often result in someone not taking their medicines and becoming unwell again.”
For personalised advice regarding your medication, you should always consult with your doctor.