Have you been taking omeprazole for months, even years, almost automatically, every time you get a new prescription? You’re definitely not alone. Millions of French people swallow these little capsules every day to treat acid reflux. But now a British doctor is raising the alarm about their prolonged use. Should you be worried? Stop taking them cold turkey? Absolutely not. We’ll explain everything.
What this doctor says — and what the HAS confirms
In an opinion piece published in the *Daily Mail*, general practitioner Philippa Kaye warns against the prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — a class of drugs that includes omeprazole, lansoprazole, and esomeprazole. According to her, beyond a certain duration, the drawbacks could outweigh the benefits: nutritional deficiencies, kidney problems, etc.
And she is not entirely alone in her observation. In France, the High Authority for Health has already recommended since 2022 not to extend this type of treatment beyond four weeks for simple gastric reflux, except for a very specific medical reason.
The real problem is not the medication.
Before emptying your medicine cabinet, take a deep breath. Pharmacist Aurélien Tesson puts it clearly: “We absolutely must not give the impression that omeprazole is a bad medication.”
PPIs are effective. The problem is when they are renewed for months—sometimes years—without anyone questioning whether they are still truly necessary. A treatment that was initially helpful can become an automatic habit whose value is no longer questioned.
