Adderall / Vyvanse and GERD (stomach upset)

[JohnnyCalifornia]

I'm boomer-aged, mild-mannered technical writer -- bipolar2 and a bit ADHD. I take Adderall and Vyvanse in pill form to control the downside of these conditions.

For five or so years all has been fine, but recently my stomach started getting upset after taking the aforementioned drugs.

After some research I discovered I was suffering from Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In short, the drugs were triggering my stomach to produce extra acid for digestion.

This condition is impervious to the usual antacids. But it does respond to Omeprazole, a non-prescription tablet recommended for stomach acid imbalance. Unlike most antacids, which try to dilute that acid that is present in your stomach, Omeprazole prevents that acid from being generated in the first place.

So in case you're in the same boat -- taking stims that are causing stomach pain, I'd like you to know that Omeprazole worked for me. It should be taken only once a day and should not be used for extended periods. At least, that's what it says on the box.

 

[Kittycat5]

Glad it worked for you. This class of drugs, the proton pump inhibitors or PPIs, really are the gold standard for GERD. A few comments about them. Even though several of them are available OTC, they all also have rx alternatives which may save you money if you have insurance. They only say to take for a max of 2 weeks for liability reasons on the OTC versions but many people stay on them for years under their doctor's advice. Although they are generally extremely well tolerated, there are some risks. They may increase the risk for fractures in people with osteoporosis, can lower levels of magnesium in the blood, and have quite a few (especially Prilosec and Nexium) drug interactions. These include several HIV drugs, several ones used to prevent rejection after a transplant, digoxin, warfarin, clopidogrel, diazepam, and St. Johns wart. The interaction with clopidogrel can be largely reduced by using Prevacid rather than Prilosec.