Omeprazole 10mg & 20mg Capsules

Omeprazole 10mg and 20mg capsules cost £14.99 for 28. Packs of 56 cost £17.99 (10mg) or £18.99 (20mg), and packs of 84 cost £24.99. Every price includes your online consultation and prescription, with no separate consultation fee.

Omeprazole 20mg tablets and capsules can be bought from pharmacies and shops by adults aged 18 and over to treat heartburn for up to 14 days. The omeprazole 10mg and 20mg capsules we supply are prescription-only packs, and you need a prescription to take omeprazole for longer or for conditions such as ulcers.

Omeprazole treats acid reflux and heartburn (including GORD), stomach and duodenal ulcers, and Helicobacter pylori infection when taken with antibiotics. It is also used to protect the stomach in people who take anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen or naproxen, and for a rare condition called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Take one capsule a day, usually in the morning, with or without food. Swallow it whole with water – do not crush or chew it. If you find capsules hard to swallow, you can open the capsule and stir the contents into still water, fruit juice or apple sauce, then take it within 30 minutes without chewing the granules and drink half a glass of water afterwards. Check your leaflet, as not all brands can be opened.

Omeprazole starts to reduce acid within a day, but it can take a few days to feel the full benefit. For reflux, a course is usually 4 to 8 weeks. If you need it longer term, your prescriber will aim for the lowest dose that controls your symptoms and review it at least once a year, because long-term use is linked to low magnesium (after 3 months), and low vitamin B12, bone fractures and gut infections (mainly after a year or more).

Common side effects include headache, stomach pain, diarrhoea, constipation, wind and feeling sick. Harmless stomach polyps can also develop. Tell your prescriber if you get a rash on sun-exposed skin with joint pain, severe or persistent diarrhoea, or symptoms of low magnesium such as muscle cramps, tiredness or a fast heartbeat. No dose change is needed for kidney problems, and people with liver problems may only need 10mg to 20mg a day.

Do not take omeprazole if you are allergic to it or similar medicines (such as esomeprazole or lansoprazole), or if you take the HIV medicines rilpivirine or nelfinavir. It is not recommended with atazanavir. Omeprazole should be avoided with clopidogrel unless essential, because it reduces clopidogrel's effect – a different PPI is usually used instead. Tell your prescriber if you take warfarin, methotrexate, digoxin, tacrolimus, phenytoin, cilostazol, ketoconazole or itraconazole, or St John's wort.

At usual doses, PPIs work about as well as each other. Omeprazole is the most widely used in the UK and is usually the first choice in pregnancy. Esomeprazole is a closely related form of omeprazole. Lansoprazole or another PPI is usually chosen if you take clopidogrel. For a comparison of the different PPIs see our guide. Your prescriber will recommend the one that suits you.

Omeprazole is the PPI usually recommended in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, as it has been widely used without evidence of harm. Speak to your prescriber or GP before taking it if you are pregnant, trying for a baby or breastfeeding.

If you have taken omeprazole for more than a few weeks, stopping suddenly can cause rebound acid, where symptoms temporarily come back worse. It usually helps to reduce the dose gradually or take it only when needed, with advice from your prescriber. See our guide to stopping omeprazole.

Call 999 or go to A&E if you are vomiting blood or have black, tarry stools, or have sudden chest pain that does not go away. See a GP urgently if you have difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss or persistent vomiting, or are 55 or over and have lost weight along with indigestion, reflux or upper tummy pain. Also see a GP if your symptoms have not improved after 4 weeks of treatment.