Stopped Working and Quitting Is Bad Too

Was on Omeprazole for 8 years. Thanks doc. It stopped working last week -- wasn't getting painful heartburn but I was burping loudly and constantly all day.

Read it was probably the Omeprazole (and all the other side effects of this drug I discovered worried me, a lot). Quit taking it and am dealing with with the heartburn, trying to control what I eat to avoid things that are more likely to cause it. Managing with tums, Gas-X, and famitodine. It's been rough but seems to be getting better. Yesterday, with no notice, most of the hearing in my right ear went out and was replaced by a loud ringing. Shortly after my lower left abdomen began hurting, eventually got worse and spread towards the center, then has eased up considerably this morning -- I'm hoping that was from lower body lifts at the gym but, as I tend to go frequently and this has not happened before, I am not sanguine. Also, after about five hours the partial deafness subsided and it feels mostly normal this morning. Then I started getting flu-like symptoms, the achy joints and feeling cold part at least, during the night I woke up covered in sweat. I'm hoping like crazy this isn't as serious as it seems at the moment, and if most or all of it is to blame on omeprazole -- WHAT ELSE HAS IT BEEN DOING?!? Still going to try to go to work -- I have a desk job -- as I can't afford any more time off. I am somewhat reassured that I've got good medical and three ERs are within just a handful of miles from my office.