Think Twice Before Taking Popular Heartburn Drugs

[one...two...tree 2,762]

by scott hensley

The benefit from drugs like Prilosec may be outweighed by side effects for many people.

But a bunch of new studies looking at their side effects could lead doctors and patients to rethink their casual use.

Each day tens of millions of people take the pills, which belong to a category called proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs. Nexium is one that still requires a prescription. But you can buy others, including Prilosec and Prevacid, over the counter because the side effects have generally been considered so mild.

But the package of studies just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine could change perceptions. One study finds women who took the pills after menopause were more likely to break bones. Two studies find that people taking the drugs had a heightened likelihood of infection or reinfection with Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that poses an increasing health risk for hospitalized patients.

Another study found high doses of the drugs weren't any more effective treating bleeding ulcers than normal doses.

What to make of it all? Lay off the PPIs unless you really need them. The drugs are great for severe gastroinstestinal reflux disease (GERD) ulcers and a few other conditions. But half or more of the time, the medicines may be prescribed inappropriately.

That's a problem because of the increasing evidence of side effects. Or as one editorial on the studies puts it, "Harm will result if these commonly used medications are prescribed for conditions for which there is no benefit, such as nonulcer dyspepsia," or regular old heartburn.

For that sort of problem, non-drug approaches such as losing weight or tilting your bed up may do the trick. If medicines are needed, antacids and drugs like Pepcid may get the job done with less trouble than PPIs.

Stopping PPIs once you start isn't so easy. The stomach's acid-making machinery can jump into high gear, leading to a flare-up of symptoms. To avoid that, doctors recommend tapering the dose down gradually and using antacids to manage symptoms.

http://www.npr.org/b...heartburn-drugs

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I take Nexium. Without it I would not sleep because of the reflux. I have been taking it now for 3 years and it isn't as effective as it once was. I will need to elevate my headboard if it keeps getting worse.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I take Nexium. Without it I would not sleep because of the reflux. I have been taking it now for 3 years and it isn't as effective as it once was. I will need to elevate my headboard if it keeps getting worse.

I've been taking Zantac for years, but over the last few years, I've gone on 2 week doses of Prilosec when I'd have these flare ups. I love spicy foods and normally they don't bother me too much, but if I eat something that has a lot of sodium, then I get terrible heartburn.

[Heracles 417]

I switched to Prevacid now.

Ulcers run in the family.

Nexium is good but my insurance does not cover it. So unless I risk jail by importing it for #33 or paying $197 here retail, prevaicd it is.

Edited May 10, 2010 by Booyah!

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I've been taking Zantac for years, but over the last few years, I've gone on 2 week doses of Prilosec when I'd have these flare ups. I love spicy foods and normally they don't bother me too much, but if I eat something that has a lot of sodium, then I get terrible heartburn.

Because I leave for work at 5AM I usually go to bed about 9PM. If I eat ANYTHING after 6PM I pay for it about midnight. This makes it tough since I usually don't get home until 6PM. Some nights I sacrifice sleep in order to eat. It really sucks.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Because I leave for work at 5AM I usually go to bed about 9PM. If I eat ANYTHING after 6PM I pay for it about midnight. This makes it tough since I usually don't get home until 6PM. Some nights I sacrifice sleep in order to eat. It really sucks.

Oh man. Is there any way you can eat your dinner at work so that you aren't eating anything after 6pm?

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Oh man. Is there any way you can eat your dinner at work so that you aren't eating anything after 6pm?

I would but then I miss out on my wife's cooking.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I would but then I miss out on my wife's cooking.

Leftovers.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Because I leave for work at 5AM I usually go to bed about 9PM. If I eat ANYTHING after 6PM I pay for it about midnight. This makes it tough since I usually don't get home until 6PM. Some nights I sacrifice sleep in order to eat. It really sucks.

What really sucks is that work schedule of yours. Leaving at 5:00AM and not getting back until after 6:00PM? Dude, you ought to slow down. I leave around 8:00AM - 8:30AM and will typically be back by 5:30PM - 6:00PM. There are exceptions but I am usually out of the house less than 10 hours.

[Ontarkie 14,237]

My son hes 18 was given nexium samples to try out, he liked it also, but its not covered. We have him on prilosec otc with magnesium well the walmart brand of it. And it works better then the prilosec without the magnesium. Without the pills he throws up. His stomach is always upset and he can't stomach anything. Before going to the doctors he thought maybe it was greasy foods then he though milk products but after eliminating every thing he still had the problem. Now he can eat, and no more heart burn or indigestion. He did have a test done for the H-pylori bug to see if that was the cause of his acidic stomach, but nope it wasn't. I wondered if its hereditary my father has always suffered from acid reflux. Oh well all I know is he can't go without it, or he will spend his life in the bathroom.

[Peikko 1,575]

Try increasing your leafy vegetables, a mix of raw and cooked. I have no scientific evidence to back this up, but anecdotal it works. Amounts have to be significant, and cut out alcohol too.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My son hes 18 was given nexium samples to try out, he liked it also, but its not covered. We have him on prilosec otc with magnesium well the walmart brand of it. And it works better then the prilosec without the magnesium. Without the pills he throws up. His stomach is always upset and he can't stomach anything. Before going to the doctors he thought maybe it was greasy foods then he though milk products but after eliminating every thing he still had the problem. Now he can eat, and no more heart burn or indigestion. He did have a test done for the H-pylori bug to see if that was the cause of his acidic stomach, but nope it wasn't. I wondered if its hereditary my father has always suffered from acid reflux. Oh well all I know is he can't go without it, or he will spend his life in the bathroom.

I haven't had it to that extreme, but I've had bouts where my esophagus has spasms when I first eat, especially if I haven't eaten for a few hours. I've had a lot of allergies and I think my problem is related to such allergies. For example, I cannot eat fresh watermelon or cantaloupe. When I take a bite, my throat starts to close up, but nothing life threatening.

If it's covered under your insurance, I'd recommend taking him to an allergist and see about him getting regular injections. I did that years ago and it really helped. A lot of the proteins in foods are similar to the types of proteins that my skin reacted to when they conducted a skin test. And one thing about many of these antacids like Zantac - they actually inhibit the production of histamines, which is what the body releases during an allergic reaction.

At least, do some research on food allergies and acid reflux.

Edited May 11, 2010 by El Buscador

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Hopefully youll find a new suppository in november! You got heartburn now just think what your a$$ will feel like in november.

Edited May 11, 2010 by Col. Lingus

[HannahP 119]

Weird. I'm in nursing school, just had a test over these very drugs, and all those side-effects were tested on.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Hopefully youll find a new suppository in november! You got heartburn now just think what your a$$ will feel like in november.

Hopefully you'll find some intelligence too.