Study: Popular Heartburn Drug Might Raise Your Risk Of Premature Death

CBS New York ^

[nickcarraway]

Certain acid blockers in a popular heartburn drug might actually increase the risk of premature death.

As CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez reports, there are three main types of heartburn drugs. Antacids, like Tums and Rolaids, are fine. So are older acid blockers called H-2 blockers, like Pepcid and Zantac.

But the evidence keeps piling up that drugs called PPIs, like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec, might actually be risky.

They are among the best-selling drugs in the country, with more than $10 billion spent annually on a class of acid blocking medications called Proton Pump Inhibitors, or PPIs. It almost seems that half the country must suffer from acid reflux.

“I couldn’t breathe. My ribs were hurting the cough was so hard and dry,” patient Nilda Rodriguez said.

“I had shortness of breath. I was completely exhausted. I had terrible post-nasal drip,” said fellow patient Francesca Spiotta Loy.

Although their symptoms weren’t like classic heartburn, both women had stomach acid reflux.

“Reflux actually comes in two forms: the heartburn people, the indigestion people, and those that have respiratory reflux, in which there’s asthma, allergies, chronic throat clearing, post-nasal drip,” Dr. Jamie Koufan, of the Voice Institute of New York, explained.

Despite their symptoms, neither Rodriguez nor Spiotta Loy wanted to take the common and powerful acid-blocking PPIs. Which was probably good thing, considering a new study of 350,000 patients in the Veterans Affairs system found that those taking PPIs had a 25 percent greater risk of premature death compared to those taking H-2 blockers.

That’s just the latest of many studies linking PPIs to adverse side effects, including hip fractures, kidney disease, infections, dementia and esophageal cancer.

Rodriguez and Spiotta Loy avoided PPIs by following Dr. Koufman’s program for alternative methods of reflux control, primarily changing their diets and lifestyles.

“We eat too late, we eat too much fatty food, we tend to over eat. You know, miss breakfast and lunch and eat huge dinner,” she explained.

Some patients really do need acid-blocking drugs. For those people, experts are starting to lean more toward the H-2 blockers, which are not as strong and need to be taken more often, but have a 40-year safe history.

[Born to Conserve]

Jumping the pharmaceutical shark:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8d3SMxK40YQ

[moovova]

What brand tumeric do you use?

[NorthstarMom]

I just checked a box from the bulk pack of Colgate toothpaste I bought. Made in Mexico. My stomach has been hurting lately-what is the problem with toothpaste made in Mexico?

[StAntKnee]

Bingo! On the Arm & Hammer. Natural relief and quicker removal from reliance on prescripts and over-the-counters.

[steve86]

“Now, however I’m suffering from extreme fatigue, a possible long-term side effect of PPIs.”

So am I and am on a stimulant (Rx) to combat it with varying success. BTW, every time I have tried to taper down omeprazole and substitute h2 blockers, folk treatments, etc., I ended up in the hospital or at least with an epic case of spasm of the esophagus, which is “somewhat” unpleasant. Thanks for the link. I do follow research on PPIs and other topics.

[wtd]

Update to post #16 in which I quickly described my spouse's and my experiences with PPIs. We both described our reaction to PPI's as 'depressive' and it likely had to do with the interaction of the PPI restricting Magnesium absorption. It affected my spouse more dramatically because of post heart valve repair surgery medication to regulate heart rate. Here are links to details regarding PPI's & Magnesium:

• FDA: FDA Drug Safety Communication: Low magnesium levels can be associated with long-term use of Proton Pump Inhibitor drugs (PPIs)

  "[3-2-2011] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public that prescription proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs may cause low serum magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia) if taken for prolonged periods of time (in most cases, longer than one year). In approximately one-quarter of the cases reviewed, magnesium supplementation alone did not improve low serum magnesium levels and the PPI had to be discontinued."

• 

  As stated above, both my spouse and I were prescribed PPIs (Protonix, initially by Rx) then OTC versions of PPIs as they were no longer covered by our prescription insurance. We both eventually became aware of a depressive effect of these PPIs and cut back on the dosage or resorted to alternate acid reducing OTC remedies when taking a break from the PPIs.

  It was during a course of preventive dose of Milk of Magnesia that we both noticed significant improvement in our health and explored this with our physicians after discovering the connection between Magnesium and PPIs.

[Georgia Girl 2]

We buy organic tumeric online by the pound. Its like $14. Then we get gel caps at the health food store and make our own capsules you take one or two a day. I have osteo arthritis which in winter is really bad. Now that I am on tumeric I have almost no pain. Have not taken an advil on months.

[Salvavida]

Actually it’s a nutritional thing. You are a victim of the Standard American Diet (SAD). It is not genetic. It runs in the family because you eat the same thing. I got rid of mine permanently. Google Dr Joel Wallach and acid reflux.

[Viking2002]

I feel your pain. I've felt your pain. I found out that mine was neuro-gastric. The flap at the bottom of the gullet that leads into the stomach wasn't closing in sync with the rest of my digestive tract, so I was not only getting acid reflux firing back up into my chest and eating a hole in the process, it would also cause the flap to close while I was swallowing, and whatever I swallowed would get trapped between two autonomic functions fighting in opposite directions. It was like having a fist squeezing your heart, and it caused moments when I couldn't breathe. The attack that sent me to the ER was so violent, it literally put enough pressure on my chest wall to cause the fibrilation, and they said it looked like one of the chambers of my heart was trying to recover from a lack of oxygen, hence the initial heart attack diagnosis. Many times, I'd end up throwing up what I'd just swallowed because it just wouldn't go down properly, and I'd have to wait several minutes until the discomfort subsided. Thank God for omeprazole. I don't want to know from another the-sky-is-falling study. The pain and consequences of not taking it are even worse.

[octex]

For many decades I’ve relied on a teaspoon of baking soda stirred into about 3 ounces of water. It neutralizes the acidity very quickly. I’m almost 75 now and seldom have had reflux or indigestion since my working years, which ended in 2001.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Will check it out. My brother’s Endoscopy showed signs of Barretts but it could be a false positive, he has to take Prilosec for a few months and do a retest. Same thing happened to my Mom a few years back, came back positive, took the meds(Protonix) and it came back negative

[steve86]

Be forewarned: There is a 25¢ penalty - payable to yours truly - for omitting the first “r” in “turmeric”.

[steve86]

Baking soda works great for me — for about 45 seconds. Not kidding.

[moovova]

I’m trying Curcumin 95% (turmeric extract) right now. I forget the price. MicroIngredients brand thru Amazon. Maybe a little difference in pain levels...have cut back on Advil though.

Talk about orange and messy. I’m careful though and I’ve got my system worked out. I actually measure it out with a scale, take it straight, wash it down with coffee, brush teeth twice immediately

[Viking2002]

My original doctor said that not every person can take the same PPI and have the same effect. He ended up failing me out of two PPI's before we struck gold with AcipHex, and I stayed on that for years until the insurance company stopped paying for it. Then I was getting omeprazole for several years before my wife's insurance stopped paying for it, stating that I could get it OTC at the same price. Turned out that OTC was cheaper than the prescription equivalent. Now, with my new prescription plan, I get it for free.

[steve86]

“It was like having a fist squeezing your heart, and it caused moments when I couldn’t breathe.”

Same description I used when talking to my gastroenterologist. Only a hospital-administered antispasmodic and fentanyl calmed it down.

[Ingtar]

When it happened to me, I found a study that shows that uncontrolled GERD manifests as VFIB. I went through all sorts of issues before the cardiologist threw that diagnosis out and found the real problems. Still, I may try one of the H2 medicines again. Perhaps it will work this time.

[LostInBayport]

bookmark

[Viking2002]

Endoscopy. *shudder* I have to go see an oncologist about that next Wednesday. My spleen and liver are enlarged, and my platelet count is so low, I could bleed out. They’re trying to figure out where the corner bar is where those cells might be hanging out, and they think I might have a slow bleeder in my gut. Among other possibilities. I got an MRI and a scoping in my immediate future.

[Salvavida]

I would also recommend "Why is America so Sick" by Dr Joanne Conway

https://www.drjconaway.com

She is an advisor to Dr Wallach. Once you get it, you get it.