"Eventually, we all die of sumpin'."
Posted on 12/21/2005 12:46:31 AM PST by neverdem
Associated Press
CHICAGO — Holiday revelers beware: Seasonal indulgences such as eggnog and fruitcake might give you heartburn, but the acid-fighting medicine you take for relief might lead to something worse, researchers say.
People on popular prescription drugs for treating acid reflux — Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium — seem more prone to getting a potentially dangerous diarrhea caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile, new research shows. C-diff, as it's known, can cause severe diarrhea and crampy intestinal inflammation called colitis.
Dr. Sandra Dial and colleagues at McGill University in Montreal examined data on more than 18,000 patients in the United Kingdom from 1994 to 2004. During that time, 1,672 cases of C-diff were diagnosed, and the numbers increased from less than 1 per 100,000 in 1994 to 22 per 100,000 last year.
Patients with prescriptions for powerful acid fighters called proton pump inhibitors, which include Prilosec and Prevacid, were almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with the bug than those not taking the drugs.
Those on less potent prescription drugs called H2 receptor antagonists, which include Pepcid and Zantac, were two times more likely than nonusers to get C-diff infections.
The widely used and heavily promoted drugs reduce levels of gastric acid that can keep C-diff at bay.
Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, a researcher at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said proton pump inhibitors recently were implicated in a C-diff outbreak in Maine.
"It's not surprising in my mind that there could be some association" with acid-fighting drugs, said McDonald.
Most study patients hadn't been recently hospitalized and weren't taking antibiotics, both risk factors for C-difficile infections. The study will appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
A co-author is a consultant for AstraZeneca, which markets Prilosec and Nexium, and Altana Pharma, which makes and markets another prescription heartburn drug, Protonix, in Europe.
A spokesman for Wyeth, which markets Protonix in the United States, said the company hadn't seen the research and declined to comment.
AstraZeneca spokeswoman Cindy Callaghan said, "Further research is needed ... to determine the validity of a potential link."
Dr. Michael Brown, a gastroenterologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who was not involved in the study, said short-term use of potent acid-fighting drugs is unlikely to increase infection risks in otherwise healthy people. But he said the study results suggest doctors and patients "have to think twice about using such heavy acid suppression" over the long term.
Things that want to make you go hmmm.
Idiots don't understand that taking a few more craps each day is much better then puking at 2 am because you ate some Tai Peanut sauce or pizza ?
"Eventually, we all die of sumpin'."
Simple heartburn preventative: Low carb diet!
I had some very painful stomach problems for a few years. I would get pains so bad I could hardly breath, literally. Then I discovered Mylanta..... I will never forget that day.
I was having one of my serious stomach pains and then a relative gave me some of that wonderful medicine. It was a matter of minutes and my pain was gone. I was stunned ! I even laughed out loud because I was so impressed.
I would then take it when ever those pains would start kicking in and after a few months the pains simply went away. I haven`t had to take any Mylanta for about a year now.
Even my acid reflux has seriously subsided. I think there were only two nights the past year where I woke up with my throat on fire.
Mylanta is a wonder drug !
Agree.
Plus the physical activity.
I made the same changes you did diet 5yrs ago and physical activity last summer.
Now on my dayz off in our small rural area if it is lousy weather there is not much to do mid day on a W and Th because I don't spend much time eating or shopping anymore.
I am pretty much a loner with dogs on my days off so usually enjoying the hiking trails or swimming laps. The beach is cool but not dog freindly and 3 labs on a leash not free to run does not work well.
I would rather say uneducated people instead of Lazy.
I know a pharmacuditcal salesman who only takes herb supplements never touches the stuff he pushes.
And look at the liver failure from years of taking meds that are not always needed but a doc prescribes them and the patient follows suit.
My bad cholesteral is not even in the high zone but is not perfect and I refuse to take the meds. as my friend the pharmacist says if it makes your muscles feel weak imagine the damage to your heart.
I even heard rumor that the drug companies want to have the Fed. gov lower cholesteral levels so they can prescibe more pills. NO THNAKS.
I take thyroxine due to not having a thyroid and with all the hiking and swimming this last year the levels did not absorb and I was toxic. Could not function for a few weeks and lost short term memory untill my doses were lowered and depleted. But the alternative to not taking replacement is death. Still gotta be careful.
The reason I say lazy is that many of the educated folks I know on Prilosec & Nexium refuse to change their lifestyle even though they read the prescription warnings.
A good friend of mine that has had migraines for 40 years went through a clinic of colonics and almost complete fasting for 3 weeks. In ten days her stomach had healed so she was able to nix the 6 Nexium's she was taking daily from the acid the migraine meds caused! Two weeks later she takes one (Imex?) pill every once in awhile when she pays for breaking her new lifestyle. She is amazed that her diet and dehydration from meds caused her a life of pain. We've had to take her to the hospital for morphine numerous times. Finally the pain was so bad she thought she was dying. Now, she's living and eating healthy foods that she actually finds she likes, even though they require preparation as no preservatives.
Most of our ailments are our choices and our fault, IMHO.
Keep up the great work.
Hubby had high cholesterol and took huge amounts of Lipitor to "fix" it.
Our new doc got rid of the Lipitor and ordered 4 grams of Niacin a day.
[the doc lives by his own rules and takes it for his cholesterol, btw]
Not only is hubby's cholesterol within normal ranges, his blood pressure is very good now *without* all the Rx crap the "heart specialists" gave him.
We were SO blessed to get this doctor.
He detests the pharmaceutical charlatans and is a medical heretic if there ever was one....:)
The new "level" for cholesterol is now a mind-numbing "100".
That's incompatible with life.
Agree.
Water water.
Also real food in small portions TASTE so good.
Eat only what you intend to burn per 4-5 hr shifts is my motto.
I think our whole country needs to relize we are fueling a food industry economically that is killing us.
I noticed the local grocery stores even complain that I do not shop enough like the old dayz. LOL Funny how the freindly faucet has turned off.
I made home made truffles for gifts this year. The key in enjoying them is they are the size of malt balls not what the fancy candy store golf ball size. Congac Courvassier(sp) Pecan Dark Chocolate, I only put half the butter and no powder sugar except a little in the dusting cocoa and twice the called for amount of Congac (two airplane size bottles).
My lil gifts is from a unknown because it is new family Goat farm that is making flavored cheeses. I bought from the maker by passing the vender and saved a bundle. Have to take a lil bit of a country drive but with the grieving of my Dog I am up for country back road drives to ease some stress.
Then the local smoked Salmon from the lil guy is a hit. Just a lil dab of each on a few triscuits and man that is yummy.
It is fun to walk by the Grocery bakery knowing it is junk or the deli selling those spendy cheese and meat trays.
I never thought I would go to the Hippie store in town but I over came the hippie type customers that linger about and go right for the one cookie a treat that is made with all real stuff and maple syrup or unrefined brown sugar at the END of the ing. listing.
Taste is everything esp when it done only as a treasured treat moment and not a daily habit.
Had to buy a food savor last summer because of portion cut backs. They don't often sell 4oz meat or fish portions.
Good for him.
Diet and excercise took mine from 280plus to normal (don't have the test result in front of me).
I do take herbs for pain and some other health care needs.
I was diagnosed Diabetes and that is what got me on the stick. My first A1C test came back non diabetes at 6% and so goes the need to live life accordingly. I do not want to stroke out I have a quad son who is so medically involved he would lose his freedom to be active and healthy if I screw up my health.
I promised God 26yrs ago if he would not take my baby I would clean sewers to not lose him. Careful what you Pray for or even more so promise.
fruitcake might give you heartburn
----I always re-gift mine. LOL
If everybody ate a "diabetic" diet, we'd all be the better for it.
I had to go from a grains/seeds/milk/cheese sort of vegetarian thing to mostly protein due to carb intolerance brought on by peri.
I had no idea how much carbs had affected me all those years.
My best wishes to you for your health, your son and the loss of your dog.
Keep it in the trunk of your car.
You never know when you'll need a chock for one of your wheels.
I took Zantac for years and the heartburn kept getting worse.
Finally I stopped and it hurt like the devil for a week and then never bothered me again.
"Rebound" effect.
Apple cider vinegar will fix heartburn too even though it certainly seems paradoxical.
I haven't heartburn since 1984 when I quit smoking.
add had
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