Popular acid reducers may cause dependency

Are you taking any proton pump inhibitors (PPI) - listed below? Having heartburn? Acid reflux? Read this….

If you don’t have heartburn read this so you will not start using these meds.

Omeprazole(brand names: Losec, Prilosec, Zegerid, ocid, Lomac, Omepral, Omez)

Lansoprazole(brand names: Prevacid, Zoton, Inhibitol, Levant, Lupizole)

Dexlansoprazole(brand name: Kapidex)

Esomeprazole(brand names: Nexium, Esotrex)

Pantoprazole(brand names: Protonix, Somac, Pantoloc, Pantozol, Zurcal, Pan)

Rabeprazole(brand names: Rabecid, Aciphex, Pariet, Rabeloc)

Treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for eight weeks induces acid-related symptoms like heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia once treatment is withdrawn in healthy individuals, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

“The observation that more than 40 percent of healthy volunteers, who have never been bothered by heartburn, acid regurgitation or dyspepsia, develop such symptoms in the weeks after cessation of PPIs is remarkable and has potentially important clinical and economic implications,” said Christina Reimer, MD, of Copenhagen University and lead author of the study. “This study indicates unrecognized aspects of PPI withdrawal and is a very strong indication of a clinically significant acid rebound phenomenon that needs to be investigated in proper patient populations.”

“Our results justify the speculation that PPI dependency could be one of the explanations for the rapidly and continuously increasing use of PPIs,” Dr. Reimer added.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156238.php

So that means I am on Prilosec for life, currently spending $20/mo, because I am always in that group that gets side effects. And I do.

I had sever heartburn, acid reflux, to a point that I woke up at night with stomache acid burning it’s way to my lungs. I thought it was the worst experience I have had, and I have experienced plenty  - well, of course getting too much wasabi on my sushi feels like my brains are exploding but there at least I can control the situation. With acid reflux overflowing into your lungs you can’t control it for some time. If I tried to cough the acid out more acid would rush out from my stomache due to the way we cough, and then taking my next breath in I would get a fresh doze of acid. I was sure I would die, burned by acid from the inside out. 

But I was CURED as long as I took one small Prilosec pill per day, EVERY DAY or else. I used Nexium initially but that was close to $2/day so I switched to Prilosec and the results were the same.

The moral of my story is -  TRY TO AVOID GETTING HEARTBURN TO BEGIN WITH.  The internet has a lot of advice how to avoid getting this condition. The meds interfere with normal digestion so it is not the best thing to be on the PPIs.