Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Dangers - a nano-podcast on the harmful effects of GERD meds

Alright, so who has not seen the TV ad where Larry the Cable Guy is pitching over the counter Prilosec (yes, the purple pill)? Crazy ad, in that it does not preach correct eating habits, but rather “eat what ya want! we got a pill to follow for your reflux.” Is that the message we want to give and from a fellow who does not appear to be the picture of good health? So now on to Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) and their issues.

[for more on how you can get off PPIs: https://carolinaholisticmedicine.com/holistic-medicine/]

The problem is a poor diet or eating too much - too fast and having dysmotility in the stomach and upper GI track. With poor closure of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is what causes heart-burn (AKA reflux or GERD). Symptoms occur when the stomach acid actually burns the tissue of the esophagus (not designed to hold gastric acids) and this causes pains (and in some cases a pre-cancerous state of those esophageal cells). We run to the doctor when the burning becomes too painful or annoying to ignore and we get placed on a PPI typically in a 5-minute visit with your local PCP who has not time to discuss non-pharmaceutical options or dietary changes.

The PPIs reduce the production of stomach acid by shutting down the parietal cells found in the stomach. No acid- no burn, problem solved. Or is it? This is why the prescription (Rx) and OTC drugs such as Prevacid®, Nexium®, Prilosec® and Zegerid® along with Dexilant®, Protonix® and Aciphex® are big sellers. Prilosec® was the first and was developed in 1979 and heralded the use of this drug as a ‘’fix’’ for GERD. In 2017 sales globally of omeprazole (Prilosec®) was $2.66 Billion.

I have fixed many with GERD who were getting relief with PPIs, by the simple use of lifestyle modification, better nutrition, the correct way to eat and improving body position, and also the judicious use of some probiotics & digestive enzymes in the harder to treat. Weaned them off the PPIs they no longer needed. This is good as we removed a rather “dangerous” drug as we will see below.

Some of the dangers of PPIs in long-term use are:

• Kidney disease & acute interstitial nephritis
• Hypomagnesaemia (low magnesium in bloodstream)
• Reduction in iron & zinc absorption in the gut
• Cancer (higher risk of neoplasia) gastric carcinoid, tumors and gastric cancer
• Fractures and bone thinning (osteoporosis)
• Infections & Pneumonia
• Clostridium difficile infections (gut) & other enteric infections
• Adverse perinatal & postnatal events with use in pregnancy
• Vitamin deficiencies such as vitaminB12 deficiency and possibly other B-complex vitamins
• Thrombotic events due to interactions with the drug clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Increase in dementia
• Increase risk of adverse cardiac events

Again, with better and safer options to treat GERD; why risk it with PPIs.

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