Acid reflux pills could cause more problems Play Video

Posted: Jul 1, 2009 12:17 PM
Updated: Jul 1, 2009 5:45 PM


Last year, Americans received more than one hundred million  prescriptions last year for acid reflux drugs such as Prevacid or Prilosec - medications in a class called proton pump inhibitors.  These popular drugs outsold every other class of medication except cholesterol drugs and antipsychotics.  But new evidence finds the acid reflux pills may be creating dependency  in patients who use them. 

Researchers in Denmark tested Prilosec in healthy volunteers who had never experienced acid reflux problems.  Results revealed that forty percent of participants started experiencing symptoms such as heartburn, chest pain, and acid reflux after they stopped the drug.  The medications work by blocking acid pumps in stomach cells, but researchers say that ceasing the drugs may trigger a rebound effect that creates more acid. 

They suggest this is why one third of patients continue to fill their prescriptions even after they have theoretically complete treatment.  While the drugs overall have an excellent safety record, studies have linked long-term use of proton pump inhibitors to an increased risk for fractures.

Source: published in Gastroenterology 

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  • Avatar for Sandra
    Neutral + − !
    Sandra at Jul 2nd 2009 6:28 PM

    Was any information offered to patients that want to stop this medication?  Which doctor/source did you use for this infomation?  Thanks for your help...

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