Prilosec, Nexium and Protonix –drugs that promise to relieve heartburn and excess stomach acid– can do more harm than good, according to recent studies. The Los Angeles Times reports that the widely used family of acid-reducing drugs increases the risk of bone fractures by about 25 percent and can
more than double the risk of contracting the troublesome bacterium Clostridium
difficile, which can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems, and can lead to death. The paper reports on a University of Washington study that followed 130,487 women for an average
eight years. The researchers found a 47 percent increase in spinal fractures
and a 26 percent increase in forearm and wrist fractures but no increase in hip
fractures. In another study conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, researchers looked at more than 100,000 patients who wer discharged. They found that incidence of infection with C. difficile
increased with increasing doses of proton pump inhibitors. The Times reports that about 0.3 percent of those
who received no proton pump inhibitors during their stay contracted C.
difficile infections, whereas about 1.4 percent of those taking the most
powerful drugs at least twice a day contracted the bacterium, a 366 percent
increase.
Read more in the Los Angeles Times.
all acid reducing
increases the risk of bone fractures by about 25% and can more than
double the risk of contracting the troublesome bacterium Clostridium
difficile, new studies released Monday confirm.
The easiest means of preventing heart-burn is to avoid the foods that cause it; the TV ads won’t tell you that, though. The drug makers want your money, and now it looks like your well being
“One pill makes you larger, another makes you small and the one that mother gives you don’t do nothing at all…ask alice, when she’s ten feet tall…”Jefferson Airplane
Bill Carroll said to simply avoid the foods that cause heartburn and that is at least partially correct. Add to it to learn what you can eat to absorb excess stomach acid or to neutralize the same and you can deal with such issues.
The pharma companies are about big business even if their practices literally kill their conusmers (which will eventaully put them out of business after having made huge profits…)
The government, which gets a cut from said profits, doesn’t regulate nor adequately test the products until they begin to see people dropping dead from them and then they simply recall the drugs…
Stay away from all processed foods, eat food in as natural a state as you can and if you must cook the food, steam it. Avoid too much red meat, chicken or fish (once a week is more than enough. Eat veggies, nuts, whole grains, fruit in season, drink water.
I suppose you have never been afflicted with ARD (Acid Reflux)!
All my life, I have had the problem and diet had nothing to do with it. I could drink water and get heartburn.
I with continue with my meds. I am very active and have been taking them for about 40 years now. Have had only one broken bone in my entire life, in spite of riding and breaking horses, falling off scaffolds, flying airplanes, playing various sports, and even climbing mountains.
I think they need to do a lot more research before printing articles like this one!
Amen. Me too, ARD. I can breathe and have ARD. It causes asthma and respiratory inflammation at night unless I use the med.
If the newshounds print such stuff, true or not, they should also put a perspective on the danger and write about alternatives, if there are any. If not, then wait until there are.
Thanks for the thought
I have been on ARD medication {Prevacid} for over 30 years and have had no adverse reactions. I love spicy foods and the ARD drugs let me enjoy my food.