A recent headline “Millions of Canadians using acid-reflux drugs for too long, risking health side-effects” was in the news. It is increasing awareness about a problem with a certain group of medications called Proton Pump Inhibitors.
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) include:
- omeprazole (Losec)
- esomeprazole (Nexium)
- pantoprazole (Pantoloc, Tecta)
- lansoprazole (Prevacid)
- dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)
- rabeprazole (Pariet)
These medications are prescribed for a few reasons, namely to reduce the amount of stomach acid you make. They prevent heartburn and gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), are used to treat stomach and duodenal ulcers and can prevent development of ulcers from high-risk medications (e.g. anti-inflammatories) or disease states (e.g. stress from being in an intensive care unit).
Some reasons justify the need for long-term use and some do not. Find out why you are on your PPI.
Risks associated with long-term use of PPIs include hip fractures, reduced absorption of minerals and increasing risk of Clostridium difficile diarrhea (C-diff).
Get informed. There are resources to help educate you so you can have a talk with your doctor. Take a moment to review them:
Choose Wisely Canada: Treating Heartburn and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux (GERD): Using Proton-Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) carefully
https://choosingwiselycanada.org/heartburn-gerd-ppi/ Includes many ways to reduce heartburn and GERD without medications
Canadian Deprescribing Network. Do I still need this medication? You are currently taking a PPI: http://www.criugm.qc.ca/fichier/pdf/PPI-EN-Men.pdf
Have a talk with your doctor. Together you can weigh the risk vs. benefit of continuing to use a proton pump inhibitor. If you decide to make a change, a plan will lead to the best success. Your doctor may want to use the Proton Pump Inhibitor Deprescribing Algorithm found at https://deprescribing.org
