Acid Reflux Meds Cause Acid Reflux!

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Duhhhh….
This seems to be the most difficult issue to convince clients about because the repercussions of acid reflux are so intense, especially at night. The meds for acid reflux do not bring about a behavioral change AND more importantly, these meds don’t heal anything. Dr. Mayer Epstein seems to agree…

 

Acid Reflux Medication Causes Rebound Acid Reflux 

Proton-Pump Inhibitor Therapy Induces Acid-Related Symptoms in Healthy Volunteers After Withdrawal of TherapyJournal of Gastroenterology, July 2009

(Vol. 137, Issue 1, Pages 80-87)Since their clinical launch 25 years ago, the use of proton-pump inhibitors has increased progressively with approximately 5% of the developed world now receiving such treatment. 

In this month’s Gastroenterology Reimer et al suggest that the drugs themselves may be causing or aggravating the disease process they are used to treat.

Forty-four percent of previously asymptomatic subjects experienced clinically significant heartburn, acid reflux, or dyspepsia after discontinuing a 2-month course of esomeprazole  40 mg/d (Nexium) compared with 15% after placebo. The authors propose that this is a clinical manifestation of the rebound acid hypersecretion arising from the trophic effects of the proton-pump inhibitor-induced hypergastrinemia on the oxyntic mucosa.

Dr. Eisenstein’s Comment:

Wow, in plain English PPI’s, Nexium, Prevacid, etc. actually cause rebound heartburn. That is why it is so hard to discontinue there use.

 I, along with many other doctors, believe that the Swine Flu may return with a vengeance this winter. Death from flu usually comes from a secondary pneumonia. Pneumonia bacteria thrive in an alkaline environment. The exact environment that is produced by PPI’s.

Therefore, in addition to maintaining adequate levels of Vitamin D, I recommend that you get off of all over the counter and prescription Acid Reducing Pharmaceuticals.  Use of them can lead to increased pneumonia which could result in death especially during the upcoming flu season.
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