September 2017

How safe are proton pump inhibitors?

September 26, 2017

For more than a decade, over-the-counter medications have been used to treat the piercing chest pain that’s felt when acid backs up from a patient’s stomach into the throat. We all know these medications serve a purpose and that they go by brand names such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid. Diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), are not just unpleasant — they can play a role in the development of cancer of the esophagus, internal bleeding and other conditions. We know that our obesity problem is a contributing factor in gastrointestinal diseases, and it is now estimated that one in 12 Americans is on proton pump inhibitors or PPIs, medications that reduce the production of gastric acid. Read more