In a new study, researchers found that people who rely on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for relief from heartburn may be at higher risk of illness from a stomach bug.
They found that people who took these acid-relieving medications were about 80% more likely to get a bout of stomach flu.
The research was conducted by a team at the Sorbonne University in Paris and elsewhere.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) include medications such as Nexium, Prevacid, Protonix and Prilosec.
They are sold over-the-counter in the United States and are supposed to be used for the short-term relief of heartburn symptoms.
For a long time, these meds were considered to be very safe, but more recent research suggests they have some concerning side effects.
According to the team, very few people need to be on PPIs long-term, but people do end up on them chronically.
Stomach flu—what doctors call acute gastroenteritis—is usually a short-lived illness caused by a virus. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
In the study, the team compared information from a French national database.
They analyzed more than 233,000 people taking PPIs continuously and compared them to nearly 627,000 French adults who were not taking those drugs.
When they looked at the 2015-2016 winter virus season, they noted that people who took PPIs all the time were 80% more likely to get the stomach flu.
The team says that there is more than one possible reason for how taking PPIs might increase the risk of infection.
The most likely is that the drugs reduce acid, and that stomach acid probably plays a role in keeping the viruses at bay.
The team says people need to have a discussion with their doctor if they’re taking these medications. For people with certain conditions, the benefits of the drugs may still outweigh the risk.
One author of the study is Ana-Maria Vilcu.
The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
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