Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the most commonly used medications in the United States.
While they are effective at treating symptoms such as heartburn or an upset stomach, they also have a role in preventing bleeding ulcers in patients at increased risk.
However, side effects have been reported in different PPI studies, including bone fractures, infectious diarrhea, kidney disease, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
In a recent study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, a team examined the varying levels of concern among patients who are prescribed PPIs and their attempts to independently discontinue their use.
They found that nearly 80% of patients had at least some concern about PPI side effects, even if they couldn’t necessarily name any specific side effects.
In addition, nearly 40% had attempted to stop their PPI use in the past because of these concerns, while a large majority of them — 83% — did so without a doctor’s recommendation.
The study is from Michigan Medicine. One author is Jacob Kurlander, M.D.
In the study, the team did an online survey administered to adults who take PPIs for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, a digestive condition that affects millions of Americans every year.
The team found a majority of the people that we assessed reported using PPIs at least daily, while 73% said that they took PPIs for more than two years.
About 90% of surveyed people reported moderate to complete resolution of GERD symptoms upon using their prescribed PPIs. About 89% of participants stated they started using PPIs based on a provider’s recommendation.
While all the patients were using the PPI to treat GERD symptoms, 24% also benefitted from PPI for the prevention of peptic ulcer bleeding, even if this was not the main reason for using the medication.
The study also found that patients who were at high risk for ulcer bleeding were no less likely to have tried stopping their PPI. This suggests that patients were truly taking matters into their own hands when it comes to these drugs and their use.
The team hopes to explore the reasons such a large proportion of their sample had tried to discontinue their PPIs without the recommendation of their health care providers.
If you care about heartburn drugs, please read studies about common heartburn drugs linked to chronic kidney disease and findings of new harm of common heartburn drugs everyone should know.
For more information about heartburn treatment and prevention, please see recent studies about common heartburn drugs linked to stomach cancer, heart and kidney disease.
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