This stuff can be deadly if used continuously

[XCR1250]

‘THOUSANDS OF EXCESS DEATHS’ FROM POPULAR HEARTBURN DRUGS

 2019POSTED BY KRISTINA SAUERWEIN-WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

 

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS

A new study links long-term use of proton pump inhibitors to fatal cases of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and upper gastrointestinal cancer.

Past research has linked extended use of these drugs, which treat heartburn, ulcers, and acid reflux, with an increased risk of premature death. However, little has been known about the specific causes of death attributed to the drugs.

More than 15 million Americans have prescriptions for PPIs. Further, many millions more purchase the drugs over the counter and take them without being under a doctor’s care and often indefinitely.

PPIs—for sale under brand names such as Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium, and Protonix—bring relief by reducing gastric acid. PPIs are among the most commonly used classes of drugs in the United States.

The researchers also found that such risk increases with the duration of PPI use, even when the drugs are taken at low doses. The study appears in BMJ.

“Taking PPIs over many months or years is not safe, and now we have a clearer picture of the health conditions associated with long-term PPI use,” says senior author Ziyad Al-Aly, assistant professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He has led several studies associating PPIs to chronic kidney disease and an increased risk of death.

Other researchers independently have linked PPIs to adverse health problems such as dementia, bone fractures, heart disease, and pneumonia, among others.

‘THOUSANDS OF EXCESS DEATHS’

For the study, researchers sifted through de-identified medical records in a database that the US Department of Veterans Affairs maintains. Examining medical data acquired from July 2002 to June 2004, the researchers identified 157,625 people—mostly white men ages 65 and older—who had new prescriptions for PPIs, and 56,842 people who had new prescriptions for another class of acid-suppression drugs known as H2 blockers. They followed the patients—214,467 in total—for up to 10 years.

MORE THAN HALF OF THE PEOPLE TAKING PPIS DID SO WITHOUT A MEDICAL NEED.

The researchers found a 17 percent increased risk of death in the PPI group compared with the H2 blocker group. They calculated 45 excess deaths attributable to long-term PPI use per 1,000 people. Death rates for PPIs were 387 per 1,000 people, and death rates for H2 blockers were 342 per 1,000.

“Given the millions of people who take PPIs regularly, this translates into thousands of excess deaths every year,” says Al-Aly, a nephrologist and clinical epidemiologist.

PPI use was associated with deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and upper gastrointestinal cancer. Specifically, 15 per 1,000 of the PPI users died from heart disease, four per 1,000 from chronic kidney disease, and two per 1,000 from stomach cancer. Death rates due to cardiovascular disease were 88 among the PPI group and 73 among the H2 blockers group. For stomach cancer, death rates were six in the PPI group and four in the H2 blockers group. Death rates due to chronic kidney disease were eight and four in the PPI and H2 blocker groups, respectively.

OVERUSE OF PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS

Additionally, the study found that more than half of the people taking PPIs did so without a medical need, although the data did not indicate why the patients had been prescribed PPIs. Among this group, PPIs-related deaths were more common, with almost 23 people per 1,000 dying from heart disease, almost five per 1,000 from chronic kidney disease, and three from stomach cancer.

“Most alarming to me is that serious harm may be experienced by people who are on PPIs but may not need them,” Al-Aly says. “Overuse is not devoid of harm.”

The study also found that more than 80 percent of PPI users were on low doses of the prescription drug, or those equivalent to doses offered in over-the-counter versions. “This suggests the risk may not be limited to prescription PPIs, but it also may occur at over-the-counter doses,” he says.

FDA ACTION?

The US Food and Drug Administration has expressed interest in data presented by Al-Aly’s research team. “PPIs sold over the counter should have a clearer warning about potential for significant health risks, as well as a clearer warning about the need to limit length of use, generally not to exceed 14 days,” he says. “People who feel the need to take over-the-counter PPIs longer than this need to see their doctors.”

Al-Aly’s research team will continue to study adverse health effects related to PPIs, in particular regarding those at the highest risk.

“A lot of people may be taking PPIs unnecessarily,” Al-Aly adds. “These people may be exposed to potential harm when it is unlikely the drugs are benefiting their health. Our study suggests the need to avoid PPIs when not medically necessary. For those who have a medical need, PPI use should be limited to the lowest effective dose and shortest duration possible.”

The US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Institute for Public Health at Washington University School of Medicine funded the work.

Source: Washington University in St. Louis

Original Study DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l1580

[teamgreen02]

My mom tells me my grandpa was one of the first people ever taking prilosec. Prior to that he would wake up in the middle of the night and puke his acid reflux was so bad.

I take 40 mg every day.  Have to talk with my doc about this.

[Guest]

If ya don't take an acid reducer, you could get Barrett's Syndrome. Barrett's eventually leads to esophageal cancer. 

WTF!! Ya' can't win!!! 

Acid reflux in most cases from being overweight,,,,,,,,,as little as 15 pounds over will do it. 

 

[XCR1250]

4 hours ago, Polaris 550 said:

If ya don't take an acid reducer, you could get Barrett's Syndrome. Barrett's eventually leads to esophageal cancer. 

WTF!! Ya' can't win!!! 

Acid reflux in most cases from being overweight,,,,,,,,,as little as 15 pounds over will do it. 

 

Yes I know that...I was prescribed a PPI but only took it for a few days, this was in 2011, I stopped taking it and started taking a Pro-Biotic which worked better and is completely safe, very rare I have acid re flux now. I use Natures Bounty Pro-Biotic 10, started with 2 a day now down to only 1, it works.

My Doc was who told me to try Pro-Biotics as he didn't want me to stay on a PPI do to the possible danger of continued use.

 

 Another interesting thing, I'll be 72 on July 30th., my Blood pressure was 152 over 89, I read some news on Beet Juice, (known as Beet root juice) to lower BP, so I tried RW Knudson brand, within 24 hours of drinking about 10 oz. my BP went down to 109/67, I told a local guy about trying it and the same thing happened to him, I don't recall his numbers though, as the word got around our local smaller Walmart can't keep it  in stock.

Edited June 2, 2019 by XCR1250

[Jimmy Snacks]

Good thread Don....I know a few people that take one of these PPI's.

[XCR1250]

Just now, Jimmy Snacks said:

Good thread Don....I know a few people that take one of these PPI's.

Same here, quite a few locals are on them..my acid reflux was bad until I took the Pro-Biotics, now it's rare that I get any at all.

[XCR1250]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Good thread Don....I know a few people that take one of these PPI's.

Read my edit above a couple post on Beet Juice.

[Jimmy Snacks]

4 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

Read my edit above a couple post on Beet Juice.

Wow...that is interesting...at my last doctors visit my BP was a little elevated which surprised me because when I was drinking it was never an issue. 

I'm going to give this a try. 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Jimmy Snacks

[XCR1250]

8 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Wow...that is interesting...at my last doctors visit my BP was a little elevated which surprised me because when I was drinking it was never an issue. 

You were drinking Beet Juice?

Edit: I think you meant alcohol.

Edited June 2, 2019 by XCR1250

[Jimmy Snacks]

11 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

You were drinking Beet Juice?

Edit: I think you meant alcohol.

Yep...I figured once I quit the booze my health would be better which it is for the most part..the elevated BP surprised me especially considering I had started walking and hiking with the dog everyday.

[XCR1250]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Yep...I figured once I quit the booze my health would be better which it is for the most part..the elevated BP surprised me especially considering I had started walking and hiking with the dog everyday.

I have Lyme's really bad and struggle to walk 50 feet, so I ride my Bicycle a lot in the nice weather and have a real trick inside stationary bike  to use in the Winter or bad weather days..

[Jimmy Snacks]

7 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

I have Lyme's really bad and struggle to walk 50 feet, so I ride my Bicycle a lot in the nice weather and have a real trick inside stationary bike  to use in the Winter or bad weather days..

I've read a few times about your struggles with Lyme Disease and after finding ticks on my dogs I'm extra vigilant before I head into the woods. The weird thing is that when I was a kid we never heard a thing about ticks only pesky mosquitoes that drove us nuts.

[XCR1250]

33 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

I've read a few times about your struggles with Lyme Disease and after finding ticks on my dogs I'm extra vigilant before I head into the woods. The weird thing is that when I was a kid we never heard a thing about ticks only pesky mosquitoes that drove us nuts.

It was unusual to find/see Ticks when I lived in SE Wisconsin, saw only a few, up here they are abundant..

 For the Dogs we found that using a Seresto  8 month collar works great, if we find a Tick on the dog it's dead.

Edited June 2, 2019 by XCR1250

[steve from amherst]

I pulled one of my dog last night.My bud was over cutting my lawn yesterday and when he was done sat at the patio table with us for a coffee and had one running across his hand. 

I usually let them chickens out to roam almost every day but there has been a fox around daily so I havnt been letting them out. They do a pretty good job at keeping ticks at bay.

Took a shot at the fox with 12 g birdshot Thursday. Havnt seen him since. Hopefully that educated him.

[XCR1250]

11 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

I pulled one of my dog last night.My bud was over cutting my lawn yesterday and when he was done sat at the patio table with us for a coffee and had one running across his hand. 

I usually let them chickens out to roam almost every day but there has been a fox around daily so I havnt been letting them out. They do a pretty good job at keeping ticks at bay.

Took a shot at the fox with 12 g birdshot Thursday. Havnt seen him since. Hopefully that educated him.

Wood or Deer ticks??

[steve from amherst]

1 minute ago, XCR1250 said:

Wood or Deer ticks??

wood mostly.The disease from Lyme comes from mice I believe. They give it to ticks. Cats do a pretty good job at keeping mice at bay.

Shit still scares the shit out of me. I know a few folks who have it as bad as you. Aint pretty.

[Jimmy Snacks]

5 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

wood mostly.The disease from Lyme comes from mice I believe. They give it to ticks. Cats do a pretty good job at keeping mice at bay.

Shit still scares the shit out of me. I know a few folks who have it as bad as you. Aint pretty.

Here they say the biggest threat of Lyme comes from the Black Legged Deer Tick...the ones I found on my dogs were a different type but still nasty little pricks. 

[XCR1250]

3 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

wood mostly.The disease from Lyme comes from mice I believe. They give it to ticks. Cats do a pretty good job at keeping mice at bay.

Shit still scares the shit out of me. I know a few folks who have it as bad as you. Aint pretty.

Far as I know (not 100% though) is that only Deer Ticks carry Lyme's  and not every 1 of them either..

The Bacterium gets into your blood and can wreck muscles including your Heart as it is doing to mine..I was into Body building since I was a Teen, now I can barely carry a full 6 gallon gas can while walking.

[XCR1250]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Here they say the biggest threat of Lyme comes from the Black Legged Deer Tick...the ones I found on my dogs were a different type but still nasty little pricks. 

I've found Wood Ticks bored into my eyebrows when looking in a mirror while shaving, and even found 1 buried in my Scrotum,, yikes!!

[Jimmy Snacks]

16 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

Far as I know (not 100% though) is that only Deer Ticks carry Lyme's  and not every 1 of them either..

The Bacterium gets into your blood and can wreck muscles including your Heart as it is doing to mine..I was into Body building since I was a Teen, now I can barely carry a full 6 gallon gas can while walking.

Damn Don that stinks...there was a good talk on the local AM Radio station a few weeks back about this subject..very informative.

11 minutes ago, XCR1250 said:

I've found Wood Ticks bored into my eyebrows when looking in a mirror while shaving, and even found 1 buried in my Scrotum,, yikes!!

 

[Zambroski]

2 hours ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Good thread Don....I know a few people that take one of these PPI's.

X2.

1 hour ago, Jimmy Snacks said:

Here they say the biggest threat of Lyme comes from the Black Legged Deer Tick...the ones I found on my dogs were a different type but still nasty little pricks. 

I’ve had more ticks on me than my dogs.  Huskies don’t really have a problem with them.  They just can’t penetrate the hair so they bounce.  Just a few on their faces or legs over the years.

1 hour ago, XCR1250 said:

I've found Wood Ticks bored into my eyebrows when looking in a mirror while shaving, and even found 1 buried in my Scrotum,, yikes!!

I’ve had those fuckers everywhere.  Several in my “frumother” region.  Never bothers me much but I am no fan!

Sand fleas and chiggers in the “taint” area.  Now that’s where the fun really starts!  A good “scratch til you bleed” then douse with bleach takes care of them and their larva on the lower legs.  This is recipe takes more thought once the infestation elevates.