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Health News:GERD

How Safe Are Popular Reflux Drugs?

November 4, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) — Millions of Americans take drugs like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec to ease the erosive effects of acid reflux, but do these medicines put patients at risk for other health problems?

Experts remain divided on the potential dangers these common prescription medications might pose.

The drugs belong to a class of pharmaceuticals called “proton pump inhibitors,” or PPIs, which are generally considered safe and effective. But lately these acid-reducing medications have been the subject of studies linking their use to a number of health risks, from an increased rate of hip fracture to a greater likelihood of diarrhea and community-acquired pneumonia. Read More

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Metozolv Approved for Diabetic Stomach Disorder, GERD

September 8, 2009

TUESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) — Metozolv (metoclopramide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetic gastroparesis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), drug maker Salix Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday.

Diabetic gastroparesis, caused by nerve damage, occurs when the stomach takes too long to empty. It affects up to 5 million people in the United States, and females are at greater risk than males, Salix said in a news release. Read More

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Reflux Drugs OK With Blood Thinners

September 1, 2009

TUESDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) — Antacids don’t interfere with anti-clotting drugs such as Plavix and Effient in patients who have suffered a heart attack or unstable angina, a new study finds.

The results counter other studies that concluded that a class of antacids known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) could block the effect of anti-clotting drugs. Doctors often prescribe PPIs along with anti-clotting drugs to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Read More

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Right Match of Drug, Doctor Can Boost Reflux Outcomes

August 24, 2009

FRIDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) — Chronic heartburn caused by acid reflux is one of the most common complaints among Americans, and a new study outlines which approaches appear to work best to ease patients’ suffering.

The Danish study found that people with the condition — formally called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — typically feel best when placed on medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) by a doctor with whom they have a good rapport. Read More

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Heartburn Drugs May Contribute to the Problem

July 8, 2009

TUESDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) — Drugs commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may actually cause heartburn.

A new study in the July issue of Gastroenterology found that treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) actually produced heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion in healthy volunteers who took the medication for eight weeks.

Although the findings don’t necessarily mean that PPIs don’t have a valid place in the gastrointestinal armamentarium, they do strongly suggest that overprescribing may be causing harm, the study authors said. Read More

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Acupuncture May Relieve Heartburn In Pregnancy

June 10, 2009

TUESDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) — Acupuncture relieves the indigestion and heartburn that bother many women as their pregnancy progresses, a new Brazilian study shows.

Indigestion is common during pregnancy, with up to 80 percent of moms-to-be suffering heartburn, stomach pain or discomfort, reflux, belching and bloating. Symptoms tend to worsen over time, and women who avoid taking medicine for fear of harming the developing fetus might welcome an alternative treatment. Read More

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Powerful Antacids Raise Chances of Fracture

June 3, 2009

TUESDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) — Powerful and widely used antacids called proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 receptor antagonists relieve stomach acid, but also appear to increase the risk of hip and thigh fractures, a new study confirms.

This new report, when coupled with findings from several other studies, supports the idea that these drugs increase the risk of bone breaks. Common proton pump inhibitors include Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium, while common histamine-2 receptor antagonists include Pepcid, Tagamet and Zantac. These drugs are typically used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Read More

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Heat Therapy May Help Prevent Esophageal Cancer

May 27, 2009

WEDNESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) — Radiofrequency ablation is an effective treatment for precancerous Barrett’s esophagus, researchers have found.

In people with Barrett’s esophagus, repeated acid reflux causes cells that line the esophagus to be replaced by cells similar to those found in the intestine, according to background information provided in a news release. A small number of people with Barrett’s esophagus develop a deadly form of cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma. Read More

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Acid-Suppressing Meds May Boost Pneumonia Risks

May 26, 2009

TUESDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) — Instead of helping them get better faster, giving acid-suppressing medications to many hospital patients actually increases their risk of developing pneumonia while in the hospital, new research suggests.

In critically ill hospital patients, the medications have been shown to prevent serious gastrointestinal problems caused by the physical stress of illness. And, because the potential for benefit seemed clear and the risk of side effects appeared low, use of the drugs also became commonplace in patients who were not in intensive or critical care. Read More

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Plavix, Heartburn Drugs May Be Risky Combination

May 7, 2009

WEDNESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) — Anyone who takes the clot-preventing drug Plavix after receiving a stent in a coronary artery-opening procedure should avoid popular heartburn medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), if possible, a group of heart experts now say.

PPIs include blockbuster acid reflux medications such as Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec.

The problem, according to experts at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), is that the combination of Plavix and a PPI increases the user’s risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. Read More

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