The British Medical Journal just published a large study that clearly shows a 35% increased risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women who have used proton pump inhibitors for two years or more.
The potential culprits:
- Omeperazole – Prilosec, Zegerid, ocid, Lomac, Omepral, Omez
- Lansoprazole – Prevacid, Zoton, Monolitum, Inhibitol, Levant, Lupizole
- Esomeprazole – Nexium, Esotrex
- And many more…
Why are they prescribed?
These medications are commonly prescribed for the following:
- Dyspepsia
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Reflux – both gastroesophageal (GERD) and laryngopharyngial
- Barrett’s esophagus
- Stress induced gastritis
- Zollinger-Ellison syndroms
Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium are some of the most commonly prescribed medications in the past decade.
What is a proton pump inhibitor? It is a class of medications that reduce secretion of acid in your stomach. They are clearly linked with decreased absorption of vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamin B12 and magnesium. It doesn’t stop there. If you affect the gastro-intestinal system’s ability to digest nutrients, you can create potentially harmful effects downsream of the stomach.
What can happen with chronic long term use?
- Anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency “Pernicious Anemia”
- Increased risk of Pneumonia (e.g. community acquired pneumonia)
- Increased risk of C difficile bacterial infection in your intestine. This is a NASTY infection that can be extremely hard to get rid of and creates misery during infections.
- Depression – more on this in a future article
- Hip fracture and by extension, other fractures due to decreased bone health.
But wait.. there’s more:
This list is by no means complete. I simply listed the more common issues. Magnesium deficiency is the single most common side effect of chronic proton pump inhibition. More than 300 biochemical actions in the body require magnesium to happen. Without these essential functions, chronic and/or acute illness can occur.
A little good news:
The risk for hip fracture decreased to ‘normal’ levels within two years of discontinuing proton pump inhibitors. Allowing the GI tract to resume a more ‘normal’ physiology can allow a return to better digestion, which increases absorption of vital nutrients. These nutrients are essential for the optimal health of all your body systems, from head to toe.
About the Writer
Dr. Jana Hagen brings more than a decade of knowledge and experience in Naturopathic Medicine and Clinical Laboratory Medicine to her family medicine practice. In addition to naturopathic primary and preventive care, she can help you with Relapse Prevention and balance your neurotransmitters for better mental health. Dr. Hagen is also experienced in bio-identical hormones and sustainable weight-loss methods.
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