Acid Reducing Drugs Cause Rebound Acid Production
October 9, 2009
Proton pump inhibitors help block acid secretion in the stomach to treat heartburn, reflux and other acid-related conditions. Members of this class of medication include esomeprazole (Nexium®), lansoprozole (Prevacid®), pantropozol (Protonix®), rabeprazole (Aciphex®), omeprazole (Prilosec®), and dexlansoprazole (Kapidex®).
In recent years the popularity of proton pump inhibitors has been on the rise and some experts even believe these medications are over prescribed.
A July 2009 article in the journal Gastroenterology now suggests these drugs actually cause the problems they are intended to treat. To get to this conclusion, researches took two groups of healthy volunteers with no history of heartburn. They treated one group with esomprazole and the other with a placebo for 8 weeks.
After the initial 8 weeks both groups were given a placebo for the next four weeks. The subjects reported their symptoms of heartburn, regurgitation and dyspepsia (indigestion) weekly during the study period.
In the initial 8 weeks both groups reported similar symptoms but in the following four week, the subjects who were treated and then switched to placebo reported more symptoms then those who remained on placebo during the entire study.
The results of this study indicate discontinuing the use of a proton pump inhibitor causes rebound acid secretion, a phenomenon where there as an overproduction of acid after the medication is stopped. The extra acid produced then leads to heartburn symptoms.
After discontinuing these medications, symptoms begin after about 1 week and may persist for 4 to 8 weeks.
In light of this new information it may be prudent to talk to your doctor before starting to take one of these medications. Ask if there is a more mild treatment which may be beneficial for your condition or if a short course of therapy will provide the benefits you need.
Also, if you have been using one of these drugs for some time and have persistent symptoms when you stop taking your medication you may want to consider step-down therapy. This is when you switch to less powerful acid reducing medications to treat the “withdrawal” symptoms from the proton pump inhibitors. Talk to your doctor about how to do this effectively.
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I have been taking kapidex 60mg for 40 days, I stopped 5 days ago and my insides fell like there on fire, I dont want to take this drug anymore I have been taking tums, mlyanta, and over the counter tagament,and I have dirreah. How long will the symptons last?? Also I waas on Predisone for 40 days gastric inflation, but the specialist said I did not need to be on it. I have been off 14 days. I have alot of side effects frquint urination at night, been thirsty for 5days stright, swollen face at night, headache and tired everyday. And every time I go to the doctor all blood, and urine tests normal. he had me do a brain scan. Any help please