Studies show that 15 million Americans deal with heartburn so severe that it causes painful burning in the chest and throat. The cause is from stomach acid working its way backwards up through the throat. The symptoms often force people to take medications like Prevacid or Nexium to battle the pain. However, a new study shows too many people are taking these pills for too long.
The timetable
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had the maker’s of heartburn medication put a new label on their medications, warning people to only take them for two months. However, many people continue to take the medications like Prevacid well beyond that time table and it can cause serious medical problems.
The complications
By taking heartburn medications for too long, doctors believe several health problems will arise:
*Double the risk of hip fracture
*Double risk of colds and flu
*Higher risk of infection
*Double risk of B12 deficiency
*Increased risk of re-hospitalization after severe angina or heart attack
The newest warning
Now researchers are adding magnesium deficiency to the list of possible complications. For some taking magnesium supplements will help but in 25 percent of cases the supplements are enough and heartburn medications have to be discontinued.
Medications prescribed too much, some say
Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, a nonprofit consumer health organization, believes the medications have become too common.
“These drugs are being prescribed far too commonly to people who shouldn’t be taking them,” Dr. Sidney Wolfe, the group’s director, said in a statement. “As a result, millions of people are needlessly setting themselves up to become dependent.”
In response to this the maker’s of Nexium and Prilosec issued a statement saying, “We work with the FDA to ensure the benefit/risk profile of our products are reflected appropriately so that health care professionals can weigh the risk and benefit of medicines when making treatment decisions,” said Blair Hains, a spokesperson for AstraZeneca.
“Ultimately, it’s up to doctors to prescribe these medicines based on individual patient need.”
