Medication Can DEGRADE Your Acid Reflux

Can Aciphex bring any true relief to victims of heartburn? In the following article, a former heartburn patient tells the tragic truth about Aciphex, after having compared with many alternative solutions. As an Over The Counter medicament against heartburn, Aciphex is known by millions. Sales per annum of this drug topped $1.3 billion (figures from 2006).

Even if healthy people can get occasional heartburn also, recurrent heartburn (every two or three days) may indicate acid reflux, or by its full name, GERD - gastro esophageal reflux disease. About 1 in 5 of all adults in developed western countries are sufferers of recurring heartburn. The name heartburn comes from the sensation of burning and pain in the throat or the chest, especially following eating.

Acid reflux causing the pain of heartburn occurs because of weakness of a stomach sphincter. It can lead to inflammation of the esophageal lining (esophagitis) and difficulties in swallowing, internal hemorrhages, esophageal constriction and Barrett's esophagus, often a precursor to cancer. GERD is brought on by a muscle between the esophagus and the stomach not working correctly. This muscle is the lower esophageal sphincter and should normally block off the esophagus from the stomach to stop acid and juices backing up into the esophagus.

Aciphex tries to target the acidity as a solution to reduce acid reflux symptoms including heartburn. This is just one of two factors provoking acid reflux. Besides excessive stomach acidity, the other one is weakness of the esophageal sphincter.

This group of PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors) function by halting the production of stomach acid. They do this by "disconnecting" the proton pump, which is the stomach's way of fabricating acid. Aciphex is part of the group of (PPI) which aims to treat acid reflux symptoms, and also contains Prevacid, Protonix and Prilosec.

Nevertheless, this is not the real reason for acid reflux. Aciphex is merely attacking the sensation (heartburn) and not the real reason. When the real reason remains untreated, it will continue to produce the symptom and this may even result in dependency on the drug and degraded acid reflux. Immediate relief may be the big advertising point for PPIs such as Aciphex, but the negative aspects exist as well. Because gastric acid is needed for correct digestion and for its properties in killing off hostile microbes, blocking its production can be unwise.

An astonishing conclusion was made from the role of gastric acid in killing off pathogens that enter the mouth and travel down the esophagus. Without stomach acid, these microbes can then return up the esophagus to double back down into the lungs and provoke pneumonia. If this was not already bad enough, recent research shows that PPI medications can generated other unwanted secondary effects. The possible increases in the risk of pneumonia was just one conclusion from Dutch research done in 2004.

The same artificial blocking of stomach acid also interfered with the body's ability to fix calcium and so with the right bone mineral density, a problem linked to osteoporosis. In the UK, studies just done indicate that patients using PPI medicaments for more than 12 months and over the age of 50, were 44% more in danger of breaking a hip than acid reflux patients not using PPIs (examples of these PPIs are Nexium, Prilosec, Aciphex, Protonix and Prevacid).

The comprehensive holistic approach will resolve your GERD effectively and safely and permanently prevent it from happening again. Did you already hear the news? Heartburn and its painful effects can now be prevented forever without having to use Aciphex or any similar medication.

Acid Reflux Medication Can Increase Your Risk of Osteoporosis

Choosing the right acid reflux medication for your needs isn't always easy. After all, there are many causes and symptoms to consider. Furthermore, you need to find the right one that works for you. And that process just got more challenging as researchers have found that some Heartburn drugs put users at a greater risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones begin to lose their density (bone mineral density or BMD), placing the sufferer at increased risk of a fracture or break. It's a condition that typically occurs as we age when the body is less able to regenerate healthy new bone.

Although it may not look it, bone is actually living tissue that is constantly renewing itself. It's made up of a hard outer shell that contains collagen, minerals and blood vessels, as well as a softer core of bone marrow.

Bones are kept healthy and renewed by a supply of proteins and minerals absorbed from the blood, including calcium.

Specifically, it is proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) among the commonly prescribed acid reflux medications that put people at a higher risk of osteoporosis, according to a 2008 Canadian study. Proton pump inhibitors are drugs that stop the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach in order to reduce damage caused by acid reflux or GERD.

The study examined 63,000 people aged fifty or older and looked into their medical records, prescription records, and other relevant elements. Among the group, 15,300 had fractures from osteoporosis, including those of the hip, spine, and wrist.

The participants in the study who had histories of fractures from osteoporosis were almost two times more likely to have used proton pump inhibitors for a minimum of seven years in comparison with other study participants. And sixty two percent of those participants in the study with hip fractures had used proton pump inhibitors for a minimum of five years. However, there was no evidence that the short-term use of proton pump inhibitors would increase the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.

It should be noted that it is not the proton pump inhibitors that actually cause the fractures.

The study showed only that there is a link between the acid Reflux medication and fractures due to osteoporosis. The researchers believe that as the PPI's block the stomach's hydrochloric acid, the body's ability to absorb calcium may be impaired, leading to - or worsening - osteoporosis. However, more study is required to either prove or disprove this hypothesis.

Though the precise link between the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors and osteoporosis-related fractures has yet to be determined, there is enough evidence that should encourage you to discuss the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures with your doctor before starting to use proton pump inhibitors - especially over a longer period of time. Commonly prescribed PPI acid reflux medication includes: Prisolex, Aciphex, Nexium, Protonix, and Prevacid.

If you're currently prescribed a PPI to control acid reflux it important to continue with your medication unless otherwise advised by a medical professional. If you have concerns over the long term use of PPI's then raise your concerns at your next doctors visit.

When you speak with your doctor, you will need to work together to decide whether the benefits of taking PPIs outweigh the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures. You may decide to take proton pump inhibitors as a temporary acid reflux medication while other potential life changes or drugs are decided upon.

Those who are most at risk of being effected by this issue are people who are taking or who are about to begin taking PPIs and either have osteoporosis or are at risk of the disease.

Less powerful acid reflux medication may be a better solution for these people. For example, histamine blockers (also known as H2 anatgonists) are able to effectively treat GERD and its related symptoms. Though they are often less effective than proton pump inhibitors, they are not linked to osteoporosis fractures when used over the long term.

Alternatively you may wish to do away with acid reflux medication altogether (don't forget to speak to your doctor first). This approach is successful for many thousands of people who rely on nothing more than small changes in their diet and some simple home remedies to keep symptoms at bay.

Medication Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Over-the-counter medication is the first line treatment of GERD is with over the counter antacids like aluminum hydroxide (Amphojel, Maalox) or magnesium combinations include Phillips' Milk of Magnesia, Gaviscon and Riopan. Aluminum can cause constipation, and magnesium diarrhea. These compounds work by coating the stomach and provide protection against the corrosive effects of stomach acid. Ulcers need more aggressive treatment, since bleeding from ulcers can be life threatening.

The original medications for the treatment of both GERD and ulcers were the histamine-2 (H2) blockers, like cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) and famotidine (Pepcid). These worked by decreasing the amount of acid in the stomach, which promotes healing of ulcers and reduces gastric reflux. Patients with reduced kidney or liver function can develop confusion with H2 blockers. Side effects include diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, and headache. Tagamet can impair sexual function.

In 1998 AstraZenica introduced Prilosec (omeprazole), the first of a new class of medications for GERD called Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI). PPIs on the market include lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprozale (Aciphex), esomeprazole (Nexium), and omeprazole (Prilosec). They act by blocking the H+ (hydrogen) K+ (potassium) ATPase pump in the stomach, which has the effect of decreasing acid secretion in the stomach. The PPIs have been shown to be more effective than placebo in promoting the healing of ulcers and decreasing symptoms of GERD. PPIs lead to a 33% improvement in ulcer healing compared to the older H2 blocker medication, ranitidine. The PPIs decrease acid secretion to a greater degree than H2 blockers, and are more effective in treatment, although they cost more than the older drugs because they are only available by prescription.

PPIs have a low side effect profile, with side effects in less than 5% of patients. The most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, sore throat, and nausea. The diarrhea may be related to suppression of acid formation, which alters the natural bacteria content of the gut. Overall PPIs are fairly safe.

A review of 21 randomised controlled trials of PPIs in patients with proven peptic ulcers showed no effect on mortality, but a reduction in re-bleeding and repeat surgery of about 50%.

There is no evidence that any of the PPIs are superior to one another in efficacy or safety. Since omeprazole (Prilosec) is now available as a generic, it is the cheapest, and therefore recommended PPI.

You have probably seen the man on TV talking about the "purple pill" or Nexium (Esomeprazole magnesium). This particular purple pill is a replacement of the original purple pill, Prilosec. Both should probably be called the green pill because of all the money they have made and continue to make for the manufacturer, AstraZenica. They are both widely popular and equally effective medications. After its introduction in 1998, sales of Prilosec continued to rise year after year until it reached sales of one billion dollars a year in 1995 and peaked at 4 billion dollars a year in 2000 when it was the most popular drug in the world, as reported by National Public Radio (April 18, 2002).

In 2002 AstraZenica convened a team to assess the impact of their blockbuster Prilosec going off patent. In response to the potential revenue loss that generics would cause, they decided to take a variation of the drug (a metabolite) and put it on patent, and then marketed the new version as an improvement on the original. You see, all molecules come in one version, and an identical version that is a "mirror version" (i.e. if you held it up to a mirror it would look the same). In the case of Prilosec, it was a mixture of left and right, but it turned out that the left hand variety worked better. So the company took the left hand version and called it Nexium; they tested a higher dose of the "new" drug against the "old" drug to "prove" that it was better, and sent out an army of sales people to convince doctors that this was the case. Needless to say if you took higher doses of the older Prilosec you would get a regular dose of Nexium, the "purple pill." It was an effective campaign: by 2002 the company had weaned one in six former Prilosec users off of Prilosec and onto Nexium. At $1,500 a year it is much more expensive than the generic versions of Prilosec ($150/year). Why not just take higher doses of Prilosec - it will eventually get your Nexium fix for a lot less money.