Christmas is almost here…
Stress, parties, late night dinners, beige processed foods, chocolate and alcohol everywhere! If you fully indulge in all of this and don’t take any precautions, this is a sure path to digestive issues and aggravation of reflux symptoms, particularly if you already suffer from this problem and/or use acid blocking reflux drugs.
Acid blocking reflux drugs, or PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), such as omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole, are one of the most commonly prescribed and overused medicines in the world.
What’s main reason for the overuse of these drugs?
Answer below but first, let’s look at some facts about these drugs:
- More than 100 million prescriptions are dispensed every year worldwide.
- In 2022-23, 73 million NHS prescriptions for PPIs were dispensed in England at a cost of about £190m.
- 25% of adults use these medications.
- 56% of users are female.
- 25% of people who are taking these drugs are using them for more than a year.
- 28% are taking them for more than 3 years.
(These drugs are not meant for long-term use unless there is a clear clinical need, e.g. alongside certain medications or for conditions like Barrett’s Oesophagitis.) - Up to 70% of the people who use these drugs get no benefit from them!
- Many people use these drugs incorrectly. The timing of the medication in relation to a meal is important. It’s crucial to eat within 30 minutes of taking the medication, otherwise the effect of acid blocking is not fully achieved. Many of my clients who are on these drugs tell me they were never told to eat soon after taking the medication by their doctor.
Side effects of the long-term use of these medications
Digestive issues
If you don’t produce enough stomach acid (which these drugs block), your digestion will be compromised, leading to various kinds of symptoms such as bloating, IBS, abdominal pain, nausea, higher risk of gut infections… So you take these due to your compromised digestive function and end up compromising your digestive function even more. A vicious cycle has been created!
Nutrient deficiencies
- B12 – because this vitamin requires stomach acid to be absorbed. B12 deficiency can lead to long-term health issues, e.g. anxiety and depression, neurological conditions such as dementia, fatigue, weakness, numbness of hands/feet, visual disturbances, memory issues, headaches…
- Folate/folic acid – symptoms of low folate include fatigue, neurological symptoms (e.g. pins and needles/numbness), muscle weakness, anxiety/depression…
- Magnesium – common symptoms of magnesium deficiency/insufficiency are muscle cramps and weakness, anxiety and depression, sleep issues, palpitations, headaches, nausea, stiffness, weakness, high blood pressure…
- Calcium – calcium deficiency increases your risk of low bone density, fractures, osteoporosis, muscle symptoms, abnormal heart rhythm, depression, memory problems…
And all of the above can also increase your risk of many other serious long-term conditions.
So back to my initial question…
Why are these drugs so commonly used?
Our modern lifestyle and diet is often to blame!
- Eating a processed food diet, eating too quickly or when stressed/on the go, not taking time to allow your digestive processes to switch on (this is the cephalic phase of digestion, your brain is the first digestive organ!) before shoving food into your mouth, not chewing properly, or being distracted when eating.
- Stress has a huge impact on your digestive function; it reduces stomach acid (if you are not already blocking it), it shuts down digestion and long-term can cause a lot of digestive issues.
- Further root causes or aggravating factors: poor digestive function, obesity, pregnancy, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, certain foods (caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks, chocolate, peppermint, fatty foods), large/late evening meals, hiatus hernia, some other medications that affect the digestive function – these can weaken the lower oesophageal sphincter, a muscle that separates the stomach from the oesophagus, that can exacerbate the situation.
All of these factors can increase the chances you get heartburn and acid, silent or bile reflux.
Coming off the medication – take it slow!
Another important thing why these drugs are so common is that people really struggle to get off them even when they want to because, as soon as they stop, their heartburn comes back with a vengeance, hence they think they still need the medication, so they go back to taking them.
But this is not a sign of the need for the medication but something called rebound heartburn or hypersecretion of acid.
This is a natural response by the body and not an indication that the medication is essential for you.
Why does this happen then?
The cells that secrete acid are being overproduced but their function as acid secretors is inhibited while you are taking the drug, and as soon as you stop, you don’t have that blocking of the acid secretion any more by the drug to protect you.
The overproduced cells can finally start doing what they are meant to be doing so the flood gates are opened and you get even worse acid burn than before!
This rebound effect can happen as soon as after 3 days of use of these medications and can last anything between 3 days to 6 months!
What’s the answer?
The medication needs to be reduced slowly and gradually and you need to take precautions to support your digestive processes and to protect the oesophagus from any damage.
Work on the foundations while you taper your drug down, starting with your nervous system to improve digestive function.
Need support?
If you need support with your symptoms or helping you wean off the medication, I’d love to help.
As an accredited reflux and digestive health practitioner, I have a huge toolbox, incl. diet and lifestyle recommendations, as well as high-quality targeted supplements for reflux symptoms as well as protecting your oesophagus and the mucosa when weaning off PPI medications.
Please get in touch if you want to know more.
And for further learning:
Here’s my mentor talking to the Mail Online about these drugs and the link to dementia.
Here’s Mark Hyman’s podcast on the topic.
****************
To find out how powerful diet, nutrition, lifestyle and mindset can be for our health, please book your FREE no-obligation discovery call with Minna and let’s have a chat.
For enquiries about working with me on 1:1 basis or about my corporate wellness programmes, please contact me via the contact form or by email: [email protected].
Download your FREE copy of Happy Gut – Happy You for simple everyday hacks to feel happier and healthier.
Join my FREE Facebook Group Healthy You – For Life for health and nutrition tips and advice and delicious healthy recipes.