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Any harm in long term PPI?

Posted , 3 users are following.

alex91388
alex91388

I have bad acid reflux and have been taking daily prilosec for about 15 months now. I'm only in my 30s and want to try and get off the chronic med and tried once but the rebound was too severe. I also tried tapering off but failed twice. Does anyone know if there is any harm in taking a PPI long term?

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Barretts
    Barretts alex91388

    Posted

    If you need to take PPIs for a long period, you must do so with the monitoring of a doctor to ensure they are taken correctly and you are using the minimum effective dose for the minimum required time. For some people that could e the rest of their lives.

    If misused or taken in too high a dose for too long, they can induce hypochlorhydria (insufficient acid) which may result in malabsorption of essential minerals and vitamins and reduced immunty to harmful bacteria.

    There are many scare stories fuelled by resaerch reports of correlations between chronic conditions and PPIs - but they are not causal links. And PPIs may actually reduce risk progression to oesophageal cancer by 71%.

    • alex91388
      alex91388 Barretts

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for the detailed info! I think I read something about that actually, is there something called "enterochromafin cell" metaplasia? It causes your acid producing cells to mutate into something called a ECF cell? Is this considered a pre-cancerous mutation?

    • Barretts
      Barretts alex91388

      Posted

      Enterochromaffin-Like Cells (ECL) are found in the top (fundus) of the stomach and secrete histamine in resonse to gastrin stimulation to trigger the production of aicd by the parietal cells.

      I don't know of metaplasia affecting these cells but I am not an expert on gastric cancers.

      Overuse of PPIs can result in a proliferation of these cells ( = induced hypergastrinaemia) .

  • Guest
    Guest alex91388

    Posted

    Don't worry people have taken this med for 20+ years on a daily basis and they are still alive, having merely side effects from it.  You say that you are only in your 30's I consider that pretty old if your put me in the whole story. I started on PPIs when I was 19 years of age, took them for a year on a daily basis after that quit and went to H2 blockers. didn't help, then back to PPIs on a daily basis. The best drug ever that was invented considering my case (hyperacidity), GERD (daily heartburn), barrett's at 19 years of age. I on them until I die, If i quit I'l get erosive gastritis again and esophagitis will go to grade 2 or 3 most definetly.

    Sides effects after six years on them: none. Actually I developed anxiety because of the media posting horror stories. Read Barretts stories that he has posted on this forum and you will be ok in your mind. I know that you are afraid but if you really need the drug and if the drugs helps then stay on it.

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