Acid Reflux Drugs Tied to Bone Fractures

REPOST

By RONI CARYN RABIN/New York Times

Published: May 13, 2011

The analysis did not find a similar increase in fracture risk among patients taking older acid reflux medications, called histamine-2 receptor antagonists.A new analysis adds to growing evidence that people using proton pump inhibitors to control symptoms of acid reflux are more likely tofracture bones than those who do not.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration revised the label on proton pump inhibitors, or P.P.I.’s, to warn that they may raise the risk of fractures. In March, it removed the warnings from nonprescription P.P.I.’s, saying those were meant only for short courses of treatment while the fracture risk had been observed in long-term users.

The new analysis, published in the May-June issue of Annals of Family Medicine, examined 11 studies and found that patients taking P.P.I.’s were 29 percent more likely to get fractures.

The researchers also found that long-term users were 30 percent more likely to get fractures, and those taking high doses were 53 percent more likely to get hip fractures in particular.

Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung, a staff physician and senior scientist at the National Cancer Center in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the paper’s authors, said P.P.I. treatment may affect the intestine’s ability to absorb calcium. “Long-term or frequent use of P.P.I.’s should be avoided,” he said
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Antacids and Hydrochloric Acid (HCl): What You Need to Know

It is now estimated that the sale of antacids in the US has reached $8 billion a year.  Antacids are used by some people on a daily basis for the symptoms of acid indigestion and its accompanying gas and bloating.  These products are designed to temporarily relieve symptoms. They do nothing to improve your ability to digest food.  Advertisements stating they are an excellent source of calcium fail to tell you that only a balanced diet and good digestion will allow you to use calcium fully. 

Hydrochloric acid is needed for the breakdown of protein in the stomach to help with the absorption of nutrients such as calcium and iron, and to control the growth of unwanted microorganisms in the digestive tract.

Stress and tension can inhibit the production of HCl.  Taking antacids can actually be harmful, as many people are suffering from too little acid, not too much.  A deficiency of HCl is normal in all forms of degenerative diseases.  Hypochlorhydria and achlorhydria are conditions in which the production of hydrochloric acid in the digestive juices of the stomach is low or absent, respectively.

Possible Deficiency Signs:

• Halitosis

• Digestive problem (heartburn, belching, gas, etc.)

• Mental fatigue

• Lack of appetite

• Bloating

• Paleness

• Calcium or potassium deficiency

• Pernicious anemia

Uses of HCl in the body:

• Breaks down proteins and minerals

• Digestion and assimilation

• Breaks down iron and delivers it to the red blood cells

• Calcium assimilation

• Helps maintain pH (acid/alkaline) balance

• Helps destroy bacteria ingested with food

• Kills paracites

Clinical Uses of HCl:

• Pancreatitis

• Pruritis ani (itching of the rectum)

• Indigestion

• Pernicious anemia

HCl is found in Hydrochloric Acid capsules and in the herb, Safflower.

LNH