More on [Avoiding] Heartburn Medications
It’s been several years since we talked about headache and heartburn medications, but it’s such a big issue that we should probably revisit the question more often.
As you probably don’t recall, we were talking about “Why Headache Patients Are Running from Esomeprazole (Nexium) and other “Heartburn” Drugs”. The main concern are proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), and concerns seem to be rising rather than subsiding.
Back then we were talking about the link to headache, which may be especially linked to certain deficiencies that use and long-term use of medications such as Nexium, Prilosec, Dexilant, and others may cause.
Prompted by 2023 study, which once again linked PPIs with dementia risk, Dr. Alexander Mauskop at the New York Headache Center updates us with a few more years of experience on the topic.
First, he points out the specific link to migraine – “…one study found that past and current use of PPI increased the odds of migraine by 2.56-fold and 4.66-fold, respectively”. In other words, current use significantly increases risk, but even past use may increase migraine risk.
But most helpful were his tips on quitting PPIs:
Stopping a PPI can cause severe rebound acidity. This is why people get stuck taking them for years. The way to try is by replacing the PPI with an H2 blocker such as famotidine (Pepcid, Zantac 360) along with an antacid such as Rolaids (it’s better than Tums because it contains not only calcium but also magnesium) or Gaviscon. After a few weeks, people can often stop famotidine and after another few weeks, stop the antacid. Famotidine does not cause problems associated with PPIs.
Dr. Alexander Mauskop
There is also some advice for those who need to be on PPIs for certain conditions. You can read the whole post here: More on the dangers of PPIs such as Prilosec, Nexium, Dexilant, et al.
One thing to consider is whether or not you may have a vitamin deficiency or ongoing problems with your gut flora. It might not hurt to check your B vitamin levels, and magnesium levels. Also, remember to keep your gut healthy. You may want to try a probiotic such as Primal Defense Ultra. (I’m very picky about probiotics, because so many are not as advertised, and others don’t have the types of probiotics you need most.)