How Safe Are Popular Reflux Drugs?
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) — Millions of Americans take drugs like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec to ease the erosive effects of acid reflux, but do these medicines put patients at risk for other health problems? Experts remain divided on the potential dangers these common prescription medications might pose. The drugs belong to a class of pharmaceuticals called “proton pump inhibitors,” or PPIs, which are generally considered safe and effective. But lately these acid-reducing medications have been the subject of studies linking their use to a number of health risks, from an increased rate of hip fracture to a greater likelihood of diarrhea and community-acquired pneumonia. Dr. Kenneth W. Altman, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, draws attention to some of the potential consequences of PPI use in a commentary published in the November issue of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. “I really want to emphasize this is
