Unknown Side-Effects of Prilosec (and PPIs): From Hearing Loss to Stomach Cancer.

The risks your doctor does NOT know about when he's "treating" your heartburn with proton-pump inhibitors.

I’ve been researching heartburn, reflux and all its consequences for a number of years. The most important driver for this research is that there are so many people around me who suffer from chronic or acute bouts of heartburn.

I know many people taking drugs like Prilosec (brand name of omeprazole) for extended periods of time, because it provides variable symptomatic relief. But, without ever really addressing the underlying cause.

If you’ve read my past work, you will know that heartburn doesn’t have a single cause. Sure, there are common causes…but, it is highly variable.

Heartburn/reflux can be caused by disc herniations, thyroid disease, diaphragm dysfunction and even low stomach acid.

Root Cause | 1. Heartburn, Reflux, & GERD.

That’s right. Low stomach acid. Not high stomach acid, as most doctors will have you believe before they whip out their pad to prescribe a proton-pump inhibitor.

I’ve had success curing heartburn and its associated problems in many people. Recently, one of my readers underwent an experimental red light protocol that I developed from the research uncovered in the last couple of years. Pr

For the first time in years, she has “had an unprecedented 3 weeks, without any issues at all.”

The Heartburn Cure: Without Medications or Supplements.

At this point, I’m confident that the framework I’ve developed for understanding and treating heartburn is superior to most others.

But, this article isn’t about how to treat heartburn.

This article is about what to avoid!

The Standard Model

Heartburn is such a common problem that most people know exactly the steps that follow.

You go to the doctor, describe typical (or atypical) symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, and he makes a couple of dietary recommendations, but ultimately prescribes a proton-pump inhibitor (such as Nexium or Prilosec).

You take this drug, experience variable symptomatic relief…and move on with your day.

There’s hardly any discussion of side-effects, short or long-term. Mostly because the doctor isn’t aware of them.

As far as he is concerned, heartburn is caused by too much acid. So suppressing acid secretion with PPIs is the conclusion.

It’s considered so benign that you can go to Costco and purchase large quantities of this drug without a prescription.

If you are reading this, you already know there’s more to this story…

In this article we will review:

1. Why doctors recommend proton-pump inhibitors for treatment of heartburn

2. Why this is misguided and ill-advised

3. The various mechanisms by which PPIs can exert harmful effects on your body

4. Studies exploring their effects on the stomach

5. New studies observing effects on several other body systems including the psyche, kidneys, pancreas, hearing (cochlea), and even immune system.

Why Recommend PPIs?

During medical training doctors are taught that heartburn is caused by ‘too much stomach acid.’ Which isn’t entirely accurate.

A more appropriate way of phrasing this is:

The sensation of heartburn is a result of stomach acid moving backwards up into the esophagus and irritating the surrounding structures.

Notice, I didn’t say anything about “too much stomach acid.” Because more often than not, the sensation of ‘heartburn’ is not caused by excess acid. Instead, it is caused by the inappropriate movement of acid.

More importantly, the inappropriate movement of acid happens when there is less than normal quantity of acid in stomach.

In addition to the mechanisms outline in the Root Cause article above, just look at the overlapping symptoms in people experiencing heartburn and those with low stomach acid (achlorhydria):

What’s Wrong With PPIs?

As the name suggests, PPIs inhibit the action of membrane pumps which shuttle protons in and out of cells. In the stomach, this targets the hydrogen/potassium pump (H+/K+ ATPase). Thereby reducing the secretion of acid into the stomach.

To illustrate the first problem with PPIs, a friend of mine remarked:

Proton-pump inhibitor?

We don’t really use proton pumps for anything important, do we?

Of course, he was joking.

Proton pumps are one of the most ubiquitous membrane proteins in all of biology, in part because protons (AKA Hydrogen ions H+) are the most common ion in nature.

Hydrogen ions are shuttled in and out of cells throughout the body, with or without the exchange of other ions.

For instance, your local certified drug-dealer may claim that Omeprazole is specific to H+/K+ pumps in the stomach. And, he’d be wrong.

Not only does omeprazole affect H+/K+ pumps in other parts of the body, but new evidence demonstrates its impact on intracellular H+ ATPase channels. Meaning, pumps inside of the cell used for cellular function and communication are also inhibited by this “specific” PPI.