Various uses of PPI Drugs and The Numerous Side Effects

When your acid reflux trouble goes out of your hands, and you can no longer help yourself with natural or home remedies, what you need is something extra and that is the PPI or the Proton Pump Inhibitor Drug.

What is PPI and how does it work

PPI is an effective remedy for people who suffer from serious GERD or acid reflux problems. The PPI Drugs is used in order to reduce the production of the acid by blocking the enzyme on the wall of the stomach that produces acids. Acid is fundamental for the development of most ulcers in the throat, stomach, and duodenum, and the diminishment of acid with PPIs avert ulcers and permits any ulcers that exist in the throat, stomach, and duodenum to heal.

What can PPI do for you?

As mentioned in the RefluxMD site, there are a few diseases that PPI can treat for you. For example –

1.      GERD or Gastroesophageal reflux disease or Acid Reflux

2.      NSAID-associated ulcer

3.      Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

4.      Ulcers

5.      Esophageal duodenal and stomach ulcers.

Various Side effects of PPI

Although PPI is widely used, there are a lot of side effects of the drug. For example –

1.      Headache

2.      Diarrhea

3.      Flatulence

4.      Fever

5.      Abdominal pain

6.      Constipation

7.      Rash

8.      Nausea

9.      Vomiting

However, the side effects may vary from person to person depending on the tolerance level. Many people still have claimed to use PPI and get effective results of the same without any hassles.

Important things to consider about PPI

There are a few things that you should consider about PPI. The drug has its own issues that you should be cautious about. For the starters, it can increase the risk of Clostridium difficile infection of the colon. If you use PPI for a long time (for a year or two) or if you take high doses of the drug, then it can osteoporosis-related fractures of the spine, hip or the wrist.

Longer use of PPI can also lead to your body’s inability to absorb B12 vitamin. It can also lower down the level of magnesium in your body. There is an increased risk of heart attack if you use PPI for a long time.

Other side effects of long term PPI use include –

1.      Allergic reactions

2.      Reduced kidney function

3.      Pancreatitis

4.      Reduced liver function

5.      Toxic epidermal necrolysis

Is there anything you can do other than taking help from PPI for GERD?

According to RefluxMD and many other sites, other than taking help from PPI in order to get rid of GERD, you can also take help of the Radiofrequency Ablation. This technique, however, is only used to treat serious GERD symptoms.

The medical treatment basically uses radio waves to kill any sort of cancerous cells or precancerous cells in the esophagus.

Taking care of your own diet plan, leading a healthy lifestyle and making some changes in your daily routine while losing some weight can help you get rid of and prevent various GERD symptoms. That way, you never have to deal with PPI or any other drugs to cure your acid reflux issue. However, if you are using PPI, ensure you talk to your doctor first.