Proton Pump Inhibitors May Increase Risk for Kidney Disease

[Northerner]

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are associated with increased risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to two population-based analyses published online January 11 inJAMA Internal Medicine. The authors suggest the widely used drugs might be part of the reason CKD prevalence has risen faster than would be expected from the trends in known CKD risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

"We note that our study is observational and does not provide evidence of causality. However, a causal relationship between PPI use and CKD could have a considerable public health effect given the widespread extent of use," write Benjamin Lazarus, MBBS, from the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, and the Department of Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues. "More than 15 million Americans used prescription PPIs in 2013, costing more than $10 billion. Study findings suggest that up to 70% of these prescriptions are without indication and that 25% of long-term PPI users could discontinue therapy without developing symptoms. Indeed, there are already calls for the reduction of unnecessary use of PPIs."

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/857060

These are drugs ending in -prazole.

 

[Amigo]

That's interesting northerner. PPI's (like omprezole) are also scientifically known to affect B12 levels, Vitamin C and iron. As Metformin also adversely affects B12 absorption, anyone taking the two could be suffering a double whammy and may need their levels checking.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19262546

 

[Northerner]

I was put on omeprazole when diagnosed because it was supposed to counteract the nausea I felt from taking aspirin (among other things). I still felt nauseous and that didn't get any worse or better when I stopped taking them so I concluded they were doing nothing for me! 🙄

 

[Annette]

I take omeprazole twice a day. If I forget my morning dose, by mid afternoon I know about it! So if they do cause a problem I sure hope there's an alternative...

 

[raindrop]

I take omeprazole twice a day. If I forget my morning dose, by mid afternoon I know about it! So if they do cause a problem I sure hope there's an alternative...

Me too Annette, have been on Omeprazole for more years than I can remember.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I have an adverse reaction to all PPIs, my stomach swells like a balloon and I can't stop being sick.

 

[trophywench]

Urgh - I should be on dispersible aspirin but can't take it - it has always caused me heartburn anyway whenever I've taken them so I've always stopped but now with PAD, I tried em again for the simple reason that I now definitely have a real need to thin my blood. Heartburn again at first which blossomed into full on acid reflux. Never had that before. My teeth and gums are bad enough already, thanks.

So today, I've got to have something and I've been prescribed Clopidogrel and she put a note to the GP on the prescription request 'Consider PPI if needed' - she said they always used to prescribe the two together automatically - but have found that a LOT of people don't need the PPI - cos they tried dropping them from future scrips and found people did just as well, and that very often although peeps have had trouble with aspirin they don't automatically with Clop. So 'suck it and see' LOL

I'm hoping I can avoid them!

 

[Northerner]

I was on clopidogrel for a year after diagnosis, I was fine, so hope you are too Jenny 🙂

 

[Robin]

My husbands on that. He was put on high dose aspirin for two weeks, after an eye stroke, and then on to the clopidogrel. The hospital warned him he might have stomach problems with the aspirin ( he didn't in fact) but didn't seem to think the clopidogrel would be a problem, and it hasn't been so far.

 

[trophywench]

OH good! Shan't know till the end of next week since I dropped the request in yesterday late pm, so won't get scanned till Monday so the earliest I could pick up the scrip from the pharmacy would be after 4.30pm Wednesday. They won't even get the scrip until after 3pm Wednesday. Traffic's awful, can't get on the Drs carpark and mega queues in the shop at that time so I usually leave it another day unless I'm desperate!