Digestive health issues are among the leading reasons for people visiting a doctor. The specific issues that bring people in can very greatly. Some people have abdominal pain and acid reflux others have gas, bloating, or altered stools. The question we should be asking is why these problems are present and treat or remove this cause. The best way to do this is to first consider what the normal function of the digestive tract is and consider what these symptoms tell us about the normal function. In other words, what is off in the normal function to create these symptoms.
Let's take acid reflux, for instance. Looking at the prescriptions typically used for acid reflux you may be led to believe that all cases of acid reflux are caused by excess acid. While this is true to some extents it is an oversimplification of the truth. Acid in the esophagus will cause you to feel 
pain in your chest (AKA heart burn) every time. However that does not mean the cause for the acid to be there is always from excess acid in general. Moreover, if you suppress the acid by use of conventional medicine treatments, what will this do to your overall digestive health? Read on to explore the effects of conventional acid reflux treatments on digestive health and overall health.
Antacids Medication = Fake Digestive Health
If you ever experienced acid reflux, you know there is no mistaking that pain and discomfort. It is an uncomfortable sensation and the conventional medicine toolbox has many very effective medications to reduce this pain. The main problem is these medications ignore the underlying function of the digestive tract. You can't fake digestive health with an acid reducing medication. The consequences of taking these medications will catch up with the body and reveal their true nature. Now this is not me saying you should stop taking them, without consulting a doctor. I am suggesting you find out why you have acid reflux to being with. Before we explore this let's look at the medications used.
Typically the first treatment of choice for heart burn are medications like:
- Maalox
- Tums
- Pepto-Bismol
- Alternagel
These medications can be bought over the counter and work by neutralizing the acid in the stomach. When you have heartburn over a long period of time it may progress to gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. This refers to the change in the esophageal lining from repeated exposure to the acid. When you have GERD your doctor may have recommended a prescription medicine such as cimetidine, ranitidine or famotidine. These are called H2 blockers which work by reducing/inhibiting stomach acid secretion. Another group of medications for GERD are the proton pump inhibitors. These include omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole, and pantoprazole. Through a slightly different mechanism these also reduce the stomach acid secretion.
By taking these medications most people will experience a reduction in heartburn but will your digestion really be any better? If you have reduced acid how is the food going to get digested and nutrients absorbed? These are the questions we want to get at and understand.
How Do These Digestive Health Medications Affect Health?
As you may have guessed suppressing acid production in the digestive tract is not ideal for digestion. Acid in the stomach activates the enzymes which are then used to breakdown protein bonds that hold your food together. When acid is not present or suppressed, protein breakdown is limited as is the entire digestive process. This can lead to microbial imbalance and poor nutrient absorption (more details on this below).
You may be thinking, isn't acid reflux and heartburn from too acid and the medicine is just reducing the acid? Acid reflux is a sensation from acid being in the wrong place, the esophagus. The lining in the esophagus is not adapted to handle this acidic environment and therefor causes pain. Taking these medicines reduces all acid production.
Are These Digestive Health Medications safe?
While these medications offer acid reflux relief, they do not address the underlying disorder that is causing the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus. In addition to that, and more serious, are the side effects of these drugs. Sometimes they can even make the condition worse. Below is a list of potential side effect by category.
OTC Antacids:
- Dependence
- Constipation
- Interferes with calcium metabolism
- Bone thinning
- Diarrhea
- Magnesium toxicity
- Rebound hyperacidity
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs):
- Increased risk of gut infection
- Causes small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Can make liver disease worse
- Increase risk of stroke
- Increased risk of iron deficiency and anemia
- Inhibits absorption of micronutrients
- Increases the risk of death
H2 blockers:
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Headache and ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Insomnia
- Urine retention
- Serious side effects include chest congestion, abnormal heartbeats, confusion, hallucinations, blurred vision, skin reaction, agitation, and thinking about suicide
Not all of the side effects are common but I commonly see iron and b12 deficiency from taking these medications regularly. These are two essential nutrients that can trigger all kinds of health issues when deficient.
Alternative Models Of Heartburn
If you have heart burn and take these medications you may want to consider some alternative models of why this is occurring. There are two main things to consider. First is that you may not be digesting the food properly causing increased contractions in the stomach wall and a corresponding increased pressure in the stomach. This increased pressure causes the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus to open and allows the acid to enter the esophagus. In fact, there are test you can do to determine if you have low stomach acid and enzymes. This will help you determine if this is the cause of your acid reflux.
Another model to consider is increased gas from fermentation of the food. Increased microbes cause fermentation of food and increased gas and corresponding increased pressure. You can read more about this here.
SIBO and IBS
As with decreased acid, the pressure cause the sphincter to open allowing acid to escape and irritate the esophagus.
With a more solid understanding of the often over-used GERD medications, you can clearly see how these medications may not be the best for your digestive health. That is not to say that they should not be used at all as there are many cases when there are no alternatives. What I hope to convey is don't make the mistake of assuming you have good digestive health when you are taking these medications. With that you may decide to inquire into the source of your digestive health issues.
We have helped hundreds of people safely resolve and get off similar medications. Natural and safe approaches to GERD and other digestive health disorders are possible. If you would like to explore how we can help you with your GERD or other digestive health issues, click on the link below.
References
1. Wei, L., Ratnayake, L., Phillips, G., McGuigan, C. C., Morant, S. V., Flynn, R. W., Mackenzie, I. S., and MacDonald, T. M. (2017) Acid-suppression medications and bacterial gastroenteritis: a population-based cohort study. Br J Clin Pharmacol, 83: 1298–1308. doi: 10.1111/bcp.13205.
2. Su, T., Lai, S., Lee, A. et al. J Gastroenterol (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-017-1371-9
3. Xie Y, Bowe B, Li T, et al Risk of death among users of Proton Pump Inhibitors: a longitudinal observational cohort study of United States veterans BMJ Open 2017;7:e015735. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015735
Washington University in St. Louis. (2017, July 5). Popular heartburn drugs linked to higher early death risk. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 4, 2017 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170705113546.htm
4. Dublin, S., Walker, R. L., Jackson, M. L., Nelson, J. C., Weiss, N. S., & Jackson, L. A. (2010). Use of proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers and risk of pneumonia in older adults: a population-based case-control study. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 19(8), 792–802. http://doi.org/10.1002/pds.1978
