Podcast 551:  PPIs are Not Benign

<p> </p> <p><strong>Contributor: Don Stader, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">PPIs (Proton pump inhibitors) reduce stomach acid levels and are commonly prescribed in patients with GERD or peptic ulcer disease</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Stopping a PPI after sustained use for a month or longer can lead to withdrawal - causing a rebound indigestion or reflux due to a surge in acid production</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Long term PPI use has noteworthy side effects including increased incidence of bacterial GI infections and pneumonia</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be cautious in prescribing a PPI for over 2 weeks. If continued indigestion control is needed, transition to a H2 blocker or OTC antacids if prolonged treatment is needed.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><a href= "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29658189"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">1)</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Haastrup PF, Thompson W, Søndergaard J, Jarbøl DE (2018) Side effects of long-term proton pump inhibitor use: a review. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 123(2):114–121.</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">https://doi.org/10.1111/bcpt.13023</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Review</span></p> <p><a href= "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31684070"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">2)</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Helgadottir, H.; Bjornsson, E.S. Problems Associated with Deprescribing of Proton Pump Inhibitors.</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Int. J. Mol. Sci.</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">2019,</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">20</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, 5469.</span></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summarized by Jackson Roos, MS3 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD</