More on my acid reflux medication

There is no one out on holiday this week in Cyprus that I have to entertain so I have reduced my dose of Omeprazole back down to 10mg. Omeprazole is the Proton Pump Inhibitor drug which I take to prevent acid reflux.

I have been digging around a bit further about what problems this acid reflux medication can bring and found that it is so good at doing its job that it may actually be too good at it. The Proton Pump Inhibitor stops the production of stomach acid which is one of the main ingredients in giving us heartburn and the onset of GERD, but in actual fact stomach acid is a needed and necessary thing.

Not only does the stomach acid break down our food for digestion, but it also kills off bacteria and other nasties in the food we eat. By reducing the production of acid in the stomach we allow bacteria to flourish in the GI tract. This in turn could lead to pneumonia if the bacteria is aspirated.

The powerful and long lasting effect of Proton Pump Inhibitors makes them one of the best selling drugs in the world. But another problem this makes is that it also inhibits the absorption of essential nutrients including calcium and folic acid.

Calcium is needed by the body for healthy bones and teeth so it should be supplemented so that you get correct levels into your body.

Folic acid is another nutrient that needs to be supplemented. The folic acid is needed by the body to utilize vitamin B12. Proton Pump Inhibitors interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12 because it is usually taken in through food and passed through the stomach when digested by stomach acid. It is thought that by drinking cranberry juice with your meals it increases the absorption of vitamin B12. Taking a supplement of vitamin B12 daily of up to 50 mcg will probably protect you against depletion of the vitamin.