|
Acid blockers on doctors' list of meds to avoid |
|
|
|
|
Written by Bryan Scribner
|
|
Friday, 27 June 2008 |
A prescription and over-the-counter drug used to control stomach acid made it on a list of medications doctors said they were most likely to avoid.
In a late June story on the potential dangers of prescription drugs, MSNBC asked doctors which drugs they wouldn’t recommend. That list included Prilosec and Nexium.
Among the potential problems were the following:
- A possible link to heart troubles
- An increased risk of pneumonia
- A greater likelihood of fracture due to inadequate calcium absorption
A previous story on the Enzymes Work blog revealed Nexium could lead to intestinal infection. With long-term use, acid-suppressing medications have even been associated with stomach cancer.
What’s more, a mid-March story from WebMD Medical News said prescription acid blockers taken during pregnancy increase the likelihood by 51% that a child will suffer from asthma symptoms.
Other drugs doctors said they would avoid, according to the MSNBC story, included Advair, for asthma; Avandia, for diabetes; Celebrex, for pain relief; and pseudoephedrine, for congestion.
|
News 
