Health and Me

Ishita Roy

India’s Antacid Habit Is Putting Hearts, Kidneys, Guts, and Bones at Risk

Indians are popping antacids like candies, and they are putting their hearts, kidneys and <span>gut health</span> at risk. Doctors from time and again have cautioned patients to not take such pills without prescriptions. 

Antacids are prescribed proton pump inhibitors or PPIs, used commonly to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach and helps to treat and prevent various acid related conditions. However, in India, acidity is not treat as a symptom, but a lifestyle condition, which has made these pills so common. These over the counter access also created medical complacency, this means the availability has blurred the line between short term relief and long term therapy. 

<h2>How does <span rel="noindex">antacid</span> impact your kidney health?</h2>

Repeated use is increasingly associated with acute interstitial nephritis and chronic kidney disease. What makes this dangerous is that kidney damage often develops silently, discovered only when kidney function has already deteriorated significantly.

<h2>How does antacid impact your gut health?</h2>

It also impact the gut microbiome, and causes chronic digestive problems. Stomach acid regulates gut bacteria. Suppressing it allows harmful bacteria to flourish, leading to bloating, infections, diarrhea, and conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

<h2>How does antacid impact your <span rel="noindex">bone health</span>?</h2>

Furthermore, regular usage of antacids could make your bones weak too. As per a 2023 study published in the journal BioMed Research International, pantoprazole cause bone loss, which could be prevented by adding octreotide.

The study analyzed the serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, and ALP before starting the treatment, and at the end of 12 weeks of treatment on pantoprazole, significant decline in calcium levels were noticed, as compared with other groups. The study also found that octreotide significantly prevented the effect of pantoprazole on the serum levels of calcium and ALP.

The study also found that pantoprazole decreased femoral bone density and femoral BMAD. Besides this, another decrease was found in the femoral bone weight and volume as well as the trabecular volume.

<h2>How does antacid impact your <span rel="noindex">heart health</span>?</h2>

Frequent heartburn is also a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. This is a condition in which the valve between the stomach and the lower esophagus malfunctions and allows stomach acid to bubble up into the esophagus. This is often treated with antacid, which may mask the real problem. 

Over time, untreated GERD can injure the lining of the esophagus and increase the risk of serious complications, including Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that can raise cancer risk. Also, symptoms often blamed on heartburn, such as chest pain or burning, can sometimes signal a heart attack. That’s why experts stress getting a proper medical evaluation before self-treating with antacids.

<strong>Famotidine </strong>(Pepcid, Calmicid, Fluxid, Mylanta AR) is a potent H2 blocker used to manage acidity and heartburn. Studies show that famotidine is not thought to raise the risk of osteoporosis.

Other options: Ranitidine (Zantac - where available, as it was withdrawn in some markets due to safety concerns) and Nizatidine are other H2 blockers.

<strong>Note</strong>: <em>Health &amp; Me do not encourage discontinuance of any prescribed medicine by a doctor. Before making any change in your medicine schedule, please speak to your doctor/GP.</em>

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Indians are popping antacids like candies, and they are putting their hearts, kidneys and gut health at risk. Doctors from time and again have cautioned patients to not take such pills without prescriptions. Antacids are prescribed proton pump inhibitors or PPIs, used commonly to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach and helps to treat and prevent various acid related conditions. However, in India, acidity is not treat as a symptom, but a lifestyle condition, which has made these pills so common. These over the counter access also created medical complacency, this means the availability has blurred the line between short term relief and long term therapy. How does antacid impact your kidney health?Repeated use is increasingly associated with acute interstitial nephritis and chronic kidney disease. What makes this dangerous is that kidney damage often develops silently, discovered only when kidney function has already deteriorated significantly.How does antacid impact your gut health?It also impact the gut microbiome, and causes chronic digestive problems. Stomach acid regulates gut bacteria. Suppressing it allows harmful bacteria to flourish, leading to bloating, infections, diarrhea, and conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).How does antacid impact your bone health?Furthermore, regular usage of antacids could make your bones weak too. As per a 2023 study published in the journal BioMed Research International, pantoprazole cause bone loss, which could be prevented by adding octreotide.The study analyzed the serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, and ALP before starting the treatment, and at the end of 12 weeks of treatment on pantoprazole, significant decline in calcium levels were noticed, as compared with other groups. The study also found that octreotide significantly prevented the effect of pantoprazole on the serum levels of calcium and ALP.The study also found that pantoprazole decreased femoral bone density and femoral BMAD. Besides this, another decrease was found in the femoral bone weight and volume as well as the trabecular volume.How does antacid impact your heart health?Frequent heartburn is also a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. This is a condition in which the valve between the stomach and the lower esophagus malfunctions and allows stomach acid to bubble up into the esophagus. This is often treated with antacid, which may mask the real problem. Over time, untreated GERD can injure the lining of the esophagus and increase the risk of serious complications, including Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that can raise cancer risk. Also, symptoms often blamed on heartburn, such as chest pain or burning, can sometimes signal a heart attack. That’s why experts stress getting a proper medical evaluation before self-treating with antacids.The safer alternatives are:Famotidine (Pepcid, Calmicid, Fluxid, Mylanta AR) is a potent H2 blocker used to manage acidity and heartburn. Studies show that famotidine is not thought to raise the risk of osteoporosis.Other options: Ranitidine (Zantac - where available, as it was withdrawn in some markets due to safety concerns) and Nizatidine are other H2 blockers.Note: Health & Me do not encourage discontinuance of any prescribed medicine by a doctor. Before making any change in your medicine schedule, please speak to your doctor/GP.