Is taking a ppi harmful

[Anonymous]

I was just on the PAGER message boards and someone wrote in the following question:

“Hi ALL, I just read Jonathan Wright’s book “Why stomach acid is good for you.” I am very upset after reading it b/c it really explains how harmful these PPI’s are for our bodies. Is anyone concerned about the fact that our babies aren’t absorbing nutrients/vits properly?”

Has anyone here ever heard anything about that?

Ruby

Henry, 4-months old, reflux and MSPI

Breastfeeding on dairy-free soy-free diet

3ml of 2mg/ml liquid Prilosec 2x a day

[Anonymous]

Ruby, I believe that we had a question about this issue a while back. I also think that Marci-kids is researching this issue further (sorry Joel if I’m wrong). Yes, stomach acid is required for the absorption of some nutrients, as well as for killing of pathogens in the gut. BUT, I believe that the consequences of NOT having your child on a PPI can be worse than the potential impact of having them on it.

[Anonymous]

This question has come up before. I can’t remember all of the details of that topic, but I definitely agree with Lori’s response. There may be some side effects, but the effects of not giving a PPI when it’s needed are much worse. If the reflux is not treated and a feeding aversion develops they’ll have an even bigger problem with getting their nutrients.

Kaelyn was on prevacid from 8 weeks old until 2 weeks ago (20 months). She has had blood work done and a variety of tests run in that time. A vitamin or nutrient deficiency has never been an issue.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. Yes, it’s though that the lack of stomach acid from a PPI can
interfere with the absorption of calcium, iron and zinc. However, those
can be supplemented and the alternative is much worse – untreated GERD
can lead to feeding aversions (so no nutrients absorbed anyway),
esophageal cancer, etc.

BTW – I recently found out that I have a severe vitamin D deficiency
and pretty strong iron deficiency too and am on supplements. I’ve never
taken a PPI in my life – so who knows?

[Anonymous]

PPI’s do not turn off all the pumps in the stomach. It still produces enough acid for digestion.

[Anonymous]

I’ve worried about this too, but I know my daughter needed the meds, and her doctors told me they have been prescribing these PPIs for babies for 5 years and have seen no problems, so they felt it was safe.

[Anonymous]

Claire has been on Prevacid since she was about 8 weeks old- 22.5 mg for the last 6 months or so. Her only source of dietary calcium is Neocate and her serum levels of ionized calcium are on the high end of normal… the Prevacid doesn’t seem to be impacting her absorption at all. I agree with everybody else, the benefits seem to outweigh the risks.

[Anonymous]

Sherry,

At the right dosage PPIs actually can just about bring acid production to a halt. But this does not really pose a problem for digestion. Most people think that food is broken down in the stomach by acid, but this isn’t quite accurate. Food is primarily broken down by enzymes in the stomach and intestines. Acid does help, but it is not essential. Some people are born with a condition called achlorhydria where they do not produce hydrochloric acid at all. Yet these people are still able to digest food because of the enzymes. The acid does help with absorption of certain vitamins such as B12, Iron, and Calcium, but it is still possible to get these vitamins in other ways. The acid also helps kill bacteria and other nasties, and folks that do not have stomach acid can be more at risk for things like food poisoning and pneumonia, but these risks are generally outweighed by the fact that a PPI keeps one’s esophagus from being eaten away by acid.

[Anonymous]

RefluxSol wrote:

The acid does help with absorption of certain vitamins such as B12, Iron, and Calcium, but it is still possible to get these vitamins in other ways.

So it is possible to get those vitamins in other ways, but what about our babies who only drink formula? Do they need some kind of a multi-vitamin?

[Anonymous]

For babies that can only take a formula, it is possible for a vitamin deficiency to develop while they are on PPI therapy. This is something that the MARCI-Kids team is currently researching. But these deficiencies are not very common, and when they do occur it is generally a better than allowing them to suffer the prolonged damage of acid reflux.

[Author]

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