Could your antacid put you at risk of a serious infection?

Warning: These ‘innocent’ heartburn remedies can turn deadly

It’s been a month of parties, big dinners and eating things you usually don’t. So by now you may be feeling the results…with a bad case of heartburn or acid reflux.

And every store is filled with “solutions.” Especially all those OTC heartburn drugs. The ones that used to be by prescription only.

They sure look innocent enough, but they’re as dangerous as a rattlesnake coiled up and hiding on the store shelf.

One that’s all ready to bite.

It was bad enough that so many prescriptions were given out for these drugs. Drugs like Prilosec and Nexium.

And as I’ve warned you, they come with a whole host of side effects, including some big ones that didn’t even make it to the OTC package.

Now, a study just published from the Mayo Clinic found that these acid blockers, called proton pump inhibitors, can kill off your “friendly” gut bacteria, leaving you open to some dangerous infections.

Researchers said that means taking these meds can have you trading that acid for pneumonia or a serious kind of infection called C.diff.

While keeping your “good” bugs intact may sound pretty simple, it’s one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy.

The trillions of microbes living inside our gut are responsible for digesting food properly, “training” our immune system and other “vital functions” we need to survive.

The senior author of the study, gastroenterologist Dr. John DiBaise, said that while the “evidence” has been mounting against these proton pump inhibitors for years, “we never really understood why.”

He said that this new explanation shows that when you have less “good” bacteria, you can open the floodgates for the “harmful bacteria to multiply.” And that increases your chances of getting one of these infections.

An infection like Clostridium difficile — more commonly known as C. diff.

Now if you’re not familiar with C. diff. — that’s a very good thing.

Because every year the number of people who come down with it are increasing. It’s very contagious, and it can be deadly. Even a mild case of it can cause acute diarrhea three or more times a day.

A C. diff. infection is hard to treat, and even if it goes away, it can start right back up again. The bacteria can also cause a hole to form in your intestines. So this isn’t anything you want to risk getting if you can help it.

Another Mayo Clinic doctor who worked on the study says that the research shows that these PPI drugs cause your body to become “more prone to infection and invasion.”

He also says the study has some very “serious ramifications.” But he’s not talking about how the drugs can harm or kill you. He’s talking about the money.

It’s a “billion-dollar industry,” he says.

And he’s right about that one.

That’s why you see so many of these commercials running nonstop.

Like the ones with “Larry the Cable Guy” who takes “a Prilosec OTC each morning” for his “frequent heartburn.”

But Larry must have been too busy doing wheelies with his truck to read the directions, because the package clearly says “do not use for more than 14 days.”

It’s obvious by now that taking these drugs every single day, or even for just 14 days, isn’t worth the risk.

Dr. DiBaise says that some lifestyle changes may be all it takes to do away with acid reflux — without the pills.

He suggests:

• Eat smaller portions at meals
• Avoid laying down for at least 2 hours after eating (meaning avoid late-night snacks)
• Wear loose-fitting clothing
• Elevate the head of the bed about 6 inches (this is best done by placing a block under the headboard, rather than stacking pillows)
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco and foods that trigger symptoms

And I’d take that Mayo Clinic doctor’s advice over Larry’s any day.

Sources:
“The worst way to deal with heartburn” Julia Westbrook, November 26, 2014, Rodale News, rodalenews.com