Even in those with priorc drugs called inhibitors, proton pump can causes

Even in those with prior symptoms of heartburn drugs called inhibitors, proton pump can cause those symptoms once treatment is stopped, concludes a study published in the journal Gastroenterology.

“It seems that the drugs induce the symptoms they treat, which would generate” dependence on these drugs, told Reuters Health the study co-author Dr. Christina Reimer, University Hospital Koge, Denmark. This dependence may explain the increased use of these drugs.

Reimer’s team studied 120 healthy volunteers who received placebo treatment for 12 weeks or eight weeks regime inhibitor esomeprazole, proton pump plus four weeks of placebo pills.

Almost half (44 percent) of participants who had no heartburn symptoms developed clinically significant upon discontinuation of therapy between the ninth and twelfth week, unlike the 15 percent of placebo-treated group only.

The drugs are given to large numbers of patients, many of whom do not have symptoms associated with heartburn, said Reimer.

“The findings challenge the liberal policy of limitation and show that, as physicians, we should be more restrictive,” said the expert.

The authors of an editorial on the study agree. “We must work to limit the use of inhibitors of proton pump patients who will benefit from therapy,” write Drs Kenneth E. L. McColl and Derek Gillen, University of Glasgow in the UK.