Heartburn medicines (Nexium to Prilosec and back) and serious diarrhea
Millions of Americans take heartburn medicines that belong to the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) family. Four (4) of these are available without a prescription. The FDA released a drug safety communication that talks about this because it has found that taking these medicines is associated with a persistent and resistant kind of diarrhea called Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea (CDAD).
If you are taking one of the prescription or nonprescription PPIs and start to have diarrhea that does not improve, CALL YOUR DOCTOR! This may be CDAD and that watery stool, fever and pain may develop to even more serious intestinal problems and you can even spread this to your family.
The medicines include: AcipHex (rabeprazole), Dexilant (dexlansoprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium), Omeprazole (over the counter or OTC), Prevacid (lansoprazole and OTC Prevacid 24 hour, Prilosec (omeprazole and OTC), Protonix (pantoprazole sodium), Vimovo (esomeprazole magnesium and naproxen and Zegerid (omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate and OTC).
People should generally used the lowest dose and SHORTEST treatment time (duration of therapy) when using proton pump inhibitors. See the full release at www.fda.gov. As I say on my new radio show...take care of yourself!