GERD Medications that May Increase Risk for Bone Fractures

According to the FDA, certain drugs used to treat heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers can increase your risk of hip, wrist, or spine fractures. For frequent heartburn or more severe conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or ulcers, a new class of medication called a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) has been made available, either through prescription or over-the-counter.

PPIs work by reducing the amount of acid that is in your stomach, which prevents further irriation of your esophagus, stomach, or intestinal lining. If you were prescribed a PPI by your physician, you should not stop taking it, as they are highly effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders. However, since the greatest increased risk was with patients who took high doses over a term of a year or longer, you may want to discuss these concerns with your health-care provider.

The studies which reported an increased risk of fracture evaluated individuals over the age of fifty, and it is not yet clear that PPIs are the cause of the increased risk. At this time, the FDA is working with the PPI manufacturers to study the risk in more depth.

The prescription PPIs are:

• Nexium
• Dexilant
• Prilosec
• Zegerid
• Prevacid
• Protonix
• Aciphex
• Vimovo

The over-the-counter PPIs are:

• Prilosec OTC (omeprazole)
• Zegerid OTC (omeprazole)
• Prevacid 24HR (lansoprazole)

While studying these risks further, the FDA is also revising the labels of all PPIs to include additional safety information for consumers.