Heartburn drug may thin bones
I saw part of a news story that said people who take Nexium (and similar drugs) for a year or more are at greater risk of bone-density loss and have more bone fractures. I have been taking Nexium for heartburn for almost a year and a half. I have had a knee replacement and a total hip replacement. I want to ask my gastroenterologist if I can stop taking Nexium. Do you have details about the study?
The research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. (Dec. 27, 2006). The scientists compared more than 13,000 cases of hip fracture with about 135,000 matched control patients in the United Kingdom. They found that long-term use of drugs such as Aciphex (rabeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole) or Prilosec (omeprazole) for more than a year increased the likelihood of hip fracture by more than 40%. Patients on high-dose heartburn medication were more than twice as likely to break a hip as those not taking such drugs. The investigators hypothesize that reducing stomach acid decreases calcium absorption and increases bone loss.
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I am a 40-year-old male taking Toprol-XL for high blood pressure and Crestor for high cholesterol. Prior to starting on Toprol, I suffered from frequent migraines. I noticed that after starting Toprol, the frequency of my migraines decreased dramatically. Could Toprol be responsible?
Indeed it could. Toprol (metoprolol) is a beta blocker. This type of medicine is often used to treat heart problems or high blood pressure. It is also prescribed to prevent migraines.
Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon, an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition, can be reached at www.peoplespharmacy.com or care of this newspaper.
