@agewellwithdrstep: This pill often gets started… and never stopped. Some people do need lifelong therapy, so talk to your doctor about your specific case. PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) reduce stomach acid. Common ones include omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and rabeprazole (AcipHex). With long-term use, they have been associated with higher risks of C. difficile infection, pneumonia, vitamin B12 and magnesium deficiency, fractures, and kidney disease, especially in older adults. For many people, PPIs are meant to be time-limited (4–12 weeks) for uncomplicated GERD, mild esophagitis, dyspepsia, H. pylori treatment after eradication, or stress-ulcer prevention after hospitalization, and can often be tapered or stopped. Others do need long-term therapy, such as those with severe erosive esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, prior GI bleeding, or high-risk chronic NSAID use. If you have been on a PPI for years and cannot remember why, that is reason enough to review it. Sources: • Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors Algorithm,   Deprescribing.org - Optimizing Medication Use  , 2018 • Rosenberg et al., “Proton Pump Inhibitors Long-Term Use—Trends and Patterns Over 15 Years of a Large Health Maintenance Organization,” Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 2021. #GERD #primarycare #doctors #Medications #acidreflux

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Sunday 06 September 2026 11:19:13 GMT