Antacids: Some take them daily as prevention others for a few days to relieve discomfort. Be careful; they can alter your internal balance.
They seem somewhat infectious, and many resort to them on their own and regularly. But it has been shown that even taking them just once a week can already be harmful.
1. Negative Effects of Gastric Protectors
In any case, neither gastric protectors nor antacids are exempt from side effects. Taking them too long exposes yourself to alterations in the body, and some can be truly serious:
They can weaken your bones. For several years it has been known that taking antacids for a long time increases the risk of suffering a fracture because it weakens the bones since calcium needs a certain pH in the stomach to be absorbed.
You stop assimilating vitamin B12. Mood swings, apathy, fatigue, and reluctance are evidence of a deficit of this vital vitamin. And that deficiency may be caused by these drugs that “steal” what we are getting from food.
If this situation persists, depression, or even neurological damage can occur.
Your heart can suffer. A group of researchers from a Houston hospital and another from Stanford University (USA) joined forces to determine what happens in the coronary system when antacids are taken.
And the surprise was great: they discovered that the most widely used antacid increases the risk of heart attack between 16% and 21%.
It occurs because the drug damages the lining of the blood vessels.
And also your kidneys. Most people know that drugs can harm the kidneys. But this danger is not associated with the so-called “protectors.”
However, a study from the USA has found that long-term use of one type (proton pump inhibitors) increases chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
There is an increased risk of dementia. A study published in the medical journal ensures that people over 75 who take them have a 44% higher risk of dementia. Its abuse affects proteins that are associated with the appearance of Alzheimer’s.
According to research, this relationship can occur if these drugs are taken regularly (several times a week) during a trimester.
2. The Danger of the “Rebound Effect”
Antacids can reduce in a relatively short time the sensation of heartburn or burning and also gastroesophageal reflux (when food rises to the throat).
However, their use must be very punctual, and in no case can you take them for more than 4-6 weeks (only with the specialist).
If you overdo it, you run the risk of a “rebound effect.” Remember that when you take an antacid, it increases the pH and lowers the stomach amount. This causes carbohydrates to be digested worse and certain bacteria to increase due to low absorption.
T Carlos too long can worsen the problem.
For that reason, more gas is produced, pressure in the stomach increases, and the cardia, a valve in the stomach, becomes weak. This causes acid to enter the esophagus, which in turn leads to heartburn and acid reflux.
3. Do Not Self-medicate
Instead of continuing with this trend of taking antacids to avoid discomfort, it is advisable to go to the doctor. Together – even with the help of a medical test if deemed necessary – find out the origin of that persistent heartburn.
There may be a low diet (excess fat, alcohol, soft drinks, spicy, vinegar ), inappropriate habits (sleeping right after eating, leading a sedentary life that favors overweight, stress ), or illness.
But sometimes the culprit is another drug (anxiolytics, calcium channel blockers, anticholinergics, anti-inflammatories, estrogens, and vitamin C).
4. Are These Types of Drugs Abused?
Both antacids and gastric protectors (many times they are used interchangeably although they were created for different purposes) are the best-selling drugs in our country’s pharmacies, winning the battle even over pain relievers.
This astronomical consumption makes doctors wonder if they are being used for purposes and situations they are not necessary (or sufficient). These formulations are useful in some instances but provided they are taken promptly and with caution.
