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PPIs are short for proton pump inhibitors. It is a group of drugs used to treat diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. PPIs prevent and treat gastric and duodenal ulcers, as well as heartburn and reflux. How to take them and what is associated with exceeding the permissible doses?
Drugs from the PPI group are designed to reduce the production of hydrochloric acid by the proton pump in the cells of the gastric mucosa. They are much stronger and are more effective than many other drugs that can be used to inhibit stomach acid.
IPP – what is it?
Proton pump inhibitors are rather safe and that is why they are so widely used by doctors. If they cause any side effects, they are usually various harmless gastrointestinal disorders.
The group of PPIs includes, for example, omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, etc. These drugs differ only in the time they take to work. Usually, you need to wait a few days to feel the full effect. However, the effect lasts up to 72 hours.
IPP – Indications
PPIs are mainly used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers. It is worth emphasizing that PPIs prevent the recurrence of these diseases. They are also used in the long-term treatment of peptic ulcers and in patients with bleeding ulcers. PPIs are also found in drugs to treat Helicobabter pylori infection.
The indications for taking PPIs are also reflux and heartburn. They can also be used to treat Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and other diseases that are related to too much acid in the stomach. Sometimes they are also used in the prevention of aspiration pneumonia.
IPP – application
Until recently, PPIs were most commonly used orally, but are increasingly being administered intravenously. Doctors usually order PPIs to be taken once a day immediately before or during a meal. Treatment is usually long and takes several weeks.
PPI – Adverse Effects
PPIs are safe and are unlikely to cause serious side effects. Most of the patients tolerate them very well. Usually these are only digestive system ailments, such as:
- abdominal pain,
- diarrhea,
- constipation
- flatulence
- nausea and vomiting
- headaches.
Less frequently, as a result of taking PPIs, the following occurs:
- increase in liver enzymes
- joint pain,
- dizziness
- sleep disorders,
- malaise,
- skin rashes and itching.
By using PPIs parenterally, severe visual and hearing impairment may also develop. In addition, it is worth knowing that after the withdrawal of IPP, there may be so-called secondary hypergastrinaemia, i.e. increased secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. On the other hand, people taking PPIs for more than 1 year developed hypomagnesaemia, i.e. magnesium deficiency.
Occasionally, in individual cases, people treated with PPIs have, for example, been observed depression, confusion, hallucinations, or even a black color of the tongue.
If PPIs are used for a long time, they may have an effect on the structure of the mucosa. In some cases, atrophic gastritis occurs.
Read more: Medications for heartburn and peptic ulcer disease can increase the risk of a heart attack
IPP – Overdose
Overdosing of PPIs is very rare. Symptoms of PPI overdose are weakness and various gastrointestinal discomfort. Only the symptoms can be treated as there is no antidote.
Sometimes PPIs are taken without medical indications, and patients, due to lack of time, take them on their own without consulting a doctor. Such abuse of IPP is a serious problem on a huge scale. PPI drugs are among the most prescribed drugs in the world. This situation is conducive to overdosing and abuse of PPIs. Then it is easier to get side effects of drugs, such as changes in the composition of the intestinal flora and, as a result, irritable bowel syndrome and other intestinal diseases.
IPP – natural substitutes
Hardly anyone is aware of the fact that there are natural products that contain substances with an effect similar to drugs from the PPI group. Thanks to them, we will naturally limit the secretion of gastric juices. If we do not want to take medications, for example, baking soda or apple cider vinegar will help. It is also worth reaching for aloe juice or watermelon.
However, if the symptoms persist, it is worth going to a doctor who will select the appropriate medications and order all the necessary tests.
Before use, read the leaflet, which contains indications, contraindications, data on side effects and dosage as well as information on the use of the medicinal product, or consult your doctor or pharmacist, as each drug used improperly is a threat to your life or health.