Home : Unsafe Drugs : Proton Pump Inhibitors : Law Articles : Proton Pump Inhibitors May Lead to Osteoporosis

Proton Pump Inhibitors May Lead to Osteoporosis

Heartburn and acid reflux disease are among some of the most common ailments of US citizens and patients across the world. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is treated in patients by the millions every year in in the U.S.  Therefore, it is not surprising that Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) - a class of stomach acid reduction drugs - represent a $14 billion dollar industry. Since their FDA approval in 2006, PPIs have been prescribed to millions of patients who suffer from heartburn, acid reflux, ulcers and other stomach conditions dealing with the production of hydrochloric acid.

PPIs encompass a number of different brands of prescription and over-the-counter medication. Some of the most popular are Prilosec, Nexium, Aciphex, and Prevacid. As the most powerful stomach acid blocker available, proton pump inhibitors are very popular and patients often wish to stay on them permanently. PPIs are a prevention/relief medication and do not provide any healing or permanent remedy to gastric acid problems. Once a patient goes off of a PPI, the acid reflux will return.

As medications go, PPIs have been regarded by the medical community as relatively safe until recently, when new studies showed increased risk of bone fracture and osteoporosis with long-term use of a PPI. Those patients who have been taking a proton pump inhibitor continuously for 5-7 years are at an increased risk for hip fracture after 5 years of exposure and increased risk for any fracture after 7 years of exposure.

Proton pump inhibitors work by binding to a pump in the stomach and preventing the production and secretion of hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is the cause of many acid-related health problems such as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). However, hydrochloric acid also helps the body to break down and absorb nutrients such as calcium. When hydrochloric acid secretion is prevented by a PPI, it affects the body's ability to absorb calcium effeciently, and thereby causes lower bone density and increased risk of fracture over a long period of time.

Given this information, patients who are already at risk for osteoporosis should weigh the benefits and risks of taking a proton pump inhibitor medication. If you have taken a PPI for many years and feel that it has affected your bone health, you should speak to your physician about whether you should continue or discontinue your use of the PPI. You may also want to contact a qualified personal injury attorney. See below for information on how to contact a qualified PPI lawyer.

Need A Proton Pump Inhibitors Attorney?

First Name Last Name Email Address State
Was Your Health Negatively Affected?

Please Describe the Injury

Your Friend's Email Address

Your Email Address

Type a Message (optional)


Want to contact a District of Columbia Proton Pump Inhibitors lawyer? ...Get a free case evaluation from one of our District of Columbia Proton Pump Inhibitors lawyers now.

 

Close (x)

Looking for an Attorney?


Please type your question:

Close (x)

logo Find Legal Help for Your Proton Pump Inhibitors Case - Submit Your Information Below

Do you need legal assistance with your Proton Pump Inhibitors case?
LegalView may be able to help.


Submit your information below for a free, no-cost evaluation.

We'll submit your information to one of our partner firms.
LegalView's partners represent clients throughout the United States, for a very wide range of legal issues. Submit your information now, to see if one of LegalView's partners can help!

* Indicates Required Fields

First name *
Last name *
Email Address *
Phone Number *
()  -

State *
Legal Issue * Unsafe Drugs: Proton Pump Inhibitors Change
Was There an Injury?
Please Describe The Injury

DISCLAIMER and STATEMENT OF NON-CONFIDENTIALITY

By submitting this form, you agree that completing the above is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship.

Disclosure

Legal WebTV Network LLC, LegalView.com, and LegalWebMedia.com are group advertising sponsored by the attorneys identified here. It is not a lawyer referral service. If you submit information on this website [more...]

Legal WebTV Network LLC, LegalView.com, and LegalWebMedia.com are group advertising sponsored by the attorneys identified here. It is not a lawyer referral service. If you submit information on this website, LegalWebMedia.com will submit your information to the law firms that pay for this group advertising and to respond to your requests for information concerning legal services in their assigned local areas. If there is no sponsoring firm in your state, your inquiry will be submitted to one of the sponsoring law firms on a predetermined, rotating basis. If the sponsoring law firm accepts your case, it will associate with licensed attorneys practicing in your state, if required; the sponsoring law firm may also contact other law firms to see if they may be able to assist.

The information provided by the LegalView.com and LegalWebMedia.com websites is for advertising and informational purposes and should not be considered as legal advice from the sponsoring attorneys. The websites contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments, verdicts, or settlements. LegalView.com contains information created by others or supplied through open forums; the sponsoring law firms are not responsible for the accuracy of this information. Any person viewing or receiving information from these websites should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any such information without first seeking appropriate legal advice from an attorney in your area. Legal WebTV Network, LLC expressly disclaims any liability with respect to actions taken or not taken by the recipient based on any or all of the information or contents contained in these websites.

Any information sent to Legal WebTV Network LLC through this website is done using standard Web encryption techology. LegalView.com will exercise all reasonable care, within technological limits, to protect the confidentiality of any information submitted via Internet e-mail or through this website. By accessing this website, you may be seeking an attorney to represent you or legal advice. However, none of the sponsoring attorneys represent you yet.

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.

Any transmission of information, whether via Internet e-mail or through the website, is solely for evaluation purposes by the sponsoring law firms and their associates. The transmission of any information to any attorney sponsoring advertising on LegalView.com or LegalWebMedia.com does not create an attorney-client relationship between the sender and any recipient. An attorney-client relationship can only be created by a written, signed-fee agreement entered into with an attorney. The sponsoring attorneys will treat your information as a confidential communication for the purpose of obtaining legal services or legal advice.

For more information about the sponsoring law firms, please click here.
This form is secure and encrypted. More information about secure forms and your privacy here.