GERD Drugs (PPI) Cause Esophageal Cancer - The Very Disease They Should Prevent

[Mito]

Before PPI’s and the H2-blocker were marketed, antacids and coating agents(Sucralfate) were used for heatburn and ulcers, and provided some relief. (Sucralfate includes aluminum in its chemical complex. Some antacids also contain aluminum. Aluminum intake is concerning, and potentially dangerous.

https://raypeatforum.com/community/...ents-and-suggestions.9806/page-53#post-321633

 

[freyasam]

Please have your father’s doctor note that BOTH the studies noting association of PPI’s with increased esophageal cancer AND with increased stomach cancer found that BY COMPARISON the GERD-relieving H2 blockers (famotidine and its cousins) did NOT increase the cancer risk.

That is, the H2-blocker category is more safe relating to cancer risk, to treat the same condition. There’s no question that H2 blockers are sometimes effective for relieving GERD. Other pharmaceutical categories have effectiveness for GERD too. The specialty “position papers”-FOR ADULTS-say that PPI’s work better. (It is too time intensive to critique these studies.) I know many people who switched from PPI’s to famotidine and got at least as good relief from GERD while eliminating some PPI side effects.

Plus, if the doctor(s) are concerned about esophageal cancer prevention, are they considering aspirin or assisting, if applicable, with smoking cessation?
http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/9/11/828.long
“There is medium-level evidence of a preventive effect of tobacco smoking cessation in relation to the risk of EAC.”
“Use of NSAIDs, both aspirin and non-aspirin, seems to prevent EAC[Esophageal adenocarcinoma], and results from RCTs are approaching.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28954042
“Eight studies demonstrated that both proton pump inhibitors and histamine H2 receptor antagonists were effective against typical manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease, and that there was no evidence of benefit in combining the latter to the former or in routinely prescribing long-term maintenance treatments.”
“CONCLUSION: Proton pump inhibitors or histamine H2 receptor antagonists may be used to treat children with gastroesophageal reflux disease,…”

Thank you very much for the studies and info! I appreciate it.

I've also have (untreated) GERD for several years. Maybe I will try an H2 blocker as well.

My dad and I both have thalassemia minor which affects blood clotting. So I have been hesitant to take daily aspirin or try to get him to take it because I thought it might thin the blood too much. Does anyone know if this is a risk?

 

[Owen B]

I may be reading the science wrong but I thought one of the main contributors of EC (with respect to the PPIs and the H2 blockers) was that in shutting down acid production these drugs force the stomach to start spewing out gastrin which is much stronger than acid. Hypergastrenemia results.

The high stomach acid theory of GERD is an artifact of the companies manufacturing these drugs. There is no known medical condition that corresponds to chronically high stomach acid. High acid is not the sole, necessary cause of GERD. One could get reflux from a thimblefull of acid or from a larger amount.

The question that no one asks is, How does the acid get from the stomach to esophogus/throat? What's the vehicle? Does it take the stairs, the elevator or a taxi? I think that gas, forcing up past the lower stomach valve from the SI and/or gas in the stomach forcing up past the upper valve into the esophogus/throat is the vehicle. It mixes with gas to form a vapor, presses up against the upper valve, reduces it's tone and moves up the esophogus.

It's probably happening more than most people realize; the acute burning sensation that some people get is the exception and makes people receptive to the idea that "high stomach acid" is the culprit.

The hypergastrenemia will eventually cause the very kinds of problems that the pills are designed to prevent.

Try and eliminate the kinds of foods that the stomach/SI cannot really digest (grains, glutens, fiber, fiber supplements, gums, pectins, beans) and your gas levels will go down. Add in some Lapodin, maybe some antibiotics every now and then and one could steer clear of these dangerous drugs.

 

[Mito]

There is no known medical condition that corresponds to chronically high stomach acid.

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

 

[Owen B]

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

OK, but there's not a lot of people running around with the kind of tumor that causes the problem (which is excess gastrin).

I was trying to make a point more about the audacious dishonesty of drug companies when they manufacture "conditions" and "illnesses" out of whole cloth.

BTW, Wikipedia recommends taking PPIs and H2 blockers for Zollinger-Ellison, which will probably only increase gastrin and worsen the effects of the tumor. What causes the tumor though I couldn't say.