According to Wikipedia, Nexium, the successor of Prilosec, is the second highest selling pharmaceutical drug on the market. Selling almost $1.5 billion in the FIRST QUARTER OF 2013 alone, I believe this drug, along with all others in the proton pump inhibitor class, is the most dangerous of all drugs! Why do I say this? Simple, by taking proton pump inhibitor drugs over a long period of time (I took them from 1991 till 2012 when I started on Youngevity’s products) will put the unwitting user in danger of an almost endlist list of other chronic diseases! I’m sure you’re curious as to how this is possible - read on…
First, the list of side effects from taking this drug is long and distinguished - the list below comes from WebMD and is broken down into three categories: ‘Common, Infrequent and Rare’ as well as the severity of each:
Does Prilosec OTC oral have side effects?
The following side effects are associated with Prilosec OTC oral:
Common side effects of Prilosec OTC oral:
Head Pain Less Severe
Stomach Cramps Less Severe
Infrequent side effects of Prilosec OTC oral:
Acute Infection of the Nose, Throat or Sinus Severe
Incomplete or Infrequent Bowel Movements Less Severe
Itching Less Severe
Backache Less Severe
Dizzy Less Severe
Fever Less Severe
Cough Less Severe
Chest Pain Less Severe
Feel Like Throwing Up Less Severe
Throwing Up Less Severe
Gas Less Severe
Diarrhea Less Severe
Feeling Weak Less Severe
Rare side effects of Prilosec OTC oral:
Sudden Blindness and Pain Upon Moving the Eye Severe
Pancreatitis Severe
Atrophic Gastritis Severe
Abnormal Heart Rhythm Severe
Bronchospasm Severe
Liver Failure Severe
Hepatitis Severe
Interstitial Nephritis Severe
Urinary Tract Infection Severe
Bloody Urine Severe
Clostridium Difficile Bacteria Related Colitis Severe
Erythema Multiforme Severe
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Severe
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Severe
Hives Severe
Fungal Infection of the Esophagus Severe
Elevation of Proteins in the Urine Severe
Abnormal Liver Function Tests Severe
Broken Bone Severe
Life Threatening Allergic Reaction Severe
Giant Hives Severe
Low Blood Sugar Severe
Low Amount of Sodium in the Blood Severe
Acquired Decrease of All Cells in the Blood Severe
Anemia Severe
Decreased Blood Platelets Severe
Deficiency of Granulocytes a Type of White Blood Cell Severe
Decreased Neutrophils a Type of White Blood Cell Severe
Increase of White Blood Cells Severe
Blurred Vision Less Severe
Ringing in the Ears Less Severe
Benign Polyps in Stomach Less Severe
High Blood Pressure Less Severe
Dry Mouth Less Severe
Painful, Red or Swollen Mouth Less Severe
Irritable Colon Less Severe
Enlarged Breasts Less Severe
Skin Inflammation Less Severe
Sun-Sensitive Skin Less Severe
Hair Loss Less Severe
Dry Skin Less Severe
Joint Pain Less Severe
Muscle Pain Less Severe
Cramps Less Severe
Sensation of Spinning or Whirling Less Severe
Low Energy Less Severe
Excessive Sweating Less Severe
Pain Less Severe
Taste Problems Less Severe
Rash Less Severe
Fluid Retention in the Legs, Feet, Arms or Hands Less Severe
Small Reddish-Purplish Pin-Point Sized Spots on the Skin Less Severe
Loss of Appetite Less Severe
Abnormal Stool Color Less Severe
Swelling of the Abdomen Less Severe
Numbness and Tingling Less Severe
Not Feeling Well Less Severe
Low Amount of Magnesium in the Blood Less Severe
Large Purple or Brown Skin Blotches Less Severe
Now lets consider the primary reason I don’t like this class of drugs; THEY REDUCE STOMACH ACID WHICH IS VITAL FOR NUTRIENT DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION! I’ve experienced this first hand. In 1991 while on the police force I started to experience extreme gastric reflux. It was so bad that if I just drank water it would feel like I was swallowing fire. My doctor (M.D.) told me I was producing too much stomach acid (where have we heard that before) although she couldn’t tell me how or why that was happening. She put me on Axid, a proton pump inhibitor. Eventually it stopped working and I was switched to Prilosec.
Taking these drugs for so many years kept my stomach acid so low that I couldn’t digest the little bit of nutrition I was getting in my food, let alone absorb much of it. Couple reduced nutrition with jogging and bicycling on a daily basis and I was "burning my nutrtitional candle at both ends.” I knew these drugs were bad for me and had bad side effects to boot. I searched and searched for a natural solution to the reflux that would allow me to stop taking them, but nothing I tried ever worked for more than a few days. This continued for twenty-one years until I began listening to Dr. Wallach’s radio show, “Dead Doctors Don’t Lie.” I learned the truth about what caused my problem and got on the Healthy Start Pak. I stopped taking Prilosec the same day (April 22, 2012) and I haven’t had a single problem with gastric reflux since! Once I got the calcium my stomach needed to produce strong stomach acid and to control the sphincter muscle at the base of my esophagus my heart-burn problem was solved.
Unfortunately, more damage had already been done. The problem with Prilosec and drugs of this type is that when they reduce stomach acid they create more problems than they solve! Without strong stomach acid it’s impossible to digest and absorb the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids (90 Essential Nutrients) that your body needs to stay healthy! So, since I wasn’t absorbing much nutrition I began to exhibit signs of chronic health issues like high blood pressure, degenerative disk disease, arthritis, lack of sleep, frequent urination, ‘floaters’ in my eyes, and the list goes on! Because of my extreme, physically active life style these issues began long before I reached the age of 50. The great news is that since I’ve been on the Youngevity Healthy Start Paks all of these conditions have reversed and I’m feeling better every day!
My experience isn’t unique; anyone who takes proton pump inhibitors for any length of time will experience their own set of debilitating chronic health issues; it’s just a matter of time. Just as many believe that beer is the gateway to alcoholism, or marijuana is the first step to drug addiction (I’m not suggesting this, I’m just saying that many people believe this) I believe that proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Axid, Privicid, Nexium, etc.) are without a doubt the gateway to chronic health issues. Doctors who prescribe them aren’t doing their patients any favors.
And that’s just my (not so) humble opinion!