How To Take Proton Pump Inhibitors?

Did You Know?
Proton pump inhibitors are estimated to cost Americans 11 billion dollars each year.
Proton–pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a group of drugs that are used to treat gastric issues. However, long-term usage of PPIs can lead to various side-effects. So it’s really important to take PPIs as recommended by your health care provider. Here are few things that you must need to know before using PPIs:
Which Conditions are Appropriate for Short-Term PPI Use?
Here are some conditions in which an individual can use PPI for short period of time.
a. GERD
- An individual can go for an eight week PPI therapy course at an initial stage.
- Individuals on long-term usage are recommended with a trial of lower dose, on-demand therapy, or intermittent therapy to minimize exposure.
b. Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers
An individual can be recommended with FDA approved regimens to heal ulcers. It might take 4-8 weeks of time to heal.
c. Pylori
Health care provider can recommend an individual with first-line PPI-containing regimens.
d. Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis
Reserve stress ulcer prophylaxis with PPIs for ICU patients with at least one of the following:
- Coagulopathy (platelet count <50,000 mm3, INR >1.5, or aPTT >2 times control)
- Mechanical ventilation for >48 hours
- History of GI ulceration or bleeding within one year of admission
- Thermal injury to >35% of body surface area
- Multiple trauma
- Hepatic failure
- Partial hepatectomy
- Glasgow Coma score ≤10
- Transplantation preoperatively in the ICU
- Spinal cord injury
Few of the side-effects an individual can experience are:
- Occult bleeding lasting at least six days
- Sepsis
- ICU stay of more than one week
- High-dose corticosteroids (>250 mg/day of hydrocortisone)
Which Conditions May Require Long-Term PPI Therapy?
Refractory GERD
An individual not responding to short term PPI therapy after 2-3 months, might need to under-go long-term PPI therapy.
- An individual can be recommended to take H2 blocker as a bedtime dosage for nighttime symptoms.
- Healthcare provider can change PPI, or may double the dose, or add Metoclopramide to individuals not responding to short term PPI.
Erosive Esophagitis
- Health care providers might consider maintenance PPI therapy with continued symptoms after an 8 week trial of PPI. The dose and length of therapy is determined by the severity of disease and the specific PPI being used.
- Doctors’ can recommend lowest effective dose, including on-demand or intermittent therapy during maintenance therapy.
Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
- Higher PPI doses at an initial stage. Doctors’ can lower the dosage as gastric output decreases.
- If gastric output volumes are not an option, doctors’ might suggest using symptom control (e.g., pain, diarrhea) to monitor dosage titrations.
- Recommend using the lowest effective dose.
NSAID-Induced Ulcers
- Patients with ulcer history, might be recommended with PPI with an NSAID to reduce the incidence of recurrent bleeding by 4% to 6% over a six-month period.
- Moreover, PPI use with COX-2 inhibitors decreases recurrent bleeds by almost 9% over one year.
- Doctors’ can recommend PPIs with a COX-2 inhibitor for patients with a GI bleed history.
Chronic Anticoagulation After a GI Bleed
- Recommend PPIs for patients on anticoagulants after an upper GI bleed.
Barrett’s Esophagus
- Individuals suffering from Barrett’s esophagus are recommended with once-daily treatment with a PPI.
- They may also reserve double daily dose for individuals with poor control on once-daily PPI therapy.
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