by Zoe Hardy – MSN News
Health officials have warned that long-term use of acid reflux drugs to combat indigestion could increase the risk of developing a potentially deadly bacterial infection.
Acid reflux—when stomach acid repeatedly flows back into the gullet—is a common cause of indigestion, and the burning pain this produces is what most people describe as
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), such as Omeprazole, are one of the UK's most prescribed medications in the UK to treat the condition, with 73million NHS prescriptions dispensed in England in 2022-23.
But the NHS has issued a statement warning against taking the drug for longer than 2 Weeks without a prescription, over fears it could increase the risk of Clostridioides difficile.
Commonly referred to as C. diff, the highly contagious bug, which initially infects the bowel and causes diarrhoea, can trigger life-threatening complications. It kills up to one in five patients that fall ill with it.
C. diff usually lives harmlessly in the bowel, but PPIs such as omeprazole, which work by reducing stomach acid, can throw off the natural balance of bacteria in the organ, increasing the risk of a C. diff infection. …




