BENGALURU: Antacids may provide relief from stomach ulcers, heartburns and severe acidity-related issues. But make sure you consult a doctor before taking them indiscriminately. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) issued a communication to all state drug controllers to direct manufacturers and marketers of proton pump inhibitors (PIPs) — medicines used to treat stomach acid — to display the adverse drug reaction warning, ‘
acute kidney injury
’, on them.
PIPs such as
Omeprazole
,
Pantoprazole
, Rabeprozole, Lansoprozole, Dexlansoprazole, Ilaprazole, Esomeprazole, Dexrabeprazole will henceforth have to carry the warning message. The widely used ‘gastric’ drugs, as they are commonly called, are consumed by many patients without prescription for symptoms like heartburns.
In its direction, DCGI has said pharmaceutical companies have to keep the consumer informed about the adverse reaction of the specific drugs through a patient information leaflet.
Nephrologists, however, say they haven’t come across cases in India where the drug has caused adverse reaction leading to renal failure. “In the last 30 years of my career as a nephrologist, I have not seen any case where a person has suffered renal failure due to
antacid
drug usage. However, we will have to go by what the DCGI has said,” said Dr Sankaran Sundar, former chairperson, Indian Society of Nephrology.
The DCGI direction has already made many kidney patients wary. Apart from those who battle acute gastritis and stomach ulcers and use antacids regularly, patients who have undergone organ transplants too are prescribed antacids.
“We too are puzzled about what to prescribe. Some patients have raised this issue fearing the antacids they are consuming could cause further damage to their kidneys. Post kidney transplants, along with immunosuppressant drugs, a patient has to take antacids. The only alternative we have now is another molecule called famotidine,” said Dr Deepak Kumar C, chief consultant, nephrologist and transplant physician, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwantpur.
Gastroenterologists agree that these drugs have sideeffects if taken for months on end. “Long-term use of antacids can cause kidney problems as they lead to Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and magnesium deficiency in the body. Many patients with acute gastritis take these medicines without prescription and keep using them for several weeks. Using these drugs without medical advice could be harmful,” said Dr Ravindra BS, director of gastroenterology, Fortis hospital.
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