This time in the acid blocker Zantac. Action Alert!
The FDA recently announced that it found Zantac, an acid blocker drug, was contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is classified as a probable human carcinogen. This follows reports that Valsartan, a blood-pressure drug, contained dimethylformamide (DMF), another probable carcinogen. If you or a loved one has taken one of these drugs, you can help us get these dangerous products off the market by visiting our Legal Center.
Unfortunately, being contaminated with a carcinogen is just one in a long list of reasons to avoid taking any kind of acid blocker. We’ve reported extensively on the dangers of these drugs.
For example, we reported on research demonstrating that acid blockers inhibit the lysosomes in every cell in the body. Lysosomes are acidic compartments that act as the cell’s garbage disposal. Without the ability to break down and discard cellular waste products, “garbage” builds up and inhibits the cell’s function, including energy production and detoxification.
Recent studies have revealed a frightening spectrum of side effects caused by acid blockers:
- A large study published in JAMA Neurology found PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) to be linked with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The study found that regular use of PPIs increased the risk for dementia by as much as 52% compared with nonusers.
- Two new studies have linked acid blockers with chronic kidney disease. The increase in risk is cited as 20–50%.
- Another study found that PPIs may raise the risk of heart attack by 15–20%. Other studies have shown that PPIs damage the lining of blood vessels and thus promote cardiovascular events.
- The link with pneumonia and other infectious diseases was established years ago. This may be because acid is a barrier to infectious organisms getting inside your body.
- An analysis of eight different studies, including data from over 1.6 million patients, found that taking heartburn medication during pregnancy significantly increases the risk for asthma for the baby.
Worse still, acid blockers do not address the root cause of stomach trouble, which is often too little stomach acid, not too much. This means that in many cases, taking acid blockers simply makes your stomach problems even worse. Low stomach acid—also called hypochlorhydria—affects about half of the population, especially middle-aged and older people, the ones who typically develop stomach issues. Public health experts say between 60 -70% of people who take these drugs don’t need them.
We suggest consulting with an integrative doctor before deciding to use these ineffective and dangerous drugs. Don’t expect a “conventional” doctor to tell you that stomach pain can be managed using natural medicine, such as supplementing with hydrochloric acid to restore stomach acid—acid-blocking proton pump inhibitor drugs are obscenely profitable and bring in billions for Big Pharma. If you do have too much stomach acid, natural approaches can still be effective. Lifestyle changes can help reduce stomach pain and acid reflux, such as losing weight, eating a healthy diet, and not eating too close to when you go to bed. Supplements that can help include melatonin, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Acid blockers are too dangerous, and used by too many people. Help us remove proton-pump inhibitors and other dangerous drugs like Valsartan from the market by visiting our Legal Center. You can also take action below to support our campaign to improve post-market safety surveillance of drugs and other reforms of our broken drug approval process that allows dangerous drugs on the market.
Action Alert! Write to the FDA and Congress, urging them to support key reforms to the drug approval process. Please send your message immediately.
