Nexium and Osteoporosis

I take a Nexium capsule every morning so I'm interested in news about Nexium.

This month's issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter has a piece about the increased risk of osteoporosis from taking drugs like Nexium to stop acid reflux. The Mayo Clinic Health Letter comes to me through the mail and I don't know whether there is an electronic version available - hence no way to let you click through to read the piece for yourself.

The issue is that to stop acid reflux you either take one of the proton pump inhibitors (like Nexium, Aciphex, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix, Zegerid) or take one of the H-2 receptor blockers (like Pepcid, Zantac) but they reduce proper absorption of calcium from food. As a result bones become weaker and down the line there is the possibility of a fractured hip.

Not taking Nexium, or one of the others, is not a good option because you get acid reflux back and untreated you could eventually be dealing with a cancer in the throat.

The Mayo Clinic answer is to:

• keep taking the pill for acid reflux
• take your calcium supplement in the form of calcium citrate
  
• take the calcium supplement multiple times spread through the day
• increase calcium from food e.g. dairy if dairy is part of your diet, dark green veggies
• make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D (for most people that means supplementing with Vitamin D in Winter and even in Summer if you always go out with sunblock already applied.)

Nothing these days is simple - even taking something as low tech as calcium.
If you might have kidney stones, parathyroid disease even taking specific antibiotics, then you'll need detailed medical advice.