Got Heartburn and Heart Disease? Your Stomach Acid Reducer Matters

If you've been diagnosed with heartburn and are one of the 16 million or so treated annually for heart disease, the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent warning against combining certain heartburn medicines and blood thinners is a wake-up call to make a self-promise in contacting your pharmacist and prescribing doctor as soon as possible in 2010. It is most important to talk about the combination of prescription (Rx) Plavix® and certain over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription stomach acid reducing medications, called proton pump inhibitors (PPI's). These constitute the "do not take together" list.

Plavix vs. Prilosec FDA Warning

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning regarding prescription Plavix® and interactions with the Prilosec® over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn medication, as well as related stomach acid reducing OTC drugs at the November 2009 meeting of the Drug Safety Oversight Board's (DSB) monthly assembly. Cardiology and gastrointestinal medical communities watch for further updates regarding other possible types of heartburn medications and contraindications for use in combination with prescription blood thinners like Plavix®.

The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that patients needing prescription of Plavix® for preventing blood clots to prevent stroke or heart attack do not take Prilosec® in either OTC or prescription form at all. Prilosec® may decrease the effectiveness of the anti-blood clotting properties of the Plavix® and put the patient at nearly a 50% greater risk for heart attack or stroke. This is evident in the FDA report published on November 17, 2009 where it stated the Plavix® effectiveness in blood thinning went down as much as 47% whether or not the Prilosec® was taken at the same time as the Plavix® or 12 hours later.

What is a Heartburn and Heart Disease Patient to Do Now?

Are your heartburn and blood thinner medications in the "do not take together" list? Don't leave this question unanswered, when a call your doctor and pharmacist will make sure your medication combination is safe. Be your own health advocate and feel better.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not in any way a replacement for licensed medical diagnosis, protocol, or treatment. For this or any other medical condition, do not rely on internet information. Always seek advice and counsel of cannot replace counsel of a licensed health practitioner.

Sources

Americanheart.org
accessdatafda.gov
cdc.gov
fda.gov
nlm.nih.gov
nexiumresearch.com