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 come to be through the mail and I don't know whether there is an electronic version available - hence to 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 absorbtion 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 left 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.)