I just want everyone to be aware that protein pump inhibitors like Nexium block the absorption of calcium and you need to talk to your doctor about ways to counteract this effect, ESPECIALLY if you have a history of osteoporosis in your family. I've been taking these drugs since I was 22--mostly Nexium, but also Prevacid and Prilosec--and now at the young age of 32, I already have osteoporosis and I've shrunk 1 1/2 inches since I was married seven years ago. (I'm now a 1/2 inch shorter than my husband, although I was an inch taller than him when we got married, which is why I first realized I needed to get a bone scan!)It makes me furious that the drug companies are calling for further studies to substantiate this link between their medicines and bone loss/fractures, questioning the veracity of studies done to date. They need to be warning people NOW, not years down the road! I have to take these drugs, because I have horrible horrible reflux, so I don't know what to do, but I'm talking to my doctor tomorrow about possible treatments.
Re: I Think Nexium Caused My Osteoporosis at Age 32
Yes, it's between a rock and a hard place. I have Osteporosis as well.
Your reflux should be pretty well controlled after all these years. Have you tried to go off of it with a special diet also?
Re: I Think Nexium Caused My Osteoporosis at Age 32
My GERD is pretty awful. Without meds, I'd definitely get heartburn everyday and probably throw up almost every morning. (I've been checked for every other possible condition, and the only other things wrong with me are very mild gastritis and a small hiatal hernia.) I've definitely done a lot to change my diet--no citris, no coffee, no caffeine at all actually (except for the small amount in green tea), no raw vegetables until after dinner, no sodas, and a very limited amount of greasy foods--and despite these changes and the meds I take, I still get heartburn on occasion. (If I forget to take the Nexium, I'll typically have heartburn by 2 pm.) A year ago, I switched from Prilosec to Nexium because I was having a lot of breakthroughs, and I was sick for a month while adjusting to the medication change. (I thought they were pretty much the same thing!) Anyway, I don't think I could live without this medication, unless there's something that I haven't tried that could work just as well. I'm off to see my doctor, so I'll have to see what she says!
Re: I Think Nexium Caused My Osteoporosis at Age 32
Well, I found out from my doctor that I have Osteopenia, not full-flown Osteoporosis, so I'm thankful for that, but my doctor has expressed great concern at my having it so young. She's sending me to an endocrinologist since my case is unusual and since I'm thinking about starting a family. (Many of the available treatments are a no-no during pregnancy.) She also wants me to stop birth control pills permanently--something about progesterone levels. Yet another sign that it's time for me to have a baby! If anyone has any experience treating bone loss during pregnancy, I would appreciate any advice!
I Think Nexium Caused My Osteoporosis at Age 32 
Re: I Think Nexium Caused My Osteoporosis at Age 32 
