Well over 20 million people in the U.S. alone use PPIs to relieve heartburn and acid reflux. In a study in USA, among those who were prescribed proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) at discharge, 73% had no valid indication. In March 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety announcement, including hypomagnesaemia as a long-term side-effect of PPI based on accumulating evidence. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) released a similar alert in June 2011.
The FDA magnesium recommendation appears in a safety announcement. Agency officials warn that prescription strength proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) may deplete magnesium levels. In most of the cases reviewed by the FDA, magnesium deficiency occurred after one year of starting the drug, but some were deficient within just three months. PPIs may decrease intestinal magnesium (Mg) absorption by interfering with…
