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Natural Health News Articles
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| Posted: 7th August 2004 |
| Proton pump inhibitor (e.g.anti-ulcer drugs) |
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Proton pump inhibitors are a group of drugs whose main action is pronounced and long-lasting reduction of gastric acid production. The group followed and has largely superseded another group of pharmaceuticals with similar effects, but different mode-of-action, called H2 antagonists.
These drugs are utilized in the treatment of many conditions such as:
dyspepsia
peptic ulcer disease (PUD)
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD/GERD)
Mechanism of action
Proton pump inhibitors act by irreversibly blocking the hydrogen-potassium adenosine triphosphatase enzyme system (the K+/H+-ATPase, or more commonly just proton pump) of the gastric parietal cell. The proton pump is the terminal stage in gastric acid secretion, being directly responsible for secreting H+ ions into the gastric lumen, making it an ideal target for inhibiting acid secretion.
Targetting the terminal-step in acid production, as well as the irreversible nature of the inhibition, result in a class of drugs that is significantly more effective than H2 antagonists and reduces gastric acid secretion by up to 99%
Examples of proton pump inhibitors
Clinically used proton pump inhibitors:
Omeprazole (brand names: Losec®, Prilosec®)
Lansoprazole (brand names: Prevacid®, Zoton®)
Esomeprazole (brand names: Nexium®)
Pantoprazole (brand names: Protonix®, Somac®)
Rabeprazole (brand names: Aciphex®, Pariet®)
Adverse effects
Proton pump inhibitors are generally well tolerated, and the incidence of adverse effects is relatively uncommon. The range and occurence of adverse effects are similar for all of the proton pump inhibitors, though they have been reported more frequently with omeprazole. This may be due to its longer availability and hence clinical experience.
Common adverse effects include: headache, nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue, dizziness. |
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