Prevalence of drugs for acid-related disorders usage and side effect assessment

Acid suppressant drugs, mainly proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), histamine type-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), and antacids, are among the very frequently used medications in society for various indications. Although generally considered safe, the long-term use of PPIs, in particular, has been associated with various diseases and disorders. In our study, we aimed to determine the frequency of acid suppressant drug use through survey questions directed at 175 volunteers who visited the Eskişehir Osmangazi University Family Medicine Polyclinic, and also to find the relationships between gastroprotective drug use and chronic diseases, the most common acid suppressant drug side effects. We also attempted to discover side effects specific to individual acid suppressant drugs. In our study, 28.6% of the volunteers used a gastroprotective drug. The most frequently used acid suppressant drug is pantoprazole(%36), followed by esomeprazole(%24). The most common indication for acid suppressant drug use is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and dyspepsia, both at a rate of 38%. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis were found to be positively associated with acid suppressant drug use (p-values 0,05 , 0,006 , and 0,021 respectively). Pantoprazole use was found to be positively associated with complaints of constipation and dizziness (p-values 0.025 and 0.002, respectively). Furthermore, gas complaint and bloating are seen significantly more frequently in pantoprazole users compared to esomeprazole users (p=0.024). In light of these results, for patients with complaints of constipation, gas, bloating, and dizziness, we can initiate another drug from PPI group or an H2RA instead of starting pantoprazole, given an appropriate indication. Considering that approximately 85% of patients using acid suppressant drugs in our study use a PPI, for patients with osteoporosis, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease or those with multiple risk factors for developing these diseases, we may try the safer H2RAs instead of a PPI for an appropriate indication.