Heartburn Drugs Linked to Diarrhea

Results of a study conducted by researchers at McGill University in Montreal indicate a link between use of popular heartburn medicines (proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers) and increased risk of severe diarrhea caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile, or C-diff.

From WebMD.com:

Proton pump inhibitors include Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium among others. H2 blockers include drugs such as Zantac, Pepcid, and Tagamet. These are the main medications offered to people suffering from stomach acid problems such as gastritis, GERD (acid reflux disease), or heartburn.

The research team was headed by Dr. Sandra Dial at McGill University. The study is reported in this week's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.