Antacid Medications

Adequate stomach acid is said to break down food quickly and prevent fermentation and discomfort. The article rejects the premise that acid reflux usually results from excessive stomach acid. Patients taking PPIs to treat H. pylori face two simultaneous mechanisms of B12 depletion: one from the infection and one from the drug. Antacid medications create a self-reinforcing cycle by depleting stomach acid, which triggers the same symptoms they are meant to relieve. PPIs dramatically reduce stomach acid production, preventing B12 from being freed from dietary proteins and consistently depleting B12 with long-term use. Antacids, including proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers, raise stomach pH above the 1–3 range required for pepsin activation, directly blocking B12 liberation. General antacids impair absorption of all minerals broadly by neutralizing stomach acid. The article asserts that most people with heartburn have insufficient stomach acid. Antacids further reduce already-insufficient stomach acid. Antacids suppress acid production, reinforce hypochlorhydria, and create dependence on ever-increasing doses. Both antacids and antibiotics create a dependency cycle where symptoms…