Long-term Use of Antacids Can Cause B12 Deficiency

Antacids like Prilosec, Nexium and Pepcid are made to relieve your heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gastric ulcers, Cleveland Clinic reports.

But a new study is linking the long-term use of these antacids to deficiencies in vitamin B12. The medications are typically prescribed for short-term use, up to eight weeks, but some people take them for years — which could result in insufficient levels of the vitamin.

A B12 deficiency, if left untreated, may make you anemic, or could even lead to nerve damage or dementia.

Gastroenterologist Brian Kirsh, MD, did not take part in the study, but treats patients at Cleveland Clinic. “These medications block acid production,” he says. “That inhibits proper absorption of vitamin B12.”

Kaiser Permanente researchers studied nearly 26,000 people who were vitamin B12 deficient and compared them to more than 184,000 people without B12 deficiency.

They found that among those with a new diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency, 12 percent were dispensed a two-or-more-year supply of proton pump inhibitors.

Another 4 percent were given a two-or-more-year supply of histamine 2 receptor antagonists.

If you’re concerned because you’ve been taking antacids for a long period without a break, talk to your doctor.