Stomach acid drugs and risks of Clostridium difficile

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have notified the public that the use of stomach acid drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD). A diagnosis of CDAD should be considered for patients taking PPIs who develop diarrhea that does not improve. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are marketed under various brand and generic drug names as prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) products. They work by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. Prescription PPIs are used to treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers, and inflammation of the esophagus. Over-the-counter PPIs are used to treat frequent heartburn. Some of the drugs include: AcipHex (rabeprazole sodium) Dexilant (dexlansoprazole) Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) Omeprazole (omeprazole) Over-the-Counter (OTC) Prevacid (lansoprazole) and OTC Prevacid 24hr Prilosec (omeprazole) and OTC Protonix (pantoprazole sodium) Vimovo (esomeprazole magnesium and naproxen) Zegerid (omeprazole and Sodium bicarbonate) and OTC The FDA has stated that it is working with manufacturers to include information about the increased risk of CDAD with use of PPIs in the drug labels. For more details, see the FDA.