Using acid reflux drugs like TUMS and Prilosec raise risk of migraine by up to ... trends now
Using popular over-the-counter heartburn medications like TUMS or Prilosec raises your risk of suffering from migraines by up to 70 percent, a study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Maryland analyzed data on 11,800 people, including 2,100 who took over-the-counter anti-heartburn medications.
This included patients taking antacid treatments containing calcium carbonate, which is used in TUMS, or proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec to ease the burning sensation in the chest.
Twenty-eight percent of participants who took antacids reported suffering from migraines in the previous three months, compared to 24 percent of those who were not using the treatments.
Results showed taking calcium carbonate raised migraine risk by 30 percent, while taking proton pump inhibitors raised the risk by 70 percent.
Researchers warned this could be because the medications dehydrate the body and dehydration is a common cause of migraines.
They also raised concerns over the findings, warning previous research had linked the drugs to dementia — a condition repeated headaches have also been associated with as they raise the risk of damage to blood vessels in the brain.
Antacid medications like Tums may raise your risk of a migraine, according to scientists
Millions take the over-the-counter medications every year due to heartburn — which afflicts more than 60million Americans.
The condition is caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus — the tube running from the mouth to the stomach — causing a burning sensation in the chest.
The treatments have previously been linked to a host of side effects, including nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, gas and a dry mouth.
But this study adds to a growing body of evidence that multiple classes of acid reflux medications could be linked to migraines.
Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey
