Skip to main content

What is a PPI?

Couple around a dining table

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are medications that reduce the amount of gastric acid produced by glands in your stomach. After their introduction in 1989, they quickly replaced H2 blockers as the preferred treatment for GERD and other stomach acid-related disorders due to their increased efficacy.

But how exactly do they work? Are there different types? What are the side effects of proton pump inhibitor medications?

Find out everything you need to know about PPIs, including Nexium 24HR, for treating acid reflux and heartburn here.

How Does PPI Medication Work?

Lots of people suffer from increased heartburn symptoms at night. This is because when you lie down to go to sleep, you lose gravity’s effect of helping to keep your stomach acid down where it should be. Proton pump inhibitors work by permanently blocking the H+/K+ ATPase enzyme – or the gastric proton pump – in the stomach’s parietal cells, which is the final stage of gastric acid production. Acid production isn’t completely stopped because the parietal cells are always reproducing.

Put simply, PPIs stop the stomach from producing so much acid, reducing acid reflux and painful heartburn, allowing your irritated esophagus time to heal.

Types of PPI

Types of PPI include:

  • Omeprazole
  • Lansoprazole
  • Pantoprazole
  • Rabeprazole
  • Esomeprazole

 

Nexium 24HR contains esomeprazole and is for people who suffer from heartburn 2 or more days a week. Find out if Nexium 24HR is recommended in your case by answering our quick quiz or talking to your doctor.

Are All PPIs the Same?

All PPIs are chemically similar but they contain different active ingredients. They are all found to heal esophagitis (an irritated esophagus) in 90 to 94% of patients.

If you experience side effects from using one type of PPI, speak to your doctor about switching to another – research has shown that this can ease symptoms in some patients.

H2 Blockers vs PPIs

Why are PPIs generally recommended over H2 blockers? This is because they’re more effective at reducing stomach acid production and relieving heartburn.

It has also been found that the H2 blocker cimetidine can reduce the efficacy of blood thinners, blood pressure medications and antidepressants. As well, H2 blockers in general can become tolerated by the body and less effective at suppressing acid production over time.

You can compare PPIs with antacids and H2 blockers using our guide.

Read More About Heartburn