Experts warn that medications for heartburn can cause colitis.

Scientists have analyzed data from 16 studies involving more than 7703 people infected with Clostridium difficile. This is the main causative agent of pseudomembranous colitis – a disease which symptoms are diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain. About 50% of volunteers took medications for heartburn, Zee News reported.

Almost every 20th participant had an infection relapse caused by Clostridium difficile in 20 days after the previous episode. The recurrence rate of the disease associated with Clostridium difficile was 22.1% among volunteers taking medication for heartburn and 17.3% – among those who did not take such medications.

The researchers say when medications for heartburn neutralize the acid, they also affects bacteria living in the intestine. Due to this fact the risk of infection caused by Clostridium difficile is increased. This is a serious problem, because the probability of subsequent infections is significantly increased after three or more cases of the disease.

Source: Zee News.