Doctors Warn These Common OTC Meds Can Spike Your Risk of Migraines

A burp might sneak up on you after guzzling a bubbly soda or indulging in your favorite fast food, which is to be expected. However, constant belching and heartburn could be a sign of acid reflux. Fortunately, several types of over-the-counter (OTC) medications can nip it in the bud. But if you have these in your medicine cabinet, you might want to take stock because new research indicates that some common OTC meds can increase your risk of migraines.

RELATED: Doctors Warn These OTC Antacids Can Put Your Heart in Danger.

Acid reflux drugs can increase migraine risk, claims a new study.

Acid-reducing drugs can spike your risk of migraines, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology Clinical Practice.

As Cleveland Clinic explains, “Your stomach contents are supposed to travel only one way: Down. When acid from inside your stomach flows backward—meaning, up—into your esophagus and throat, it’s called acid reflux.”

Occasional acid reflux, while uncomfortable, can be treated at home with OTC medications, such as Prilosec or Tums. However, chronic acid reflux can trigger heartburn, stomach ulcers, and in more advanced cases, gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.

It’s estimated that 20 percent of Americans suffer from GERD.

“Given the wide usage of acid-reducing drugs and these potential implications with migraine, these results warrant further investigation,” study author Margaret Slavin, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Maryland in College Park, said in a news release.

Nearly 12,000 participants were involved in the study. Researchers assessed their use of acid-reducing drugs, then compared it to the frequency of reported headaches and migraines in the past 90 days.

They looked at various types of OTC anti-acid drugs, including antacid supplements. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), and lansoprazole (Prevacid), were observed, as were H2 blockers, like cimetidine (Tagamet) and famotidine (Pepcid).

RELATED: Doctors Warn This Popular Med Is “The Most Dangerous OTC Drug.”

Proton pump inhibitors were linked to higher migraine risk.

According to the findings, PPIs users are 70 percent more likely to experience migraines than nonusers.

During the comparison analysis, migraine risk factors like age, sex, and consumption of caffeine and alcohol were adjusted to reflect accurate outcomes for each OTC drug. Here is how the different reducing-acid drugs stacked up against one another.

• 25 percent of participants using PPIs reported having migraines or severe headaches vs. 19 percent who didn’t use PPIs.
• 25 percent of participants taking H2 blockers reported severe headaches vs. 20 percent of nonusers.
• 22 percent of people on antacid supplements had severe headaches vs. 20 percent of nonusers.
• H2 blocker users are 40 percent more likely to suffer from a headache or migraine.
• Antacid supplement users are 30 percent more likely to experience headaches.

RELATED: Doctors Warn This Common Medication May Be Linked to Dementia Risk.

So, should you stop taking acid-reducing drugs?

Common acid-reducing drugs, like Prilosec and Pepcid, are used by millions of Americans to treat heartburn, and they’re relatively safe.

However, like any medication, whether prescribed or available OTC, you must familiarize yourself with its list of potential side effects. And, you should speak with your doctor about starting any new medication, especially if you’re already prone to severe headaches.

“It’s important to note that many people do need acid-reducing medications to manage acid reflux or other conditions, and people with migraine or severe headache who are taking these drugs or supplements should talk with their doctors about whether they should continue,” said Slavin.

Moreover, given that acid reflux and headaches are common symptoms of various health ailments, it’s possible the two aren’t related, but rather a sign of another underlying issue.

Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center who was not involved in the study, pointed to stress as a potential culprit for the two.

“In my clinical practice, I see countless patients with increased life stress causing disabling headaches, and many of these patients’ increased life stress also causes disabling GERD,” he told Medical News Today.

“Patients with increased life stress would also be expected to have more frequent headaches,” he continued. “I am not surprised to see the treatment group requiring the strongest acid decreasing family of medications, PPIs, to have the most frequent headaches as a comorbidity.”