How Acid Blockers Harm Your Thyroid

Did you know that acid blockers can be harmful to your thyroid gland? Acid blockers are commonly used to treat conditions like acid reflux which thyroid patients are prone to experience! Acid blockers, such as proton pump inhibitors and h2 blockers, cause several issues for thyroid patients. What are acid blockers? Acid blockers work by blocking the production of acid in the stomach. They are used to treat many diseases but most frequently for acid reflux. It may not sound like a problem to block acid but it can be. It turns out your body needs the acid your stomach produces to do several different things and if you can't produce it then you may start to experience certain issues. In addition, acid blockers were never designed for long-term use and yet that's how many people use them. Acid blockers were designed to be used for no more than 2 weeks at any given time and yet many people are using them for years and years without any breaks. How do you know if you are taking an acid blocker? Check out this list of names: H2 blockers = zantac, pepcid, tagamet, fluxid PPI or proton pump inhibitors = dexilant, nexium, prevacid, prilosec, protonix (all end in -prazole) Why are they harmful to your thyroid? They may result in any (or all) of the following issues: - Decreased thyroid hormone absorption - Magnesium deficiency - Iron deficiency - B12 deficiency - Increased risk of intestinal dysbiosis and SIBO - May increase your risk of developing food sensitivities - May lead to inflammation which can negatively impact thyroid conversion What should you do if you are taking an acid blocker? Instead of reducing acid levels try to SOLVE the problem. Common triggers include food sensitivities (dairy), imbalance of gut bacteria, low stomach acid (many people benefit from taking more acid and enzymes), and improving gut MOTILITY. If you treat these problems you should be able to get off of your acid blocker. Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thy