Doctors have found a link between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole and the resurgence of scurvy, a Victorian disease that can cause bleeding gums among its symptoms
Health experts have issued a warning over an acid reflux drug which could potentially be linked to the resurgence of a Victorian disease.
Cases of scurvy have been rising by 25 per cent since 2007, with factors including reliance on junk food amid the cost of living crisis being blamed. However, experts have warned that omeprazole, a common reflux drug taken by millions of Brits, could also trigger the condition.
Scurvy is a disease caused by a serious vitamin C deficiency – and if left untreated, it can lead to bleeding gums, loosened teeth, tiredness and skin that bruises easily. Now, doctors at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Western Australia have warned that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole could be behind scurvy development.
This is because the drug reduces the production of acid in the stomach, which makes it harder for your body to absorb vitamin C. Doctors first linked the drug to scurvy back in the summer, when a man in his 50s developed a red-brown pinpoint rash that spread from his legs to his hands and arms after taking PPIs and eating a diet lacking vitamin C – as he wasn’t eating fruit and vegetables, and even skipped meals.
After carrying out tests, medics discovered the patient had no vitamin C in his bloodstream and was also missing other key nutrients, which is another sign of scurvy. The man was given daily vitamin C (1000 mg), vitamin D3, folic acid, and multivitamin supplements, which helped his rash disappear and brought his vitamin C levels back to normal.
Doctors said the man had also undergone bariatric weight loss surgery recently and couldn’t afford his prescribed nutritional supplements. The NHS warns that weight loss surgery, which involves making the stomach smaller so it feels fuller more quickly, can make it harder for your gut to absorb vitamins and minerals from food, risking malnourishment. However, patients are usually given a strict diet to follow as well as supplements to prevent this from happening.
The case study authors wrote in the British Medical Journal Case Reports: “Scurvy is still seen as a disease of the past, especially in developed countries.” They added that the rising cost of living also makes it harder for people to afford good-quality nutrition foods, while also mentioning other risk factors including alcoholism, smoking, eating disorders, low household income, obesity, kidney dialysis and drugs that interfere with vitamin C absorption.
They concluded: “Our patient had multiple risk factors, namely, poor dietary habits, obesity, previous bariatric surgery, use of proton pump inhibitors and low-income status. His history of iron, vitamin D and folate deficiencies were also clues to his underlying nutritional deficiency.”
It is estimated that about 15 per cent of the UK population takes PPIs. Between 2022 and 2023, the NHS dispensed 73 million PPI prescriptions in England. These are usually prescribed by your doctor if you have symptoms such as indigestion, acid regurgitation or dyspepsia (an upset stomach) or have a history of stomach ulcers. PPIs are also used to protect your stomach against other medications you are taking, such as aspirin or steroids.
