PPIs have become one of the most commonly prescribed therapeutic drug classes. For Dr Farrell, who regularly conducts medication reviews with patients in a geriatric hospital, “It’s as though almost every patient who comes through your door is on a PPI. People take them like water,” she says.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/882150
Studies have shown that between 40% and 65% of prescriptions for a PPI do not have an appropriate indication (ie, acute ulcers, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease [GERD], erosive esophagitis, hyper secretory conditions, prevention of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced ulcers, or treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections).
Chronic use of PPIs is also increasing, even though most indications for PPIs require treatment for only 4-8 weeks, probably because PPIs have been perceived as safe and well-tolerated, Dr Farrell suggests. However, in observational studies, long-term PPI use has been associated with uncommon but serious adverse effects, including hip fracture, community-acquired pneumonia, Clostridium difficile infection, kidney disease, hypocalcaemia, and hypomagnesaemia. This is due to these molecules prevent absorption of dietary calcium from intestines.
In view of the fact that PPIs are not that harmless drugs it is better to defer the use of them as far as possible and once we achieve symptom free period to taper the dose and stop them altogether or substitute with H2 inhibitors which are less harmful.

In 2009 the European Medicines Agency (EMA) highlighted that clopidogrel may be less effective in patients receiving proton pump inhibitors and therefore increase the risk of adverse CV effects [5]. Subsequently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States and the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK advised that use of omeprazole [6, 7] and esomeprazole [6, 8] should be discouraged in patients taking clopidogrel. Clopidogrel is converted to its active metabolite by the liver cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, mainly CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 [8-10]. All PPIs are also metabolised by these isoenzymes [8]. All PPIs can inhibit CYP2C19 to varying degrees.
Though it is claimed that among the PPIs only omeprazole and esomeprazole are incriminated in competing with P450 isoenzymes, I personally think it is better to avoid other PPIs also in view of the serious risk involved when we manage cardiovascular conditions with clopidogrel. Who knows after a few years from now they may come out and say even other PPIs are also same. So what I think I it is prudent to resort to PPIs only when the real gastric symptoms are encountered. But what we see often is that PPIs are co-prescribed with almost all the cardiovascular medicines. Unlike other conditions where the duration of any treatment is usually limited to a short one, in cardiovascular conditions the clopidogrel use is on a long term basis and so likely addition of PPIs can cause uncommon but serious adverse effects, including hip fracture, community-acquired pneumonia, Clostridium difficile infection, kidney disease, hypocalcaemia, and hypomagnesaemia. This is due to these molecules prevent absorption of dietary calcium from intestines.

UA Mohammed