You are right to describe it as a minefield. With the newest info about PPIs increasing the risk of fracture, people already at risk need to proceed with caution or at least with a good plan in effect.

Do you have one doctor who is looking at all of these issues for you or are you going to multiple doctors?

As you appear to already know, asthma like symptoms can be a primary symptom of reflux. Last year my now 10 year old had a chronic cough we could not get rid of despite inhaled steriods and other asthma & allergy meds. I decided to try her back on the Prevacid she'd been off of for 5 years and lo and behold the cough went away. If we stop the Prevacid it's back. The research shows that acid can cause the body to go into a protective asthma like reaction.

But, while my daughter is not osteopenic or osteoporotic, I am very concerned about her bones. We have by now established her long term need for reflux medications. I am concerned that if 5-7 years of use is causing increased risk in 50+ year olds, what is it doing to my 10 year old who should be building bone? We have made an appt with her GI doc whom we haven't seen in 5 years to address just this.

Hopefully, you will be able to get someone who has read the recent research into the concern with PPIs and bone density to look at all of your medical history and come up with a plan to address all of your needs simultaneously. You may need/want to ask for additional bone density monitoring if you need to continue on PPIs.

Good Luck - Stephanie