Yesterday, I wrote about Pantoprazole โ the darling of the decade, the pill that has found a forever home in our drawers, handbags, and pockets. The post sparked quite a buzz. Some friends swore by this โmiracleโ pill; others whispered warnings about its darker side โ weak bones, fractures, damaged kidneys, fading B12 stores. Fair points, all true.
But thereโs another twist to the Pantoprazole story โ a quiet, dangerous one. It sometimes hides the face of a heart attack.
Every sixth heart attack doesnโt announce itself with a dramatic clutch of the chest, like a Bollywood climax. It tiptoes in as acidity. A little nausea. A burp. A vomit or two. That uneasy, gassy heaviness after dinner. Someone recalls the extra helping of biryani, blames last nightโs puran poli, and reaches, half-asleep, for their trusted Panto. One pill, a sip of water, and back to bed โ confident their faithful friend will fix everything by morning.
Except this time, it doesnโt. The nausea lingers. The chest feels tight. A shadow of dread creeps in. But denial whispers louder: Not me. Itโs just gas. Iโll be fine.
Hours later, the ECG tells a story their mind refused to hear โ a massive heart attack. The golden window has closed; the heart muscle, gone forever.
Iโve heard this story too many times โ week after week, year after year โ from the educated and the unlettered, the Google-savvy and the gadget-free. The details differ; the ending does not. I hear it during morning rounds, as residents recount another โlate presenter.โ I hear it again from patients and their families โ voices heavy with disbelief and guilt.
I donโt correct them then. Theyโve already lived through the correction. They donโt need to hear that denial cost them a part of their heart. That lesson must wait โ until the wound heals, until the why me quiets down, until they are ready to listen.
What ties all these stories together is one frail human instinct โ denial.
The fear of naming what frightens us most.
So yes, Pantoprazole remains the darling drug of our times.
But like some darlings, it can deceive you with loveโ and sometimes, break your heart.