Do you take Nexium, Prevacid, or a similar medicine to treat heartburn? If so, Cleveland Clinic Wellness has some advice for you.

If you regularly rely on proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) medications to treat heartburn, it’s time for a checkup with your physician. These drugs are extremely effective, but taking them long-term raises your risk for a laundry list of serious health woes, including heart attacks, infections, brittle bones, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, and even an early death. If you’ve been taking PPIs for more than a few weeks, make an appointment with your physician to determine whether you still need it and to create a treatment plan.

The clinic warns, though: “Whatever you do, don’t stop taking PPIs ‘cold turkey.’ Doing so can lead to rebound heartburn — and keep you in a vicious cycle. You can help manage heartburn by losing weight if you need to, eating small meals, avoiding foods that trigger indigestion (such as citrus, peppers, fried foods, garlic, caffeine, and alcohol), allowing for at least three hours between dinner and bedtime, and propping up the head of your bed at night.”