Acid Reflux Over The Counter

To neutralize gastric acid that is regurgitated upward from the stomach because of gastroesophageal reflux, an Acid Reflux Over The Counter medication can help. If you are one of the millions of people who get heartburn symptoms at least once a month, then you are probably looking for ways to relieve your acid reflux. OTC antacids give immediate short-term relief for people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

 

Even when acid reflux symptoms are neither severe nor frequent enough to necessitate prescription medication, people can still manage their acid reflux with much help from their pharmacists. A pharmacist can reasonably be expected to be knowledgeable about not only prescription heartburn medication, but also acid reflux over the counter remedies. They may also know about lifestyle changes that can have an impact on relieving day-to-day heartburn.

 

Even though changes in your lifestyle can help in easing acid reflux symptoms, your recurrent acid reflux may still require medication to reduce your discomfort. Luckily, you have plenty of options for acid reflux over the counter medication.

 

Some different kinds of heartburn medication should be considered. When most people have heartburn, they tend to choose antacids, which take effect quickly but are also short-acting. If you take an antacid during the night, you could wake up in a couple of hours with heartburn again. Antacids such as Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums are widely available.

 

In the long run, H2 receptor blockers are more effective than antacids. You can take an acid reflux over the counter medication like Zantac OTC (hydrochloride of ranitidine) early if you know you will have a big meal or you might be eating some foods that you otherwise avoid. This H2 blocker can be taken one or two hours in advance so that it can suppress the acid causing heartburn symptoms before they can start.

 

Some heartburn medications combine antacids with H2 blockers. An example is Pepcid Complete, a preparation that gives a fixed combination of famotidine and antacid. You could also try taking your own preferred antacid with an H2 receptor blocker.

 

People who get two or more episodes of acid reflux in a week can benefit from taking a fourteen-day course of Prilosec OTC, an acid reflux over the counter drug that is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). As a standard treatment for frequent heartburn, a PPI prevents acid production more completely and for a longer time. Take a PPI half an hour to an hour before a full meal to make the most of its effect. The fourteen-day course of PPIs can be tried up to three times in one year. After that, people who still have recurrent heartburn should request a physician referral for GERD long-term therapy.