Knowing When It's Time to Consider Acid Reflux Medication

If you have been recently diagnosed with acid reflux disease, you may be thinking about acid reflux medication as treatment for it.

As you work with your doctor, he or she will want to try other treatment options before putting you on prescription acid reflux medication.

If the other treatments are not doing anything for your acid reflux problem, your doctor may want to put you on some type of acid reflux medication.

Other Treatments to Try Before Taking Acid Reflux Medication

You doctor will want you to try to change your lifestyle before prescribing acid reflux medication. These changes include cutting the amount of alcohol and coffee you take, giving up smoking, avoiding certain foods that trigger your acid reflux, and keeping your weight to a manageable level. You will also need to change the way you eat by having smaller meals more often. All these lifestyle changes will help you to control the acid that is produced.

When There is No Other Choice but the Acid Reflux Medication

When you have tried all the lifestyle changes that your doctor has given you and there is still no change -or it is not a noticeable one, you may need to add some over-the0counter acid reflux medication. Antacids will help you to keep your acid level down. You may be also asked to take the antacids right before the doctor runs tests so that your doctor can decide if the problem is acid reflux or something else. It is not necessary for your doctor to do anything more if the non-prescription acid reflux medication is working.

However, if the acid reflux medication does not work or shows little improvement with the heartburn, the damage that can be done gets more serious. Your doctor may want to try another method of treatment to stop any problems with the larynx and esophagus and the pain that comes with it. Your doctor may go to the next step and prescribe some stronger acid reflux medication for you.

You will need to follow the directions and take it on a regular basis. There is not really a time frame on how long you may be taking the acid reflux medication. The acid reflux medication will include histamine-2 blockers. They are commonly known as Zantac or Pepcid. You may also take proton-pump inhibitors called Prilosec or Prevacid. These acid reflux medications will also be taken before any tests are run to make sure that they are working for you.


Acid reflux sufferers have many treatments that are available to them. Your doctor will have many different options he or she may want you to try before the next step is taken. Your doctor will give you the acid reflux medication only after you have tried changing your lifestyle and doing so has not worked for you. When you find the right acid reflux medication to help you, you will find the relief that you have been looking for.