Medications
One of the very first things any heartburn sufferer will immediately reach is his bottle of antacids. But how effective can this method be? Not as much as we want it to. If you want a more lasting relief — one that can save you from the grueling discomfort even before it starts — here is a quick rundown of acid reflux disease treatments that you can discuss with your doctor.
H2 blockers. These items come as OTC and prescription meds. While H2 blockers, such as Pepcid and, of course, Zantac, used to be the standard treatment for heartburn and GERD, they are no longer prescribed as often now. Yes, they may be the very first meds a doctor will recommend for mild cases, but proton pump inhibitors are so much better in getting rid of painful heartburn and GERD symptoms.
H2 blockers are essentially less expensive than proton pump inhibitors, which makes it the perfec choice for those who are in a budget.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPI). If you have a bad case of GERD, chances are your doctor has prescribed you one of these. These meds, which include Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid, is really the new standard when it comes to treating GERD. PPIs are key to better managing heartburn and GERD: One, by blocking the production of acid in the stomach and, two, by protecting the esophagus and, therefore, allowing it to recover from damages caused by acid reflux.
PPIs are safe and effective and even used by millions of health experts in diagnosis. It is often difficult to distinguish GERD from heartburn. But one effective way to do it is to simply administer PPIs. If they work, a patient probably has GERD. If they don’t, the patient may have something else.
Prokinetics. Your doctor would have prescribed one of the prescription drugs, such as Urecholine and Reglan, if he thinks that speeding up the emptying of the stomach can help your condition. While prokinetics are often prescribed alongside other GERD treatments, more and more experts are starting to agree that they are rarely helpful.
While it may be tempting to permanently get rid of your heartburn or GERD using any of these treatments, it is important that you ask your doctor if you really need it. Do you really need to sign up with a GERD treatment? Most importantly, does your doctor think so?
There are many reasons to treat GERD and heartburn. And good ones at that. GERD and heartburn has proven to be time and again an inconvenience to many people. When left unattended, heartburn and GERD can be debilitating.
But how will you know if you need and even qualify to any of these available GERD treatments. It is not really about severity but more of frequency. If you have been popping antacids like the manufacturer’s closing down the production later and you are still having symptoms, you may want to check with your doctor and ask for a stronger, more effective med.
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