What is the medication for acid reflux?

If you’ve ever had a burp that feels like it could burn down a house or felt the fiery pits of hell in your chest after a spicy meal, then congratulations! You’ve experienced acid reflux. This lovely condition occurs when stomach acid flows back into your esophagus and causes discomfort. But fear not, my friend, there is medication available for relief!

What Exactly is Acid Reflex?

Basically, acid reflux happens when the little flap between your stomach and esophagus (a.k.a Lower Esophageal Sphincter/L.E.S) doesn’t close properly. When this happens, stomach acid makes its way up to hang out in your throat (think uninvited house guest). Some people call this “heartburn” because it can feel like actual fire burning in their chest. While some unlucky souls experience lasting pain; others may have more occasional heartburn.

Is HeartBurn And GERD Same?

Now here’s something confusing: Heartburn isn’t always associated with having gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). The main difference between these two is how often you experience symptoms- if they’re more than twice per week , it’s deemed as GERD.

How To Treat Acid Reflux

So what does one do about acid reflux ? One of the most natural things to do would be lifestyle changes which include cutting off alcohol,tobacco products, high-fat meals & other trigger foods (note: depends on individual preference but laying down after eating triggers for many).

However sometimes lifestyle change don’t stop ‘the Burn’. In those situations – Enter medications!

Medications consist mainly of three types : Antacids, H2 blockers,and Proton pump inhibitors(PPIs) .

Let us deep dive into each types:

  1. Antacids

    These dudes work by neutralizing stomach acid this reducing heartburn. You can buy them over the counter without a prescription.

Popular Antacids Common Ingredients
Tums Calcium carbonate
Rolaids Magnesium hydroxide/ calcium carbonate
Mylanta magnesium hydroxide/aluminum hydroxide/simethicone

Keep in mind antacids do have their limitations; they don’t heal inflammation or damage to your esophagus hence cannot replace PPI’s.

  1. Histamine-2 (H2) Blockers

    These target cells that produce acid and block histamine, which normally signals for more acid creation. They cut down on how much HCl your tummy is producing .This class of drugs require doctor’s prescription than antacids.

There are four common types of H2 blockers:

  • Cimetidine (Tagamet HB)
  • Famotidine (Pepcid AC)
  • Nizatidine (Axid AR)
  • Ranitidine(Hismozol/Zantac)

A simple note about Zantac: It was recently found to have an ingredient that may cause cancer – so make sure you skip it!

  1. Proton Pump Inhibitors

    Coming with a fancy name doesn’t mean anything special , except bringing relief to those who’ve tried all others before it.Protection pump inhibitors reduce the amount of acid production in stomach . They work on proton pumps which expel hydrogen ions outside gastric wall meaning lesser Acid produced relative to initial state

Symptoms you experience will determine use frequency and dosage instructed by doctor .

Here’s info-nuggets about popular PPIs –

Some well-known PPIs include:
– Omeprazole (Prilosec, PriLOSEC otc™️)
– Esomeprazole (Nexium, Nexium IV)
– Lansoprazole (Prevacid, Prevacid 24-Hour)
-Rabeprazole(ACIPEX)

The Good,Bad and Ugly of PPIs

Without missing a beat -let’s familiarize ourselves with the important factors about these purple pills.

The Good:

  • It can tread Acid reflux in appropriate dosage.
  • Proven effectiveness on treating GERD .

The Bad:

Nobody’s perfect—even your medication. Some people may experience side effects like diarrhea & headache , dry mouth and feeling nauseous. Long term usage of this class of drug has been linked to increase one’s risk for C-Difficile colonization , pneumonia risks when inhaling bacterial overgrowth present in stomach acid.

The Ugly:

Due to their magic act they’ve been prescribed more than the recommended time without any physical monitoring . This simply means prolonged use comes alongwith some scary consequences such as Osteoporosis,kidney disease or fractures .

Don’t let the scaries stop you though! Everything in moderation (including moderation itself)

Other Therapies?

A-ha! One cannot discard other therapies that are known for combating heartburn alongside medications.LET US JAW-JAW….

  1. Acupuncture

    What? With needles? Heck nah! 。But it actually helps relax shoulder tension which is said to improve digestion hence lessens Acid reflux …

2.Hypnotism

This involves training the body through a series of relaxation techniques guided by hypnotist.With easy stress-less lifestyle,it reduces chances of having added worries leading trigger points.

3.Lifestyle Changes eg:

Avoiding certain triggers example fatty/spicy or greasy food/consuming big meals,too much alcohol at once can keep heartburn away .Elevating head when sleeping is also helpful since lying too flat can cause bile and stomach acid to travel up your body …

  1. Relaxation Techniques

    Like yoga & meditation can help one relax and manage stress hence keeping heartburn at bay .

So now we’ve some ideas of types of medication and other tips but which ones are better ?

Which Medication?

This depends on how severe symptoms might be, or whether it’s something more regular . In general :

  • Antacids: use for occasional relief
  • H2 blockers : work good when you need modest relief ,though they take over 30 minutes before starting showing effects.
    -PPIs – For frequent GERD suffers.

Whether taking antacids,eating bananas,taking PPI’s or Cut off that coffee intake (Lookin’at you Karen !!!), it really stems down to individual discretion as there is no magic bullet. However if the symptoms become dramatic, a consultation with medical professional should always be considered .

Great things come from spreading knowledge like butter across society ~ Gaspere Urbano

Now go forth friend! armed and dangerous against that pesky acid reflex! May your stomach stay calm and your burps less fiery in nature!

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