Best answer:

Answer by nochocolate
You’re taking it. But if you’re overweight, your acid reflux can’t get better. I like to use TUMS but you can’t take over 10 a day.

I suggest going to the doctor, I have heard of operations for severe acid reflux.

http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/fundoplication-surgery-for-gastroesophageal-reflux-disease-gerd

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Article by Andrew Bicknell

When it comes to acid reflux medication there is a plethora of choices to choose from. Depending on how bad the symptoms are will go a long ways to determining whether you need an over-the-counter medication or a stronger prescription drug.

Before you begin taking medication for gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) your doctor will recommend that you undergo some lifestyle changes first. This can include eating a healthier diet avoiding those foods that set off symptoms, stopping smoking, and stress reduction. If these changes do alleviate the symptoms of your acid reflux disease to a satisfactory level then a drug to help control acid secretions will be added to the treatment regimen.

The two main purposes of using a medication to treat GERD are; alleviate the symptoms of discomfort, pain, heartburn, and bitter taste that this condition causes, and give the esophagus a chance to heal along with preventing further damage and complications.

For those who suffer occasional bouts of acid reflux or who have more mild symptoms an over-the-counter medication is usually a good choice. For more severe symptoms a doctor will be able to prescribe stronger prescription medications. How often one has to take these medicines is dependent on the occurrence and severity of the symptoms. Some people will only need their medications on those days when symptoms flare up while other may need to take theirs daily.

There are four major groups acid reflux medications being used today and they consist of;

1. Antacids

Best answer:

Answer by Tiffany
How old is the child? reflux med is safe but, you should always ask your doctor before giving to a child. my 6 month old son is on zantac and previcid for acid reflux.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

This is a reply to reedmoh’s comments to my video I Hate Being Interrupted… so you should probably read those before you watch this.

But is your medication really the best way to treat your problem and in fact, could your medication actually doing you more harm than good?

Surely all the information that you have been given about your condition, telling you that heartburn cannot be cured so you need to take the medication to control the problem, must be right. Well is it? Let’s examine what causes acid reflux and the treatment commonly given to treat it.

The medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry that supports it tells you that you cannot cure the acid reflux that produces the symptoms of heartburn. So, the most effective way to get relief is to reduce the amount of acid that your stomach produces and thus control the problem.

However, there are some major flaws in this method of treatment

a) it is only the symptoms of heartburn that are dealt with and not the underlying causes of acid reflux

b) there are numerous factors that can causes acid reflux and these can be physical, psychological and environmental.

c) if you do not deal with all the factors that causes acid reflux, the best you can do is treat your problem temporarily.

d) when you stop taking the medication your heartburn returns and often worse than before (rebound).

e) you can become reliant on your medication to avoid this rebound.

In addition to the above you should include

f) stomach acid is essential for effective digestion so reducing its production must inevitably have a negative effect on your overall health

g) all drug based medication carries the risk of producing adverse, potentially harmful side effects.

Fortunately, having painted a rather bleak picture, where the causes of acid reflux go untreated and your heartburn continues unchecked, there is much that you can do to take effective control over your problem.

The most effective way to treat your problem is to take a “holistic” natural approach where the condition is treated as a whole and all the factors that cause it are dealt with. In other words it is the “whole person” that is treated and not just your symptoms.

This holistic approach would combine diet and lifestyle changes with natural remedies that can target specific factors, deal with them and eliminate them permanently. Furthermore, these alternative natural forms of acid reflux treatment are a safer option, because they have no side effects and are also far less expensive than drug based medication.

Most heartburn sufferers will take an antacid to get rid of the pain or discomfort, or if their problem is more severe, then some form of prescribed or over-the-counter drug based medication will be taken. There is no doubt that these medications will relieve the symptoms but that is the main issue here, it is the symptoms that are dealt with and not the causes. But why is this important?

Acid reflux occurs when the acidic contents of the stomach flow back into the esophagus and attack the lining, producing the characteristic “burning” sensation. There are numerous potential causes for this to happen and these can be psychological as well as physical.

All conventional medication, however, acts by simply neutralising stomach acid or reducing its production. Thus the symptoms of heartburn are dealt with but the underlying causes still remain. Consequently, once the medication is stopped, the heartburn returns.

So, what are the alternative acid reflux treatments and why are they more effective?

Well first of all, diet and lifestyle can have a major influence on acid reflux. Therefore, making some basic changes to what and how you eat and how you live your life can have a positive effect on your problem. While this might not cure the condition it could reduce it significantly.

Then you could choose from a wide range of completely natural remedies that have proven to be as effective as conventional medication. Furthermore, because they are totally natural, they do not produce any of the adverse, potentially harmful side effects that drug based medication is known cause – a very important additional benefit.

These remedies can target the specific factors that cause acid reflux to occur and consequently, do not simply mask the symptoms but treat those causes.

By combining these remedies with the diet and lifestyle changes mentioned earlier you have the foundation for a totally natural and highly effective program of treatment. In fact, by determining what specific factors trigger acid reflux in your case and then developing a program which deals effectively with each of them, would have to be the most effective of all acid reflux treatments.

If you have an open mind and accept the above, then here is some even better news for you. Following years of dedicated research, a revolutionary new program of treatment has been developed. By taking a holistic approach i.e, treating all the factors that cause the problem and not simply the symptoms, this program has proved that permanent relief from heartburn is possible.

Isn’t this worth further investigation?

A second problem is that although your medication reduces acid levels, your stomach continues to produce the hormone, Gastrin, which actually stimulates stomach acid production. Consequently, when you stop taking your medication your stomach reacts by producing huge quantities of acid and your problem returns with a vengeance.

In order to prevent this happening you carry on taking your medication on a regular basis and are, in essence, addicted to it. Is it any wonder that acid reflux medication is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s biggest money spinners?

So having presented the drawbacks of conventional medication what alternatives can be offered? Where is this more effective option?

Firstly you need to understand that acid reflux can be caused by numerous factors including diet, lifestyle, environmental factors, inherited genetic traits and other digestive problems. Doesn’t it make sense therefore that if you are going to cure your problem then you must deal effectively with all the relevant factors that are causing your problem, treat each of them and eliminate them? Of course it does.

Fortunately you can quickly make some strategic changes to what you eat and how you live and this can have immediate effect. Then you can combine these changes with the most appropriate form of natural medication and develop a course of treatment that will allow you to target all those factors that are causing the acid reflux and eliminate them completely.

If this all seems rather too simple you should check out why thousands of former sufferers are very happy to confirm that they are now living totally heartburn-free lives. Permanent relief – surely the best acid reflux remedy of all. They did of course get some rather important guidance!

Acid reflux is caused by partially digested food in the stomach. Typically the combination of food and acids is passed onto the intestines. In AR patients, the acid travels backwards. Common causes are fatty foods, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, obesity, pregnancy and delayed emptying of the stomach. When a person is obese or pregnant, pressure is placed on the abdomen and contributes to this condition. Also, when a person lies on his or her back, they will become more prone to having symptoms associated with Acid Reflux.

If you are a person that suffers from AR, you may be asking yourself what are my options? What medications are on the market that will reduce my symptoms so that I can enjoy my life again? Like with any other thing in this country, there are countless pills and medications designed to treat the symptoms.

Acid reflux is commonly treated with antacids. This is great for mild heartburn and indigestion, but for serious AR sufferers, this just slaps at the problem. Often prokinetic agents are used to promote the emptying of the stomach. Acid suppressants are used to suppress how much acid the body produces, thus controlling the symptoms of Acid Reflux. Proton pump inhibitors act as cells in the stomach which reduces the production of acid.

As with any medication, you should consult with your doctor before regularly taking any medications. There are many side effects associated with every drug. Educate yourself and make an informed decision on which AR Medication is right for you. Please visit Acid Reflux Medication and find learn more about the companies that offer medication to help with this disease.

If not, you are probably among the vast majority of sufferers who have been brainwashed into believing that drug based medication is the only answer. After all, if the medical profession, backed up by the mighty pharmaceutical industry, tell us that this is the only way you are going to get relief, then this must be right mustn’t it? … WRONG!

You need to appreciate why this misinformation is so widespread. Acid reflux and GERD are among the most common medical complaints in the world today with many millions of sufferers. Consequently the pharmaceutical industry earns a fortune from sales of their medications. Develop a cure … lose that money! But if we get relief, then where is the problem?

There is a basic flaw in the way that conventional medication works to treat our problem. It only deals with the symptoms of the problem and ignores all the factors that actually cause it. As there are many factors that can cause acid to reflux and produce our GERD then this flaw is highly significant.

Conventional medication acts by reducing the amount of acid that the stomach produces, often to very low levels. Well as it is acid that causes the pain, this is the most logical way to treat the problem, correct? … WRONG AGAIN.

If you are to gain effective long term relief from your problem you must deal with all the underlying factors that cause acid reflux to occur. Simply reducing the amount of stomach acid that is produced is just masking the problem. This is why conventional treatments are only temporary solutions and you need to take medication constantly to avoid the pain and distress.

So, what is the alternative? Actually you have a very effective alternative if you are open minded enough to explore the benefits that natural remedies and treatments offer.

While conventional treatment is one dimensional, natural GERD treatment will

a) Identify all the factors that are causing the problem in your case. These factors can be physical, psychological or environmental.

b) Treat all these factors with a combination of strategic changes to lifestyle, particularly diet and combine these with the most appropriate natural supplements. This type of treatment will target those factors and stimulate the body’s own powerful defences to combat them.

c) Eliminate each of these factors completely to produce long term relief from your problem.

Most importantly, this treatment is totally drug free.

Of course this is just a very brief overview of the benefits of natural GERD remedies. You should really investigate further and find out how thousands of former GERD sufferers are now enjoying life completely free of their heartburn. Permanent relief … how good is that?

(Article originally posted as Acid Reflux Cure That is Permanent and Drug Free )

Now, there would be so many of you who might not know what GERD is and what are the factors that cause it? When the contents of the stomach and the digestive juices that are present in the stomach leak back into the esophagus area and then they are known as acid reflux, or the GERD. This production leads to very painful burning sensation in the esophageal area and even that burning may be felt in the throat area. This painful or the burning sensation which arises in the right side of the chest is known as heartburn.

There are five major categories which involve the heart burn treatment with the use of acid reflux medication. Let us give some insight into each of the five categories.

The first categorization includes Amphogel, Alternagel, Alka-2, Titralac and Tums. All these medicines which are in category I have the property which are helpful in neutralizing the acids present in the stomach. These are very famously known as Antacids and these can be purchased across the country as these are available without the prescription. These antacids have the property that they can be very easily taken whenever there are the symptoms of heart burn.

Some medicines such as Famotidine, Cimetidine and Rinetidine aid in blocking the acid production in the stomach. These can also be used whenever you feel the symptom of heartburn. These medicines are categorized under H2 receptors and these medicines are little slower in showing their effect to the patients recovery. There is third category of these medicines like omeprazole, Nexium, lansoprazole, rabeprazole. Especially, Nexium is a popular medicine for GERD. Nexium contains the drug esomeprazole and medicines like Nexium are helpful in suppressing the production of digestive acids in the stomach. These category medicines are considered the most effective and reliable cure for heartburn diseases. These medicines such as Nexium and Omeprazole, which are also categorized under the proton pump inhibitors, are also known to heal the stomach ulcerations. Which are formed due to erosive esophagitis and these are known to provide relief from the laryngitis which are very common in heart burn.

There is another categorization of the medicines for the treatment of acid reflux or the GERD, and this includes the medicines that protect the mucosal lining of the esophagus from the corrosive effect of the acidic digestive juices which are present inside the stomach. Although this category of medicines are not so often prescribed but these are found to be very much reliable and effective in heart burn where painful ulcerations are treated. The last category of the acid reflux or GERD treatment are the medicines like Baclofen, which help in strengthening the lower esophageal sphincter and this is considered effective acid reflux medication. This medicine helps in the treatment of heart burn that may be caused either by acid as well as non acid reflux.

We are told that heartburn cannot be cured, simply controlled by taking one of the wide range of drug based pills and potions that the pharmaceutical industry churns out in vast quantities. That is problem number 1. Just imagine how much money they would lose if some clever guy developed a cure for heartburn. There is simply no incentive to develop a long term treatment for heartburn.

That brings us to problem number 2. All these medications work by reducing the amount of acid that our stomach produces and while this seems logical and we do experience relief, are we actually doing ourselves any harm?

In most cases, acid reflux is not caused by too much acid, but because we develop a fault or weakness in the muscular valve which is supposed to prevent the acid flowing back into the gullet from the stomach. So reducing the amount of acid produced is, at best, a temporary measure and certainly not effective as a long term treatment.

Furthermore, we need stomach acid to digest our food effectively. Reducing its production, long term, must have a negative effect on our overall health because we do not get full nutritional benefit from the food we eat.

So, having put forward the “case for the prosecution”, is there a more effective option? Yes there is.

As previously stated, most cases of acid reflux occur because the muscular valve mechanisms that should prevent it, becomes weakened. There are many possible causes for this and it is important that before you treat the problem, you identify what these causes are.

In the majority of cases, acid reflux is caused by factors associated with diet and lifestyle and these can be dealt with, by making some basic changes to the food you eat and the way you live. Then you support these changes by choosing from a wide range of totally natural supplements that act to stimulate your body’s own powerful defences into action.

Having identified the factors that are causing your problem, you can then combine specific diet and lifestyle changes with the most appropriate natural supplements and develop a program of treatment that will eliminate all the causes. This is a much more effective way to treat your problem.

So how effective can this treatment be? To find the answer you should check out why thousands of former sufferers are now enjoying life, totally free from heartburn, without the need for any drug based acid reflux medication. Permanent relief – how effective is that?

They did need some important guidance however.

Heartburn and acid reflux cannot be cured, we are told and you therefore need to take some form of drug based medication to control it. Like most people, you probably assume that all the hype that promotes the various types of medication available must be based on sound medical research. But is it?

Are you getting the best treatment available? The answer is NO, as will you will soon discover.

Well, firstly, who said there is no cure for heartburn? The medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry that supports it tell us this, but it is simply not true. Just imagine how much money the pharmaceutical industry would lose if a cure for heartburn was discovered. A multi-billion dollar fortune! Cynical but true.

However, if you can accept that there is an alternative approach to treating illness and maintain an open mind on natural treatments and remedies, you will discover that your problem can not only be treated, but cured. Acid reflux is not a disease but an acquired condition and one which can be treated and eventually cured by totally natural means.

But how is this possible?

Conventional medication simply treats the symptoms of heartburn producing relief, but only temporary relief. A natural approach, on the other hand, would firstly identify all the factors that cause acid reflux. Then you would set about treating each of them with a combination of strategic changes to diet and lifestyle and the most appropriate vitamin and herbal supplements. In doing so, you can target those specific causes and eliminate them completely, without the need for any drug based medicines.

This is not black magic. Millions of people have proved that there are many benefits to following a totally natural program of treatment, for many conditions and ailments. In particular they are

•    equally effective,

•    do not produce the adverse, potentially harmful side effects that drug based medications often do

•    are substantially cheaper.

So, if you can see the benefits of taking a totally natural, targeted approach to solving your problem, as opposed to conventional acid reflux medication, then check this out. A revolutionary new holistic program of treatment, “Heartburn No More”,  has achieved amazing success and by following the step by step guidance that this program offers, thousands of former sufferers are now living heartburn-free lives, permanently.

A permanent cure – isn’t this the best treatment available?

Recent research suggests that this could be so.

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) such as Nexium and Prevacid, are some of the most widely used prescribed medications on the planet. It has been estimated that in the developed world up to 5% of the adult population are regularly taking these acid reducing drugs.

So what is the problem?

Well, PPI’s act by reducing the amount of acid that the stomach produces, so your acid reflux stops and you get the relief that you need. However, when sufferers stop taking the medication many find that their problem returns much worse than previously.

Recent research suggests that although acid production is greatly reduced, the hormone that stimulates acid production continues to be produced in response to this acid suppression. Consequently, when you stop taking your medication, over-production of the hormone triggers the stomach into acid production “overdrive”, causing a corresponding surge in acid reflux. This is known as “rebound” and can causes a great deal more suffering than was experienced previously.

Of course, when the hormone levels return to normal, acid production returns to normal levels. But many people simply continue popping the pills in order to prevent this rebound occurring. In effect they become “hooked” on the drugs and are in effect, addicted.

There is another serious consequence of suppressing acid production that is also not discussed a great deal. We need stomach acid in order to digest our food efficiently. Reducing acid levels over an extended period can only result in our bodies not getting the full nutritional benefit from the food we eat and this must have a negative effect on our overall health.

Finally, we cannot forget the adverse, potentially harmful side effects that drugs based medications are known to produce.

There are many reasons why we are not informed about these problems, the main one being that production of those drug based medications for heartburn are huge money spinners for the pharmaceutical industry.

So, if you are concerned about the potential problems of long term usage of drug based medication to control your heartburn, why not investigate why so many people are now turning to totally natural remedies and treatment for heartburn. You will certainly find a natural alternative to your drug based acid reflux medication and dig deeper and you could find that you can remedy your problem, permanently.

Thousands of other former sufferers have done so … with a little help!

1. Antacids – this is by far the most popular type of acid reflux medication otc solution. OTC is over the counter, and such medications include Tums, Rolaids, Maalox, and Mylanta. Antacids are for fast acting heartburn relief and mild reflux. They reduce the amount of acid in your stomach, but no nothing to reduce inflammation of your esophagus. They should not be used as a long term solution since antacid overload can lead to devastating side effects.

2. Oral suspension medicines – popular acid reflux medication include Carafate and Pepto Bismol and, like antacids, are used for preventing short term heartburn relief. These medicines coat the inside of your esophagus which will give you immediate relief, but once the coating wears off, the relief will be gone.

3. H-2 receptor blockers – the most common acid reflux medication otc are Zantac and Pepcid AC. These work by shutting off the production of acid in your stomach and are decent for moderate heartburn. These are kind of like antacids, but they take longer for the effects to start working, so it is best to take them 30 minutes before your meal and before bed.

4. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) – acid reflux medication includes Prevacid, Prilosec, and Nexium and these should be taken by people with severe heartburn. They are like a combination of antacids and oral suspension medicines – not only do they stop the acid in your stomach from forming, but they help to heal damaged esophagus tissue. Most PPIs are prescribed by a doctor, so if these otc medicines don’t work for you, you can always get acid reflux medication using a prescription from your doctor.

These natural acid reflux medications are sometimes mass-produced by pharmaceutical companies, alongside the more common drugs, or they can be perfected at home, using natural ingredients.

With these options in mind, some information is essential if you want to pick the best natural acid reflux medication available to your specific condition.

Potency

A natural acid reflux medication’s potency can tell you a lot about the efficiency with which it is going to react on the acid in your stomach, and the rate at which this is most likely to occur.

Certain natural acid reflux medications are very potent, although with the higher degree of potency comes a lower degree of accessibility. Supermarkets and grocery stores often provide over-the-counter natural acid reflux medications, and usually in varying degrees of potency.

This will aid you to discover the correct potency, suitable to relieve the effects of your specific type of acid reflux disease.

Usability

On the quest for the perfect natural acid reflux medication, one of the important factors should be the ease of use of the product in question. There are some natural acid reflux medications on the market which are very difficult to ingest, which could possibly discourage the user from taking the medication in the correct way, deteriorating the condition over time.

Therefore, make sure not to underestimate the importance of finding a natural acid reflux medication which is uncomplicated to use, in order to make sure that swallowing the pill does not become as much of a hell as suffering from acid reflux.

Availability is also important when thinking about the right natural acid reflux medication to find. Consistency and regular use demand that the product of your choice is always readily available.

A brand name which is recognizable and consistent in its supply is often considered a better choice. Certain pharmaceutical producers constantly change their line-up of natural acid reflux medications, giving the consumer more choice.

When a certain natural acid reflux medication then runs out of stock at regular intervals, customers are discouraged from buying it.

Speed of Relief

How fast the type of natural acid reflux medication will work should also be taken carefully into consideration. There are those medicines which last for very long, but take comparably long to take effect as well.

Others provide almost instantaneous relief, for a short period of time. Instantaneous medication should also make sure the affliction doesn’t worsen in the future.

For patients who experience regular or constant acid reflux, the long-term medication will have to be ingested every twenty-four hours in order to provide a successful alternative.