Over-the-Counter Meds for Acid Reflux: What's the Difference?

Whether you have acid reflux or Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder, it is difficult to live. You will not only need to make some serious and often life altering changes to your diet and lifestyle. There is no more sleeping flat, no more Cajun food, and a life of pain in your throat and chest area. There are several medications out there and they all profess to do the same thing. So which one do you take? There are some slight differences to each of the medications. There are also some side effects that differ. Here is a look at the various over-the-counter treatments for your acid reflux, GERD, or hiatal hernia.

When it comes to heartburn medications there are really only three "drug" type medicines, as opposed to the many herbal remedies. The three different families of drugs have some differences. The drugs in the same family have the same basic ability, side-effects, and options, they just come in various potencies. No matter which one it is that you use, a good antacid is always a requirement for any of these acid problems. It will not only augment the medication, but it will help for those flare ups and some emergency situations.

Antacids

There are two different types of antacids: Non-absorbable and Absorbable. The non-absorbable type is your liquid antacid like Maalox or Mylanta. These are great for flair ups and work best for people that need a "coater" in their stomach. If you have had or currently have an ulcer, this may be the best type for you. The problem is that it can be messy and laborious to pack. There are some individual serving types that come in a sealed dose cup, but those are very hard to find. They make life so much easier though. You may want to contact the company to find out where you can purchase these if you are having a hard time finding them. Absorbable antacids are the tablets like Rolaids and Tums. These are very convenient and work well for people that only have acid reflux or GERD, and no underlying problems. You will need to be careful with these though and keep track of how many you take in a day. If you exceed the dosage, there can be some other problems. Too much calcium, for instance, can be rough on your body and cause long term damage. If you don't like the powdery tablets, there are some very nice soft chews on the market now. These are just like candy and have the consistency of a fresh caramel square. These are ideal for people that don't like the crunchy and powdery feel of the normal tabs. No matter which type you use, liquid or tablet, these are a must for anyone that is having problems with heartburn.

-Prazole Family

The prazole family of drugs includes several over-the-counter as well as prescription medications. These are more commonly known as proton pump inhibitors (or PPI's) and include Prevacid, Nexium, and Prilosec. Basically, these either limit or, in some cases, completely shut down the acid pumps in your stomach. The interesting about these drugs is that they were initially used as a psycho-therapy drug, but the side effect of treating GERD was more effective than the depression cures. I mention this because people that have had a bad reaction to some of the mental medications are more prone to the side-effects of these drugs. There are many people that will swear by these medications, and for most people it works flawlessly. You will want to talk to a doctor about long term usage though, since there are several side-effects that can be compounded with time. There may also be a better solution if the cause is an underlying problem. For people with ulcers, this medication can provide a lot of relief, but you will need to use some other things to cure the ulcer, like licorice root, cabbage juice, antibiotics, or other medications that your doctor may prescribe. For people in need of a long term medication, these may not be the best option for you. With prolonged exposure, the -prazole family has some very serious side-effects.

-Tidine Family

The -tidine family of drugs (Pepcid AC, Zantac, and Tagamet) are much safer for long term use. They may not be as effective in the short term, but these medications were designed specifically to treat digestive problems. These are often once daily medications that are easy to swallow or even chewable. These are a lot more mild in nature and can be used for extended times. If your problem is more of a hiatal hernia or weak diaphragm, you will want to use one of these to help combat your problem. The -tidine family of drugs has been around for a very long time and were originally designed to cure ulcers. Of these medications, Pepcid may be the best choice. Not only do they have a chewable version combined with an antacid, but they are very mild medications with few side effects. If you have a more severe problem, you may need Tagamet, one of the more powerful medications on the market, to really ease the pain though.

There are several medications on the market to fight your acid reflux or GERD. Finding the right one can be very difficult. One word of advice though, if you find you are having problems with one medication, you will often have problems with the entire family that it belongs to. All the medications are very similar. The ones in the same family are all the same medication, it is just the intensity that changes. If you find one that you like, but it is not strong enough, try another from the same family. One thing that you will need to consider is an herbal regimen to help you. These often have few to no wide effects, and when used properly, can be used for the remainder of your life. They can also help to make you healthier and give you more vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. You will want to talk to an herbologist for advice and guidance. Some herbal supplements can only be used for certain time periods, like licorice root. These can be alternated into your life for some great relief. Cabbage juice can actually work better than some antacids on the market and eating raw cabbage is good for you. You can use this for as long as you need to. It can also be easy to add to your diet by just having a serving of coleslaw every day. It will work wonders for you.

No matter what you use, or the medication you choose, there are some definite life changes that you will need to make to your diet. It may also take some experimentation to find the perfect drug for you. It took my wife and I about a year to find a good diet and medication routine to help ease the pain and difficulty. There will always be an occasional flare up, though, so be prepared and don't get discouraged. You may want to keep a "diet log" at first so you can track the ingredients in your food. This can help you find a trend in your flare ups so that you can identify problem foods or situations. It takes a lot, but with time, you can live with GERD or acid reflux.