Prilosec OTC Vs. Pepcid AC: Which is Better?

For people who only get the occasional case of heartburn, antacids like Tums or Rolaids are a good treatment option. For people who suffer from frequent heart burn, or who have a medical condition known as acid reflux, stronger medicines are sometimes needed. Many drugs used to treat frequent heartburn were once only available by prescription, but have recently become available over the counter. Two of the best known and most widely-prescribed drugs for frequent heart burn are Prilosec and Pepcid, and both of these medicines are now available over-the-counter in the United States.

I suffer from frequent heartburn, and I have had a chance to use both Prilosec OTC and Pepcid AC to treat my heartburn. Let's start by talking about Prilosec OTC. Prilosec is from a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors and has only recently become available over-the-counter. Brand name Prilosec can be very expensive, costing up to $30 per month. A generic version of Prilosec OTC is now available, so look for store brands to save money. The instructions to use Prilosec are simple. You take just one pill per day and it prevents heartburn from ever occurring. I have never heard of a case of heartburn not being helped by Prilosec, which is why it is still the drug of choice among doctors. Really, the only drawback is that is more expensive than other over-the-counter treatment options for acid reflux and frequent heartburn.

Pepcid AC, on the other hand, is from an older class of drugs and therefore is available very cheaply, especially when you buy the store brand. The Equate version of Pepcid AC costs less than $1.10 per month at Wal-Mart. Unlike Prilosec, you don't need to take Pepcid AC every day for it to work, and you can take it only when you need it. If you are eating a food or drinking something that normally causes heartburn for you, you can take a single Pepcid AC and that will usually prevent it from happening. Pepcid AC can also treat heartburn after it occurs, however it can take up to an hour to get full relief from the drug.

For me, the fact that Pepcid AC is so much cheaper than Prilosec OTC made it the treatment of choice for me. I can now control my frequent heartburn very cheaply and without having to chew up yucky antacid tablets all of the time. Again, be sure to look for store brand equivalents of these drugs to save the most money. For more information about Prilosec OTC or Pepcid AC, check out the websites listed in the resources section of this article.