Treating GERD with Prescription Medications and OTC Remedies - My Experience

For most of my life I've had what's called a "cast iron stomach". I could eat the hottest peppers, spiciest foods and acid fruits without even a burp. Then, when I turned 46 I was diagnosed with hypo-thyroid and was put on a once daily thyroid stimulating hormone called Synthroid. Synthroid is to be taken on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, 1 hour before food. I don't know for sure if this medication had anything to do with the condition I now have. Funny thing though, around 4 month's after being prescribed Synthroid I needed to start taking antacids more and more frequently for the heartburn I was getting until I finally went to the doctor and was told I have GERD and needed medication to control it everyday.

The definition of GERD is: Gastroesophageal reflux disease - a condition in which food or liquid travels backwards from the stomach to the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach). This action can irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. If left untreated it can lead to more serious problems of the esophagus, including Barrett's Esophagus and esophageal cancer. In my case I was having symptoms including: heartburn, coughing, wheezing and sore throat.

My doctor decided to put me on the newest medication on the market. It was a proton pump inhibitor called Prevacid and only needed to be taken once a day. He gave me a 2 week sample and a prescription. I started the pills the following day but didn't have a leaflet with possible side effects because it was just a sample card. Within a week I was having stomach cramps and bouts of diarrhea daily and didn't know why. I assumed it was a stomach virus or something I ate. I filled the prescription and continued the Prevacid, eventually reading the leaflet. Stomach cramps and diarrhea were listed as the most common possible side effects. I stopped the medication and within 2 days had no more problems, so I called my doctor and was switched to Prilosec. I had the same reaction to Prilosec as I did to the Prevacid. Not as severe but still a problem. We tried Aciphex and got the same results. I was beginning to feel like a guinea pig. A very sick guinea pig. I made another appointment with the doctor who meekly told me that another one of his patients prescribed Prevacid got diarrhea so bad he wound up in the emergency room. We decided together to go a different path with different medications.

I was prescribed prescription Zantac. Zantac (generic name: Ranitidine) is in a class of medications called H2 blockers that also includes Pepcid, among others. It has been on the market for quite a while. While Zantac has a small list of possible side effects including: headache, constipation, diarrhea and upset stomach, I have never been bothered by any symptoms. The dosage is 150mg. once or twice a day as prescribed by your doctor. I've been on Zantac now for 6 years and my GERD is fully under control. As I get older I'm realizing that a lot of the medications that work best, with the least possible side effects, are those that have been around the longest. Another bonus of Zantac is that it's a lot less expensive. Walmart offers the prescription generic form for $4.00 for a 30 day supply. Zantac can be purchased over the counter in a 75mg. tablet and Pepcid is sold as an OTC by itself or combined with a fast acting antacid and marketed as Pepcid AC.

For those people that rarely have heartburn the best bet is an antacid in tablet or liquid form. Mylanta was recommended by my doctor originally, but Tums were always my preference before I got GERD. The most important thing to remember is to read the labels, especially the warnings and possible side effects. For people taking prescription medications it's probably best to talk to your pharmacist or doctor first before you take any OTC drug including antacids. There can be serious side effects mixing over the counter drugs and certain prescriptions.