After you eat a spicy or greasy meal, you may immediately regret your decision. If you are like 25 million other Americans, you suffer from acid reflux and meals such as this can give you all sorts of trouble.
Acid reflux is almost always a result of the foods you eat and how you eat them. Lots of people get this problem right after eating and certain foods will trigger the symptoms.
Most people know that they can reach into their medicine cabinet and grab a remedy. Of course, there are plenty of natural remedies as well. Certain herbs and foods will quell the problem. However, some cases of acid reflux will need something stronger. There are plenty of over the counter medications and even prescriptions that can help you in a more severe bout. Here is a look at some of the medications you will see at your local pharmacy.
Look at non-absorbable antacids: These are very common and you can get them cheaply. These types of antacids are the ones called Mylanta and Maalox. These work to neutralize the acid in the stomach and can give you relief for a very mild form of acid reflux. It is important to understand that these have very few side effects and will not do you much good if you have a severe case of acid reflux. These medications will not absorb in the stomach or intestines.
Absorbable antacids: These are the chewable forms of antacids. These absorbable acids include Tums, Alka-Seltzer and Rolaids. These are very effective, but still may not help if you have a severe case of acid reflux. These are calcium based and will be absorbed by your stomach. They can help you feel better almost right away. These are very mild forms of acid reflux medication and non-absorbable antacids usually have few side effects but may cause diarrhea. These absorbable antacids do not prevent calcium absorption and can cause constipation, so it is best to use these only when necessary. With rare cases, taking calcium carbonate as an acid reflux medication over a long period of time has been known to cause elevated levels of calcium in the blood. This is known to cause kidney failure, so this method is not recommended for people who already suffer from kidney problems.
H2 blockers: These are also known as acid inhibitors. These are more expensive medications, but are still available over the counter. These include Zantac, Pepcid and Axid. These stomach acid inhibitors will slow down the production of stomach acid by blocking one important acid called “histamine2.” While antacids neutralize stomach acids, these do not. Many of these used to be only available by prescription. These work quite fast, but it is recommend that you take these well in advanced of a heavy or fatty meal. These do have side effect, though rare, can cause dizziness, rash and headache.
The last type is called proton pump inhibitors. These are medications such as Prevacid, Protonix and Nexium. These are prescription strength and will help block the secretions in the stomach. If you have severe problems with acid reflux, then your doctor may recommend one of these.
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