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 Taking Care of Acid Reflux
By Naomi Graves, Pharm. D.
August 3, 2004
Heartburn is a huge problem; about 1 in 5 Americans (60 million people) has the symptoms about once each month, and 15-25 million have symptoms daily! As a pharmacist, I dispense hundreds of capsules or tablets every day to people who take them to prevent heartburn. If you suffer from heartburn, also known as acid reflux, read on… |
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There are several things you can do to prevent heartburn from happening in the first place:
- When possible, avoid foods that cause heartburn. They include citrus juices, caffeine products, spearmint, chocolate, peppermint, fatty foods, greasy foods, and spicy foods.
- Quit smoking. Nicotine is related to acid reflux.
- Consider your medication. Prednisone, erythromycin, and potassium can cause heartburn. Take these medications with food to avoid that side effect.
- Fosamax and Actonel can also cause heartburn. Do not lie down for at least half an hour after taking these, and always take them with a full glass of water.
- Limit alcohol consumption. It’s also related to acid reflux. Do not lie down for at least 3 hours after eating.
- If you are overweight, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or a nutritionist about healthy ways to lose weight. Being overweight is also linked to heartburn.
- Avoiding the fatty foods and caffeine beverages (especially pop) as listed above will be a great first step!
- Eating at least 3 hours before you go to bed (as listed above) will also help to lose weight.
- Avoid tight-fitting clothes.
- Elevate the head of the bed on 6-8 inch blocks.
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 If you have tried many of these lifestyle changes already, or you can’t bear the thought of giving up chocolate, there are a few medications that may help you…
Antacids are cheap and work quickly; they are perfect for treating the reflux you may get after eating spicy foods. Examples are Tums, Rolaids, milk of magnesia, and many generics. Unfortunately, antacids have drug interactions (talk to your pharmacist!) and side effects including constipation or diarrhea. Antacids might have to be taken multiple times each day, because as they wear off the reflux returns. Never take more antacid tablets per day than recommended by the package label. People with certain conditions such as renal failure should talk to their doctors before taking antacids.
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 The other reflux medications available without a prescription help block acid release into the stomach. They are Pepcid, Zantac, and Tagamet (all available generically). Stronger versions are available with a prescription. They work well at preventing heartburn; you could take one before you go out to eat at an Italian restaurant, for example. They tend to have few side effects, but if you use Tagamet (cimetidine), ask your pharmacist about drug interactions. Always follow the directions on the package.
If you have two or more episodes of heartburn each week, you may try Prilosec OTC. It is taken only once a day, and has very few side effects or drug interactions (again, read the package information carefully and talk to your pharmacist to make sure it is OK for you). It does take a few days for it to block acid production in the stomach. Be sure to take it the recommended 14 days. If the heartburn returns within four months, talk to your doctor.
Other reasons to talk to your doctor about your acid reflux include:
- Daily heartburn
- Pain or difficulty swallowing
- Hoarseness
- Weight loss
- Blood in the stool (or dark stools)
- Chest pain
- Heartburn symptoms that interrupt your sleep
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
- Long-term use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), naproxen (Aleve or prescription), aspirin, Celebrex, Vioxx, Bextra, and others.
- Age (children)
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Additional Resources
A great website for more information is www.aboutgerd.org. “GERD” is Gastro-Esophageal-Reflux-Disease. Check it out!
(Note: Some material for this article was obtained from the July 2004 issue of Pharmacy Today, published by the American Pharmacist Association) |
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