PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENT FOR ACID REFLUX DISEASE
If you are experiencing acid reflux disease symptoms like heartburn, getting relief as soon as possible may mean a quick trip to the nearest pharmacy for some antacid medication to help relieve the burn.
You may end up going through endless boxes of acid reflux medication to find that the relief is for only a few minutes at a time. Antacids are less expensive than alternative drugs but for those people who are suffering from GERD, not just an ordinary case of indigestion the heartburn never really seems to go away.
Some long term users of antacids are often plagued with side effects, due to the magnesium they retain from the excessive antacid use. These may include diarrhea and kidney problems.
You may want try another pharmaceutical solution for your acid reflux disease such as H2 blockers. Available over the counter, H2 blockers tend to last a bit longer but the draw back is they may take half an hour or even longer to work, unlike the instant relief like antacids. These blockers work by cutting down on the acids in your stomach.
H2 blockers, like many medications also have side affects. Including constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Gerd sufferers may need stronger acid reflux medication since they don’t prevent heartburn on a long term basis.
Another option is to seek treatment using proton pump inhibitors. Known as PPI’s. These don’t just cut down the acid production in your stomach – they halt it.
Proton pump inhibitors can give continual relief from heartburn symptoms to those who experience GERD but there are some unusual complications surrounding the use of these medications. Connections in the use of proton pump inhibitors, to hip fractures was found in the December 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The increased risk of pneumonia was also connected.
Always make sure you seek the advice of a healthcare professional to assess the severity of your acid reflux disease and heartburn symptoms. While you may need medications to help you ease the pain, you want to make an informed decision when taking something that could negatively affect you in other ways.
One Response to “PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENT FOR ACID REFLUX DISEASE”
Tiffany Oheron on July 10, 2011
Gaviscon seems to work for me, at least half the time. You gotta make sure you get the kind without aluminum though. How long the relief lasts tends to vary.