Types Of Medications Used For Treating Gerd
- Antacids: This type of medication directly neutralizes gastric acid and provides rapid but temporary relief. Antacids are usually consumed in frequent doses as needed, and most are available over the counter.
- H2RAs: H2RAs reduce the amount of acid produced in the stomach by inhibiting the release of histamine, the principal stimulus for acid secretion in the stomach. Clinical trials evaluating histamine for the treatment of GERD showed only modest benefit over a placebo. Also, several studies have revealed drug tolerance to H2RAs as early as two weeks after beginning therapy. This means that patients experience a reduced reaction to a given dosage relatively quickly after starting to use it.
- PPIs: PPIs are the most effective medical therapy to treat GERD . PPIs work by blocking the mechanism that produces stomach acid. This lowers the acidity of the digestive fluids involved in reflux, and thus reduces reflux symptoms. PPIs are available in both prescription and over-the-counter strengths.
While effective at reducing the acidity of digestive fluids in the upper GI tract, research has indicated that PPIs do not address anatomic deficiencies which often are the root cause of abnormal reflux.
How To Reduce Stomach Acid With Peppermint Essential Oil
Increased secretion of gastric acid in your body may cause severe digestive troubles. The acid reflux may lead to vomiting stomach acid along with the food. The trouble may get chronic, and you might become too conscious about eating food. If you are facing severe stomach acid troubles, then you may resort to essential oils. Among them, peppermint essential oil is excellent for those who are always in fear of throwing up stomach acid.
How to use?
- Add a drop of peppermint essential oil to your herbal tea
Alternatively,
- Make a drink using a drop of peppermint essential oil, one teaspoon of manuka honey and half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water
- You can even massage peppermint oil on your stomach to get relief from indigestion and nausea
Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint Essential oil with its cooling menthol soothesthe digestive distress and alleviates problems like bloating and stomach cramps. It is an effective remedy for reducing stomach acid symptoms.
Precautions
You must use only high-quality peppermint essential oil suitable for ingestion. Also, you must not consume it in excess as taking in more of peppermint essential oil can cause heartburn.
Peppermint Essential Oil Can Be Purchased Online
Why Is This Medication Prescribed
Prescription omeprazole is used alone or with other medications to treat the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease , a condition in which backward flow of acid from the stomach causes heartburn and possible injury of the esophagus in adults and children 1 year of age and older. Prescription omeprazole is used to treat damage from GERD in adults and children 1 month of age and older. Prescription omeprazole is used to allow the esophagus to heal and prevent further damage to the esophagus in adults and children 1 year of age and older with GERD. Prescription omeprazole is also used to treat conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome in adults. Prescription omeprazole is also used to treat ulcers and it is also used with other medications to treat and prevent the return of ulcers caused by a certain type of bacteria in adults. Nonprescription omeprazole is used to treat frequent heartburn in adults. Omeprazole is in a class of medications called proton-pump inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of acid made in the stomach.
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Dont Quit Cold Turkey
If the information presented thus far in this article has you scared you might be tempted to stop taking PPIs and H2 blockers immediately . Quitting PPIs cold turkey can cause a serious rebound effect, making your symptoms worse than before you started taking the medication. In fact, this rebound effect is believed to be responsible for why so many people take these drugs for longer than the recommended term. Rather than quit cold turkey, it is better to enlist the help of a health care professional to wean yourself off of the drugs over time.
You May Not Need A Ppi
More than half of the people who take PPIs probably do not need them. Simple heartburn can be treated with antacids or other drugs, plus diet and lifestyle changes.
You may only have heartburn every now and thensuch as after a big, spicy meal. This may be uncomfortable, but it is not serious. You can usually get relief from an antacid, like Rolaids or Tums, or an H2 blocker, such as Pepcid AC or Zantac.
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Overuse Of Proton Pump Inhibitors
Taking a PPI makes sense if you have a chronic problem with stomach acid or the prospect of one developing. But the occasional case of mild heartburn does not need to be treated with a PPI. For that kind of spot duty, the old standbys of antacid medicine like Tums, Rolaids, and Maalox will most likely work just as well, as will any of the H2 blockers. In fact, it takes several days for PPIs to have their full effect on acid secretion, so an H2 blocker may be more effective for a mild, short-term problem with stomach acid. Yet people often take PPIs under the mistaken assumption that they are the better medication in all circumstances.
If heartburn is the problem, there are also changes you can make that may help that don’t involve taking anything. The commercials are right: gobbling down a large meal can give you heartburn, so eating smaller meals can help tame the problem. And if you’re heavy, GERD and heartburn are on that very long list of problems that ease up and may even go away if you lose some weight.
How To Use Famotidine Vial
This medication is injected into a vein as directed by your doctor. The dosage and length of treatment are based on your medical condition and response to treatment. In children, dosage may also be based on body weight.
If you are giving this medication to yourself at home, learn all preparation and usage instructions from your health care professional. Before injecting each dose, clean the injection site with rubbing alcohol. Before using, check this product visually for particles or discoloration. If either is present, do not use the liquid. Learn how to store and discard medical supplies safely.
Tell your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.
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Talk With Your Doctor
If you have GERD symptoms and arent sure what kind of medication to take, talk with your doctor. They can confirm whether you have GERD and develop a treatment plan that will work for you.
Frequent, severe symptoms may be a sign of a more serious problem. And they could get worse over time if left untreated.
Be sure to ask your doctor any questions you may have. These might include:
- What lifestyle changes could reduce my symptoms?
- Which kind of OTC medication would be best for me?
- Would a prescription GERD medication work better for me?
- Am I taking any medications that might interact with an OTC medication?
- How and when should I take my GERD medication?
Changes in your daily habits may help reduce GERD symptoms. Your doctor can suggest changes that might work for you, such as:
- losing weight
You Dont Need Medication To Reduce Stomach Acid
Contrary to popular belief, you dont need medication to reduce stomach acid. This is great for those who want to stay away from pharmaceutical products or cant take them for whatever reason. The methods above are all suitable for those will low immune systems and pregnant women.
Its time to pull out the ginger and oatmeal and start changing the way you eat your meals. Youll soon find that stomach acid is no longer a problem.
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Start By Limiting Your Meals
When you eat and drink when you have stomach acid , your body automatically starts producing more stomach acid to deal with what youre putting into it. It knows that it will need to start digesting at some point, even if youre just drinking water. Your body doesnt know exactly what youre having and will work based on the chewing and swallowing process.
Yes, even if you chew gum regularly, you will start to produce more stomach acid. This can be beneficial if youre struggling to digest something, but if you have high stomach acid levels or heartburn, youll want to keep the chewing to a minimum.
To help to keep the stomach acid production to a minimum, consider reducing the amount that youre eating and drinking during the day. Keep your meals small, so your stomach doesnt need to create as much acid to digest it all. Your body also wont take as long to digest everything that you eat, meaning the acid levels can reduce to normal sooner rather than later.
Smaller meals throughout the day can also be good for weight loss. You constantly keep yourself feeling fuller, since you dont leave as long between your small meals. At the same time, you keep the calorie intake down, because youre eating less during and between meals. Youll hardly feel like youre on a diet and your heartburn wont cause a problem that gets you down.
What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from light, excess heat, and moisture .
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
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How Should This Medicine Be Used
Prescription omeprazole comes as a delayed-release capsule, and packets of delayed-release granules for suspension to take by mouth or give through a feeding tube. Nonprescription omeprazole comes as a delayed-release tablet to take by mouth. Prescription omeprazole should be taken at least 1 hour before a meal. Prescription omeprazoleis usually taken once a day before a meal but may be taken twice a day when used with other medications to eliminate H. pylori, or up to three times a day, before meals when used to treat conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid. The nonprescription delayed-release tablets are usually taken once a day in the morning at least 1 hour before eating for 14 days in a row. If needed, additional 14-day treatments may be repeated, not more often than once every 4 months. To help you remember to take omeprazole, take it at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label or the package label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take omeprazole exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often or for a longer period of time than prescribed by your doctor or stated on the package.
If you are taking the delayed-release tablets, swallow them whole with a full glass of water. Do not split, chew, or crush them or crush and mix them into food.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.
Health Risks Of Proton Pump Inhibitors
- Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease is a major problem affecting millions of older Americans.
- The condition is caused by reflux of acidic, enzyme-rich stomach contents flowing backwards out of the stomach and into the esophagus.
- Chronic exposure to stomach contents can alter the esophageal lining, eventually making it cancer-prone.
- Reduction of GERD symptoms and effects is therefore an important part of modern medicine.
- A highly effective class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors has emerged. PPIs are capable of suppressing stomach acid production and mitigating symptoms.
- Large numbers of people are now using PPI therapy for prolonged periods, leading to unanticipated consequences.
- These consequences include diminished absorption of vitamins and minerals, poor bone quality, and an increased risk for fracture and even cardiovascular abnormalities that can increase the risks of heart attack or stroke.
- Several natural supplements are now available for people who take PPIs but want to reduce their risk.
- Other supplements may help individuals avoid use of PPIs entirely, because they suppress GERD symptoms effectively on their own.
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Think About The Food You Eat
There are certain types of foods that will require more stomach acid than others. This is especially the case with fats and proteins.
While your body needs them, it doesnt need as much as you would think. To start with, protein is an excellent way to keep you feeling fuller. It breaks down slowly and is used up by the body over the course of a few hours. If you eat too much, your stomach must work harder to break it down, and that means creating more stomach acid.
When eating any type of protein, take a break half way through your meal. Determine if you really need to eat the rest, by listening to your stomach and not what your brain is telling you based on sight. If youre still hungry, eat a little more and take another break.
The breaks dont just give your stomach a chance to tell your brain that youre full. These breaks will give your stomach a chance to break down the food that youve eaten. As it breaks down some of it, the stomach creates room for the next amount that you will eat. This allows the stomach acid levels to remain the same.
Fatty food tends to add to the acid in the stomach. When youve had heartburn, youve likely found that it is made worse by anything fatty, and that includes healthy fats!
Surgery And Other Procedures For Gerd
If medicines dont seem to be working for you, your doctor may suggest surgery or endoscopic procedures. Your doctor can tell you whether one of these options is right for you:
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. In this surgery, the surgeon wraps the top part of the stomach around the lower part of the esophagus. This creates a stronger barrier between the esophagus and stomach and helps prevent food and stomach acid from coming back up into the esophagus. The surgery is most often minimally invasive, done with a thin tube called a laparoscope. Your doctor makes a small cut in your stomach and uses small tools and a camera inserted into the laparoscope to perform the surgery.
-
Endoscopic treatments. The goal of these treatments is to tighten the muscle in between the stomach and esophagus. During these treatments, your doctor lowers a thin tube called an endoscope into your mouth and down into your esophagus. Your doctor tightens the muscle by either using small stitches or heating small areas of the esophagus with radiofrequency energy. Endoscopic treatments may not be as widely available as surgery.
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Who Can And Cannot Take Pantoprazole
Pantoprazole can be taken by adults and children aged 12 years and over. It is not generally recommended during pregnancy.
Pantoprazole is not suitable for some people. To make sure that it is safe for you, tell your doctor if you:
- have ever had an allergic reaction to pantoprazole or any other medicine
- have liver problems
- are due to have an endoscopy
Ask your doctor if you should stop taking pantoprazole a few weeks before your endoscopy. This is because pantoprazole may hide some of the problems that would usually be spotted during an endoscopy.
Stomach Acid Medication To Decrease Excess Acidity And Volume
Posted by Dr. Chris
Drugs that reduce the pH and/or volume of gastric acid are used for the treatment of hyperacidity conditions like gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and GERD . The most commonly used drugs available for this are :
- Antacids
- Proton pump inhibitors
- H2-receptor blockers
Other drugs that may also be included in this regimen, including prostaglandin analogues and sucralfate. Medication to treat gastric hyperacidity may be combined with other drugs like antibiotics for the treatment of conditions like H.pylori gastritis.
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What Are The Most Important Things You Need To Know About Your Medicines
Make sure you know about each of the medicines you take. This includes why you take it, how to take it, what you can expect while you’re taking it, and any warnings about the medicine.
The information provided here is general. So be sure to read the information that came with your medicine. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.