Acid Reflux Medication: Prilosec, Nexium or Prevacid?
Most people treat heartburn or acid reflux the same way – they run down to the pharmacy to pick up every OTC medicine they can find. This often soothes the pain for a while, but it's rarely a permanent solution. Many people end up having to get a prescription for something stronger. In fact, if you've been taking antacids for a long period of time, it's probably time for you to see a doctor.
So the next question is, "What acid reflux medication is the best?" Frankly, that's a question for your gastroenterologist to answer, but we can certainly talk about the different medicines available.
We'll talk about two types of medications for acid reflux and GERD in this article. First, let's cover the H2 blockers. H2 blockers are drugs that prevent or block the production of gastric (stomach) acid. They certainly provide relief longer than antacids, but one of the drawbacks is that instead of instant heartburn relief like antacids provide, H2 blockers may take half an hour or longer.
Examples of Acid Reflux (GERD) Medications – H2 Blockers
- Tagamet
- Pepcid AC
- Axid AR
- Zantac
The other types of medication are proton pump inhibitors (PPI's.) These don't just reduce the acid production in your stomach – they stop it. These are typically the strongest medications available for inhibiting stomach acid production. For people who experience GERD or severe acid reflux, proton pump inhibitors can give longer term and often continuous relief from heartburn symptoms.
Examples of Acid Reflux (GERD) Medications – Proton Pump Inhibitors
- Prilosec
- Losec
- Zegerid
- Prevacid
- Zoton
- Inhibitol
- Nexium
- Protonix
- Somac
- Pantoloc
- Rabecid
- Aciphex
- Pariet
If you're interested in finding out more about one of these acid reflux mediations, your first step is to talk to your doctor so they can determine how severe your symptoms are and make an appropriate treatment recommendation for you.