If you are taking a prescription medication, consult a physician or pharmacist before using a heartburn medication to avoid drug interactions.

More Tips:

• Treatments That Are Easy to Swallow

  Medications used to treat heartburn are available in various oral dosage forms, including liquids, tablets, gelcaps and chewables.

  

• Should Tablets Be Chewed or Swallowed?

  Check the package label to determine if tablets should be swallowed whole or chewed before swallowing.

  

• Pregnant or Breastfeeding?

  Consult a health professional before using any medication to treat heartburn, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

  

• Children and Heartburn Medication

  Check the package label for each specific product to determine whether the medication can be given to children without consulting a physician. Some medications may be appropriate, but the daily dosage will differ from that of an adult.

  

• What Antacids and Bismuth Subsalicylate Do

  Antacids (Alka-Seltzer®, Tums®) relieve heartburn, sour stomach and acid indigestion. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol®) relieves upset stomach, indigestion, nausea, heartburn and diarrhea.

  *Alka-Seltzer® is a registered trademark of Bayer HealthCare LLC. Tums® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline. Pepto-Bismol® is a registered trademark of Procter & Gamble.

  

• Relief and Prevention

  Over-the-counter H2 blockers such as Pepcid® AC relieve heartburn associated with acid indigestion and sour stomach as well as prevent heartburn brought on by eating and drinking certain foods and beverages.

  *Pepcid® AC is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson-Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co.

  

• 3 Kinds of Relief

  Antacids (Mylanta®, Rolaids®) neutralize existing stomach acid through basic chemical reaction. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol®) coats the esophagus and acts as a barrier to refluxed gastric acid contents.

  H2 blockers (TagametHB®, Zantac75®) partially block production of acid in stomach cells by inhibiting the action of histamine, a substance that stimulates the secretion of stomach acid.

  *Mylanta® is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson-Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co. Rolaids® is a registered trademark of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. Pepto-Bismol® is a registered trademark of Procter & Gamble. Tagamet HB® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. Zantac 75® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

  

• OTC Relief for Frequent Heartburn

  Prilosec OTC® is the leading over-the-counter medication indicated for treatment of frequent heartburn—that is, heartburn that occurs two or more days a week.

  

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis or recommended treatments. For severe heartburn or heartburn that persists after trying over-the-counter treatment or lifestyle modifications, visit your doctor to determine the right treatment for you. See the Terms and Conditions for more information.