Acid Reflux Treatment

You have chosen "step-up" drug treatment for GERD. This is an excellent and economical choice.

You do not need to use any medicines for your GERD if lifestyle changes keep your symptoms in check. If you still have symptoms but they are infrequent, you can benefit from over-the-counter medicines on our first step. Step 1 medicines relieve symptoms, but they wear off too quickly to be used for prevention. Use Step 1 drugs on an as-needed basis, during times that your symptoms are active.

Step 1: Drugs for GERD

Acid barriers

Some over-the-counter slurries, such as sucralfate (Carafate), deposit a coating along the esophagus that can protect it from acid injury.

Acid buffers

The mildest anti-acid medicines are those that absorb and neutralize acid that is already present in the stomach. These medicines work quickly and wear off within two or three hours. Examples include Tums, Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, and others.

Step me up to the next level of treatment!

Thanks, I am ready to exit the GERD Treatment Guide.