Acid Reflux Treatment

Medications That May Worsen GERD Symptoms

There are three ways that medicines may exacerbate GERD symptoms. For this reason, we have separated problem medicines into three groups.

Please check for your own medications in each of our three lists.

Group 1: Medicines That Loosen Your Esophageal Sphincter

Nitroglycerin and nitrate medications for your heart

Including Nitroquick, Nitrostat, isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), Nitroglycerin skin patches, and other nitrates.

Blood pressure or heart medicines in the "calcium channel blocker" family

This family includes diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine (Plendil), verapamil (Calan), and others.

Muscle relaxants

Including cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), carisoprodol (Soma), diazepam (Valium), tizanidine (Zanaflex), methocarbamol (Robaxin), quinine sulfate, and others.

Medicines for an overactive bladder

These include oxybutynin (Ditropan), tolterodine (Detrol), and others.

Asthma inhalers or pills

Especially albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil), pirbuterol (Maxair), salmeterol (Serevent, Advair), metaproterenol (Alupent, Metaprel), formoterol (Foradil), ipratropium (Atrovent), and theophylline (Theo-Dur).

Anxiety medications

Especially diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and other "benzodiazepines."

Migraine medications

Including propranolol (Inderal), amitriptyline (Elavil), dihydroergotamine (DHE, Migranal), Cafergot, sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), zolmitriptan (Zomig), and others.

Dieting pills that contain caffeine

Anti-diarrhea medicines

Examples are loperamide (Imodium) and diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil).

Do you take any medications on this list?

Yes, I do take one or more medicines on this list.

No, I do not take any of the medicines in this group.