Horrid stomach acid problem?
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Prilosec OTC. you can use it and it will help a lot. just take a pill every morning for 2 weeks. You should call your doctor and let them look at you, you may have an ulcer or some damage to your esophagus. You can take the prilosec for more than 2 weeks I mean you can take it from now on. The only reason they say no more than 2 weeks is if you do have something wrong like an ulcer then you would have to have that treated by your doctor. Like I said call and let them check you out. Until then use the prilosec. After the 2 weeks of taking it every day you can try taking it once every other day. That has been enough with some people to keep the acid down. Your doctor may put you on something like Nexium or Protonix they work really well to, but they are proscription. There is also a pill called Equallactin that will help if you get it and need to calm it down quick, also Galviscon is really good for a quick fix. Hope you get to feeling better. Oh the Galviscon may give you gas, but that's better than having heart burn. Oh yeah if you are on other meds you should talk to your pharmacist and make sure what you are taking does not interfere or interact with your other meds.
You can try Zantac or similar proton pump inhibitors. It sounds like it is too severe for the calcium-based treatments like Tums or Pepto-Bismol.
Because of the gas generation factor, you also might have an infection in your stomach or upper intestine. A gastroenterologist can help you figure this out.
It is very important to get this GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) under control as quickly as possible. Prolonged reflux can burn the lining of the esophagus, leading to distinct changes in the tissue called Barrett's esophagus. This can be a precursor to cancer, but it takes many years to progress that far.
A few pills, a trip to the doctor and you should be fine.
I've found that Nexium does wonders if taken regularly. However, if you don't like daily pills, Rolaids is best for after a meal. Believe me on this, I used to have acid reflux disease.
If the problem is really due to excess acid, the over the counter medication Prilosec is extremely helpful. It is also available from your doctor as a prescription ( generic is omeprazole) in which case your insurance should pay for it if you have medication coverage.
i use protonix. i have used nexium, zantac, prilosec and other otc's such as pepto.
i had gall bladder removal and have gastritis. when i get acid reflux it interacts with the gastritis and causes HUGE fetal position pain.
protonix works wonderfully for me. i don't have side effects like gas or bloating.
ask your doctor about protonix.
don't forget what works for one person may not for another. keep searching and you'll find the right thing for yourself.
good luck.
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