Heartburn Treatment OTC

Heartburn treatment drugs rank very high among prescribed medications in the U.S. They produced well over $10 billion in sales in 2006. In addition to the prescribed medications, big pharmaceutical companies such as Proctor & Gamble offer over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn treatment.

OTC heartburn treatment is sufficient for most people, but which OTC should you use? Do you really need heartburn treatment in the form of a drug, or do you need to change something in your lifestyle?

Prilosec OTC

Many people have turned to Priolsec OTC as a heartburn treatment. Take just one tablet daily, in the morning, for 14 days and your frequent heartburn is gone. That is the advertised effectiveness of Prilosec OTC. Many have found, however, that Prilosec is not a heartburn treatment that works for them.

Doctors assure us that those who truly need this OTC heartburn treatment number less than 1 percent of those who are taking it.

Impaired Health

The problem with heartburn treatments such as Prilosec is that the advertised proton pump inhibitors do work well. They decrease the stomach’s ability to make stomach acid. This sounds like a good thing. They work well while you are taking them, but you are to stop after two weeks – and not take them again for four months. Why?

* Dependency: A heartburn treatment of this type causes dependency. You depend on the pill for continued heartburn relief. Once you have used it for a time, it is exceedingly difficult to stop using them.

* Rebound: A second reason to avoid this type of heartburn treatment is the acid rebound effect that results. Since Prilosec and OTC or prescription medications like it turn off the proton pumps for a time, the pumps will work overtime when they are turned on again. The built-up acid that has been suppressed will flow forcefully.

* Masking: Finally, OTC heartburn treatments such as Prilosec mask the real problem, allowing you to continue or restart bad habits that create the problem in the first place. When you stop the heartburn treatment pills, the heartburn may be even worse – not better.

* Digestion Harm: Heartburn treatments such as Prilosec OTC can actually impair your digestion. Turning off the proton pumps and reducing the amount of stomach acid makes proper digestion of food more difficult.

* Food Poisoning: Less acid as a result of heartburn treatment means your stomach is less capable of defending you against infections present in your food. You are more at risk for food poisoning.

* Stomach Atrophy: A stomach that stops digesting and absorbing food properly because of reduced acid is at risk for atrophy. That is, heartburn treatment that reduces acid production can cause your stomach to lose it strength. This and other chronic degenerative diseases can result from OTC or prescription heartburn treatment.

Better Options

There are better heartburn treatment options available at little cost. Be sure your stomach has an adequate supply of good bacteria by taking a top quality probiotic. Ask at your health food store if you are unfamiliar with this. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of good water daily.

Disclaimer: The author is not a medical professional and offers the above for educational purposes only. Please ask your doctor about heartburn treatment if you have frequent heartburn.