What's the Best Heartburn Remedy?

There are plenty of over the counter medicines for heartburn relief, all claiming to be the best heartburn remedy. This article will look at three of the most popular.

Prilosec OTC

Prilosec OTC is the brand name for the Omeprazole Magnesium tablets made by Astra Zeneca. It was the first over the counter proton pump inhibitor available on the market.

It works by shutting down the triggers that tell the stomach to produce acid, whilst leaving enough for digestion.

Prilosec makes its claim to be the best heartburn remedy based on the fact that one pill lasts for 24 hours, unlike most other heartburn remedies on the market.

Prilosec OTC is not recommended for pregnant women or people with heart or liver disease.

Zantac

Zantac is an over the counter acid reducer manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim. Its active ingredient is a histamine blocker known as ranitidine. It comes in two strengths, 75mg and 150mg. The 150mg variety also comes in a mint flavor that creates a cooling sensation to fight heartburn.

Zantac works best as a remedy for occasional heartburn. Taken an hour before a meal, it can help prevent the production of excess stomach acid.

You should not take Zantac if you have liver or kidney disease. If you have trouble or pain swallowing food, consult your doctor.

Pepcid Complete

Pepcid Complete was the first over the counter medicine to combine an acid reducer with an antacid. It claims to be the best heartburn remedy due to the fact that the antacid starts working almost immediately while the histamine blocker provides long lasting relief.

The chewable tablets come in two flavors, cool mint and berry. Each tablet contains 10 mg of the acid reducer famotidine, 800 mg of calcium carbonate (as found in antacids such as Tums) and 165 mg of magnesium hydroxide (the active ingredient in milk of magnesia).

As with other heartburn remedies, you should not take Pepcid Complete if you have trouble swallowing or if you are allergic to any of the ingredients. Pepcid Complete may interact with anticoagulants such as warfarin and certain antibiotics. Consult your doctor if you are on any of these medications.

So, which is the best heartburn remedy for you? There's no single answer to this question. Heartburn has a variety of causes, and different medication may work better for different people.

At the end of the day, it is a process of trial and error, to find the heartburn remedy that works best for your individual symptoms.