Acid Reflux Treatment

Drug Treatments – If the adjustments in your dietary behavior do not successfully thwart the acid reflux symptoms, then your doctor may discuss with you other treatment alternatives, consisting of the use of H2 blockers or Proton Pump Inhibitors. Today's typical treatment methods consist of either a step-up or a step-down approach.

Utilizing a "step-up" medication methodology the individual will first try an over-the counter treatment consisting of H2 blocker drugs. They include (Zantac 75), ( Axid AR ), (Tagamet HB), and (Pepcid AC).

If the situation does not progress positively the remedy is "stepped up" to the more dominant proton-pump inhibitor..

The "step-down" method first utilizes a more powerful drug, usually a proton-pump inhibitor (PPIs). After the sufferer has been without any symptoms for two months or longer the medication is then reduced to a less powerful form of the drug.

If the pain and agony does not return the use of the drug is stopped. However if the discomfort does come back the patient is usually prescribed an extremely powerful dose of H2 blockers.

One double blind medical research project determined that using the step-down method, fifty eight percent of the patients continued to be pain free after a year.

However, that same study conclude that twenty seven percent of the participates would of had the same results if they did not use medications at all. Many doctors suggest that the step-down method ought to be only utilized with individuals that have acute cases of acid reflux, heartburn or GERD.

A negative of both the "step-up" and "step-down" methods is that even when the symptoms are totally alleviated by the drugs, they frequently come back inside of a couple months after medication treatment has finished. Therefore, continual use of the drugs may be necessary over the remainder of the patient's life.

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