Acid medicine: all the same, right?
As, there are several options for occasional heartburn symptoms, such as those that occur when eating spicy foods. If you acknowledge in advance that the food you are about to eat causes heartburn, early therapy is the best solution. Over-the-counter H2 blockers and PPIs both are powerful solutions.
If you forget about previous medications, you can safely take one of these medicines as soon as symptoms start. Antacids neutralize stomach acid on contact and provide the fastest relief. The more acid you produce, the more antacids are needed. Pepcid Complete contains famotidine and a combination of two antacids (calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide). Antacids neutralize stomach acid, while famotidine can be absorbed and decrease acid production.
One of the problems with this over-the-counter drug is the risk of masking serious problems. Over-the-counter medicines will warn you to see a doctor if symptoms persist after a few weeks. This is, of course, good advice. You don't want to cover up severe ulcers or cancer. If you need occasional heartburn relief, using an over the counter medication is good. If this is an everyday problem, it's best to see your doctor to rule out serious problems. You can also get more information regarding Heartburn Medicine Cancer from the expert lawyers who are handling such kind of issues on a daily basis.
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Some patients complain that H2 blockers (Pepcid, Zantac, Axid, and Tagamet) are ineffective. This drug reduces stomach acid production by about 50%. Over-the-counter drugs are about half a milligram stronger than the prescription version, but they are the same drug. Generics from Zantac, Axid, Pepcid, and Tagamet continue to require a prescription and may be less expensive than over-the-counter drugs.
PPIs reduce the amount of acid by up to 90%. In recent years, two have passed the counter and some still require a prescription such as Aciphex, Protonix, Dexilant, Nexium. They all work the same way, although some patients appear to be more relieved than one or the other.