Acid Reflux

[jennyjoan]

Cousin complaining really badly of the above. I have told her to get an appointment with her GP. Is there anything she can take meantime.

[Sqad]

Yes, Gaviscon is a good enough medication whilst she awaits her GP appt.

[tiggerblue10]

Antacids or gaviscon? Or warm milk.

[jennyjoan]

ok - thanks Sqad. My brother was tortured with it and when he came home to me from England - bathroom, bedroom was covered in the stuff. Pink

Would there be any "strengths" in the Gaviscon.

[Sqad]

Depends if tablets or emulsion......dose will be in the package.

[andres]

Half a teaspoon of bicarb .in about half glass of tepid water always does the trick for me.

[Buenchico]

A proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is almost certainly what she needs. They're available over the counter, without prescription, in pharmacies or even on supermarket shelves. e.g. https://groceries.asda.com/product/heartburn-indigestion/nexium-control-20-mg-gastro-resistant-tablets-esomeprazole/910001484404

PPI's don't give instant relief though; they take a while to work. For instant relief (although nowhere near as long-lasting as that obtained by using a PPI), Gaviscon Double Action tablets are very effective: https://groceries.asda.com/product/heartburn-indigestion/gaviscon-double-action-heartburn-relief-mint-tablets/910002963020

[zylaphone]

Omprazole works well

[ducksie]

Jenny, I used to take Gaviscon Advance, it was white, thicker in texture than the pink and fast acting, I think Nexium is good too.

[woofgang]

Nexium is excellent but it works best if you take it as a regular thing before you need it.

[andy-hughes]

Gaviscon tabs are fine - nice fruit flavour, you can suck or chew them, and they give virtually instant releif.

Omaperzole (sp?) works for me - from the GP.

[Patsy33]

Supermarket equivalents are just as good as Gaviston. Somebody suggested warm water for relief when I had a bad episode in cafe once. The owner brought over a glass and it did the trick.

[jennyjoan]

thanks all for your answers, have passed onto said cousin

[cassa333]

I have an acid problem as well.

If I have an empty stomach it aches, gurgles a lot and bloats but the real kicker is I get terrible upper back pain right across my shoulder blades. Gaviscon didn’t even touch the sides and the only thing that helped was to eat all the time.

But I’ve had this before so got a prescription from the Dr for Omeprazole.

Took the first dose this morning and had such severe stomach cramps and retching that I was almost sent home from work.

I am hopeful that the second dose won’t do the same because I haven’t had a single issue with the acid today.

[Mamyalynne]

Omeprazole can take a few days to kick in, until it does top up with Gaviscon as well then take the omep every day as prescribed.

[sanmac]

I only get acid reflux, or heart burn, perhaps three or four times a year, but when I do get it its quite painful. A couple of swigs of Pepto Bismol clears it up in a couple of minutes.

[choux]

I disagree with that answer ^^. I was told by the hospital to not take any over the counter medicine with Omeprazole.

[Mamyalynne]

My GP's advice until the Omep kicked in.

By all means follow your own physician's advice.

[Mamyalynne]

NHS advice

You can take omeprazole with an antacid (for example, Gaviscon) if you need to, but leave a gap of 2 hours between them.

Which makes sense.