| Ask A Doctor |
The Ask A Doctor message board provided a medium for sufferers of Heartburn and Gerd to ask questions about medical and surgical options for heartburn and receive answers directly from experienced Gastroesophageal surgeons.
Please Note!!! The Ask A Doctor message board is now a read only message board. Since May 1, 2000 the Doctors have answered over 1500 questions that have been posted to the board. We join you in thanking the doctors for performing this excellent service.
Additional Ask A Doctor message boards can be viewed at Message Board
[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: David Cloyd, MD
Date: 05/14/00
Time: 02:02:05
If I am correct in understanding that your symptoms have only been present for a total of two weeks then I wouldn't get overly aggresive yet in treatment. A good place to start is either zantac or pepcid AC, both of which you can get over the counter. You should take a look at what you're eating too, and see if something like coke or coffee needs to be cut down for a while. The pepto bismol is ok, if you can stand the taste. Remember, though, that it doesn't reduce acid secretion. It only binds acid that is floating around in your stomach (kind of after the fact, ya know). To really help in a situation related to acid you also need to turn off the acid production BEFORE its released. Thats where drugs like zantac, pepcid, prilosec, prevacid, etc come in. (The prilosec and prevacid are by prescription.)
Most of the time a little conservative treatment like this will solve the problem. If not (as in no improvement in another couple weeks) then you may need a visit to a doctor and possibly some stronger medication.