Treatment and Prevention
Most symptoms of GERD can be managed with a combination of medications and lifestyle changes. Surgery is reserved for people with severe complications but is needed only rarely.
Medications that can be used to reduce stomach acid include antacids and H2-antagonists (e.g., cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine).* For people with more severe conditions or ulcers, or for people whose symptoms do not improve with these medications, another group of medications called proton pump inhibitors may be used (e.g., omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole, rabeprazole).
For some people, a group of medications called prokinetic agents are used to help move the stomach content through the bowels and prevent any backward flow (e.g., metoclopramide, domperidone).
In addition to medications, symptoms of GERD can be improved further by making one or more lifestyle changes, such as:
- eat meals earlier, especially dinner
- eat smaller meals more frequently, instead of two or three large meals
- avoid lying down within two or three hours after meals
- reduce alcohol and caffeine intake
- stop smoking
- lose excess weight
- exercise regularly
- place the head of your bed six inches higher than the foot of the bed
Talk to your doctor and pharmacist about these treatment options.
If you have GERD, the medication your doctor recommends will depend on the severity of your symptoms and condition. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist about which medication or combination of medications is appropriate for you.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.