Many prescription drugs are available on the market today that can treat acid reflux and its symptoms.

While there is no cure for acid reflux, changing one’s diet, not eating late at night, and taking medication can help keep episodes to a minimum.

These drugs must be prescribed by doctor who has determined that a person is suffering from acid reflux.

If after taking these drugs for the suggested amount of time, they do not help ease the symptoms caused by acid reflux, a person should contact their doctor to see if the problem may be something else.

Sometimes it is not acid reflux but an ulcer or GERD, which is a form of acid reflux, but may require surgery to correct. After trying a few medications, further tests will have to be conducted.

Rabeprazole is a prescription drug used to treat acid reflux and ulcers. This pill is usually taken every day to eight weeks. This will help keep acid reflux from occurring. As with any drug, there are side effects that can hurt a person’s sleep pattern, work performance, and other day-to-day activities.

Side effects include headaches, stomachaches, restlessness, and decreased appetite. Rabeprazole must be taken every day in order to benefit from its full effects. If a person misses a day, they should just stay on the schedule and not try to take two doses at once. This could have very bad side effects.

Another popular acid reflux prescription drug is Nexium. Used to treat GERD and ulcers, this drug is a similar to Rabeprazole in that it must be taken responsibly. Other drugs include Prevacid, Prilosec, and Protonix.

These drugs decrease the amount of acid in the stomach, which can help decrease acid reflux. These drugs should be taken as instructed by a doctor or the instructions on the packaging. Do not combine any of these drugs as they can cause a person to become very ill.

Prescription drugs can work wonders on those who suffer from acid reflux two or three times a week. They should be taken while under a doctor’s care only. A person who suspects they may have acid reflux should not take any medication that has not been prescribed to them.

Since the symptoms of acid reflux can be many other illnesses or diseases, taking medication that will not help is not recommended. Only a doctor can tell a person whether they have acid reflux or not.

There are also many over the counted medications a person take if they are suffering from heart burn. These drugs are to be used once or twice before visiting a doctor. While they may ease the suffering of those who have acid reflux, no drugs are a substitute for a proper diet and exercise.

Life changes must be made and enforced if a person is going to stop acid reflux from occurring too often. Use prescription drugs only when the problem becomes too much and a person needs relief quickly.