1. Heartburn: Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Slideshow Pictures
2. Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the GERD Quiz

If these acid blockers do not relieve your symptoms, your health care provider probably will recommend one of the drugs, which are even stronger, called proton pump inhibitors. Examples of these drugs are omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex), pantoprazole (Protonix), and esomeprazole (Nexium). These tablets virtually stop all acid production in the stomach. They typically are taken only once a day. These drugs usually are prescribed if other drugs have not helped.
 
If you continue to have GERD symptoms, your health care provider may recommend adding a promotility drug such as metoclopramide (Reglan, Clopra, Maxolon) or bethanechol (Duvoid, Urabeth, Urecholine). These drugs empty food and acid quickly from the stomach so less can back up into the esophagus. They also help tighten the LES. These drugs have fairly significant side effects and do not work as well as the proton pump inhibitors in most people and are rarely necessary.

Must Read Articles Related to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) FAQs

Acid Reflux Disease (GERD) Acid reflux (GERD) is caused by acid backing up from the stomach. Causes of acid reflux include smoking, obesity, alcohol, medications, diet, and other medical ...learn more >>

Anatomy of the Digestive System Digestion is the process in which food is broken into smaller pieces so the body can use them to build and nourish cells and provide energy. The digestive syste...learn more >>

Asthma FAQs Asthma is a disease that affects the breathing passages, or airways, of the lungs. Asthma is a chronic (ongoing, long-term) inflammatory disease that causes dif...learn more >>

See the Entire Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) FAQs Topic Guide »