Treatment of Gastroesophageal reflux disease

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Treatment of Gastroesophageal reflux disease

There are some over-the-counter medicines you can take to help treat GORD, but if your symptoms are severe or if they continue for a long time, you should visit your GP.

You can get antacids from your pharmacists. These are liquids and tablets that you swallow or chew, and when they get to the oesophagus and stomach they help to neutralise the acid (make it less acidic). Antacids relieve the symptoms of mild heartburn but do not treat the causes. Pregnant women should speak to their GP or midwife before using any medication.

You can also buy low dose acid-suppressing medicines at your pharmacists. These are called histamine receptor blockers, or H2 antagonists. They include cimetidine, famotidine, and ranitidine. Over-the-counter H2 antagonists will help mild heartburn if you only get it occasionally. To get higher doses, and to relieve more severe or ongoing symptoms, you should visit your GP for a prescription. Taking H2 antagonists every day can help prevent symptoms like heartburn and give your oesophagus time to heal.

If you have more severe heartburn, your GP may prescribe drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as esomeprazole, lansoprazole and rabeprazole. PPIs are also acid-suppressing medicines. Like H2 antagonists, they stop the stomach producing so much acid. They are more effective and fast working than H2 antagonists, but are only prescribed for severe cases of GORD. PPIs can be taken to prevent further attacks, as well as to treat current symptoms.

If treatment with drugs doesnâ€™t work, you might need surgery. The main types of operation are:

Keyhole surgery to tighten up the sphincter muscle between the oesophagus and stomach. A tiny sewing device is passed down your oesophagus and is used to create pleats or folds in the muscles around the sphincter.
Injections of bulking agents (materials that will build up the muscles) into the sphincter, which is done through an endoscope, a thin tube passed down your oesophagus.