If you are like many hundreds of others who suffer from acid reflux you will be aware of the different types of acid reflux medicine that you can choose. However for those of us who have only heard about this particular condition and may suffer from it at some stage in their lives they probably do not know what types of medication are available to them in order to treat this particular condition. Below we will take a closer look at some of the ones that are available today.

1. Antacids

This particular medication is the mainstay of any kind of treatment provided for acid reflux. The medication is designed to neutralize the acid in a person's stomach so no acid is produced which can then be regurgitated (refluxed). However the main problem with a person using antacids in order to help treat acid reflux is that they prevent the problem occurring for a short period of time. Normally they are removed from an empty stomach quickly and so this then allows acid to build up in the stomach again. The best to take any type of antacid to avoid this problem is by taking them about one hour after you have had a meal or just before the symptoms start to appear whilst you are having the meal. So therefore as it takes food longer to empty from the stomach by taking the antacid after you have eaten will ensure that it stays in the stomach for longer and so is then more effective in helping to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach.

Normally antacids are either aluminum, magnesium or calcium based. However it is not recommended that you use calcium based antacids such as Rolaids or Tums as they are ineffective against chronic acid reflux.

2. Histamine Antagonists

If you are looking for a more long lasting way of neutralizing the acid produced by your stomach each day then you should try a histamine antagonist.

This is the first acid reflux medicine which has been developed to provide a person which much more effective relief to the condition. This particular medicine is designed to block the receptor which normally produces histamine which in turn can increase acid production in the stomach. Generally such acid reflux medicine is more commonly referred to as H2 antagonists as it has a specific receptor which blocks the Histamine Type 2 receptor (the one that helps to stimulate the production of acid in the stomach). In most cases this particular form of acid reflux medicine should be taken 30 minutes before a person eats a meal as this means that the H2 antagonists which be at their highest levels in the body and so be there when the stomach is actively producing acid in order for the food that you have eaten to be digested.