Acid Reflux Doctors and Specialists Near Me in San Luis Obispo, CA

There are several over-the-counter and prescription medications available to help treat acid reflux, depending on the severity of your symptoms.

Over-the-counter options include:

- Antacids: Antacids neutralize stomach acids, and provide quick relief for the symptoms of GERD. Antacids will not heal an inflamed esophagus, however, and overuse can cause negative side effects such as diarrhea.

- H-2 receptor blockers: H-2 receptor blockers do not act as quickly as antacids, but provide longer-lasting relief from acid reflux. In addition to reducing symptoms of acid reflux, H-2 receptor blockers can decrease the amount of acid produced in the stomach for up to 12 hours. These drugs are also available at prescription strength with a doctor’s orders.

- Proton pump inhibitors: These medications block acid produced in the stomach and allow time for the tissue in the esophagus to heal. Proton pump inhibitors are stronger acid blockers than H-2 receptor blockers. Prescription-strength proton pump inhibitors may be recommended for chronic acid reflux disease (GERD).

If over-the-counter medications don’t provide enough relief, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications such as:

- Prescription-strength H-2- receptor blockers (such as famotidine)

- Prescription-strength proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole and pantoprazole)

- Muscle relaxers: If the muscles of your lower esophageal sphincter are too relaxed, it may allow for the stomach acid to more easily come up into the esophagus. Interestingly, muscle relaxers such as Baclofen can help decrease the frequency of these relaxations.

- Maintain a healthy weight. Eat frequent smaller meals, instead of large amounts of food a few times a day.

- Quit smoking. Smoking impairs the capacity of the lower esophageal sphincter to function correctly.

- Lower fat intake and avoid trigger foods. Fatty or fried meals, tomato sauce, wine, chocolate, mint, garlic, onion, and caffeine are all common triggers for acid reflux.

- Slow down and chew your meal completely. After each mouthful, set your fork down and pick it up once you've eaten and swallowed that bite.

- Raising the head of your bed. If you get frequent heartburn while sleeping, place wood or cement blocks beneath the foot of your bed to elevate the head end by 6 to 9 inches. Adding more pillows to your head isn't going to help.

- After a meal, do not lie down. Wait at least three hours after eating before going to bed.

- Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight. The abdomen and the lower esophageal sphincter are pressed by clothing that fits firmly around the waist.

If medications aren’t helping, your doctor may recommend one of the following surgical procedures:

- Fundoplication: To tighten the muscle and prevent reflux, a surgeon wraps the top of your stomach over the lower esophageal sphincter. This is a minimally invasive procedure that reinforces the sphincter so food won’t reflux back into the esophagus.

- LINX device: A ring of small magnetic beads is placed around the stomach-esophagus junction to keep it closed against refluxing acid while allowing food to flow through. Implanting the LINX device only requires minimally invasive surgery.