Heartburn & Indigestion Treatment
Eaten something that didn’t sit right? We’ve all been there. Heartburn and indigestion relief, such as tablets, capsules and liquids can take the sting out of that feeling. We’ve got a wide range to choose from that can bring you fast, soothing relief when you need it most.
More about heartburn & indigestion
What are the best treatments for heartburn and indigestion?
Suspension liquids
We stock quite a few liquid heartburn relief medicines, which can ease pain and discomfort caused by heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux. The great thing about using a suspension liquid is that they generally work a bit faster than heartburn tablets. Different brands will have different active ingredients, but most of them work in the same way. They’ll line your stomach and create a barrier above it, which stops acid from moving up and causing pain. Some of them will also neutralise the acid in your stomach.
Chewable tablets
Heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux tablets are so convenient. You can pop them into a bag or pocket and just chew one on the go when you need it. The active ingredients in chewable tablets work in much the same way as they do in liquids, and they also work really quickly. They’ll neutralise acid and also create a protective barrier over the contents in your stomach. This stops the acid from moving up your oesophagus – the tube connecting your throat and stomach.
Capsules
Unlike heartburn and indigestion tablets that you’ll chew, capsules usually take longer to work. Sometimes you’ll only notice the full effect of them in 2-3 days. But there’s an upside: you only need to take one capsule for their effect to last up to 24 hours. Most of them work by reducing the stomach acid at the source, rather than creating a barrier over your stomach contents.
What are the best brands for heartburn relief?
Gavison
Gaviscon is a well-known brand that offers a range of different heartburn relief medicines. They have heartburn and indigestion tablets and suspension liquids to offer fast, effective relief from symptoms. They even have a tablet – Guardium Acid Reflux Control – that gets to work in 1 hour and lasts up to 24 hours. If you have a little one that’s having problems keeping things down, Gaviscon also has sachets for infants between 1 and 2 years old. They prevent reflux by stabilising the contents of your little one’s stomach and reduce your baby bringing up feeds.
Rennies
Rennies has a range of chewable, over the counter antacids that treat the symptoms of heartburn and indigestion. They contain calcium carbonate, which works to neutralise stomach acid, turning it into water and other natural substances. They start working really quickly to give you relief from heartburn, indigestion, upset stomachs and flatulence.
OptiBac
OptiBac offers a probiotic solution for acid reflux. There’s a few reasons why probiotics might help with your symptoms. Probably the most common cause of acid reflux is overindulging (we all do it, right?). But, there are also other causes such as chronic stress, which impacts the blood flow to your digestive system and then disrupt the good bacteria in your gut. Also, bad bacteria and yeasts can cause acid to bubble up too far in your stomach, which causes reflux. There’s also H. pylori (a bacterial infection) that might affect some people negatively. More research needs to be done, but it’s thought that probiotics, especially lactobacillus, may help with these less common causes of acid reflux to help relieve symptoms.
Alka-Seltzer
Overindulging in food and drink might not always cause acid reflux, but sometimes it’ll give you an upset tummy. That’s where Alka-Seltzer comes in. They have effervescent tablets that you’ll mix in water to relieve an upset stomach and also headaches. This medication contains aspirin, which may not be suitable for everyone to take. Chat to our pharmacist or your GP before who’ll be able to give you expert advice.
Nexium
If you suffer from heartburn often – twice or more a week, and it interrupts your sleep – you might consider taking Nexium Control. It’s a heartburn relief medicine that comes in tablets and capsules and can provide relief for up to 24 hours. You just need to take one in the morning and it’ll start working in about an hour. The medicine works by reducing stomach acid production at the source to give you relief from symptoms.
Pepto-Bismol
Pepto-Bismol comes in a suspension liquid and chewable heartburn tablets. It works by lining your stomach and creating a barrier over its contents to stop it from moving up your oesophagus. Apart from heartburn, Pepto-Bismol also helps to relieve indigestion, nausea, upset stomach and diarrhoea.
What relieves heartburn quickly?
If you’re looking for a remedy that works quickly to relieve the symptoms of heartburn and indigestion, you should try chewable heartburn tablets or a liquid suspension. Generally speaking, these work the quickest.
What are antacids used for?
Antacids neutralise the acid in your stomach and come in chewable tablets and liquid form. They help to relieve indigestion, heartburn or acid reflux.
Our advice
The best advice we could give is to make lifestyle changes to relieve the symptoms of persistent heartburn. These would include losing weight (if you’re overweight), stopping smoking, trying to reduce your stress and trying not to eat 3 - 4 hours before bed. If you’ve just had an overindulgent day and need some quick relief, try a chewable tablet or suspension liquid. If your symptoms last longer than 7 days you should chat to a pharmacist or GP. Our pharmacist is on hand to give you expert advice when you need it.
