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Proven Strength for Frequent Heartburn Protection

Prilosec OTC

Keep Frequent Heartburn from Coming Back While Taking Prilosec OTC^®

Prilosec OTC is clinically proven to fight heartburn for 24 hours. It’s strong enough to do so before heartburn begins because it is a PPI (proton pump inhibitor). With one pill a day for 14 days, you get the protection you need from frequent heartburn,* and while taking Prilosec OTC, heartburn won’t keep coming back.

In a clinical study, the strength of Prilosec OTC was tested against frequent heartburn:

78% of consumers were heartburn-free on the first night.
81% of consumers had complete relief/only mild symptoms on Day 1.
94% of consumers were satisfied with how well Prilosec OTC worked.

See for yourself if Prilosec OTC is the right heartburn protection for you.

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Is frequent heartburn interrupting your fun time with family and friends? Hi, I’m Dr. Frank McGeorge for Prilosec OTC. Today we’re going to talk about several lifestyle changes that can help decrease the impact heartburn has on your life—the seventh video in this series. There are ways you can begin to take control of your life: by not smoking, reducing stress, watching how much you eat, and exercising regularly—a minimum of 30 minutes, five days a week. Researchers found cigarette smoking slows the production of saliva, which is one of your body’s defenses against damage to the esophagus. You see, saliva production is critical to the stomach because saliva contains acid-reducing chemicals called bicarbonates. Not only does smoking decrease the acidity level of your stomach, but it also increases your body’s esophagus protection system that’s needed to fight acid backsplashes coming up from the stomach. Now, many have also found reducing stress to be a helpful means to avoid heartburn. While stress hasn’t been linked directly to heartburn, it is known that stress can lead to behaviors that elicit heartburn. During times of increased stress, people’s eating, exercise, and medication routines all become disrupted. For example, working late may cause you to eat late, which, as you know, doesn’t give your stomach time to digest before you lie down. Now, I know stress and some of these behaviors are hard ones to control or break, so start off with whatever is easiest for you. Take baby steps and before you know it, you will be well on your way to a healthier you. Eating slower can also make a big difference for heartburn sufferers. It’s been shown that people don’t completely sense how full they are until 15 to 20 minutes after eating. Now, elevating the head of your bed 6 to 8 inches can also help decrease the flow of stomach contents into places where they shouldn’t be. Try using plastic or wooden bed risers to support the bedposts or legs, or buy a therapeutic wedge pillow. It’s also important to avoid lying flat or bending over after eating. Staying upright increases the chances of your stomach contents staying put. That’s why it’s important not to go to bed right after eating. Another tip is to loosen your belt after big meals; as funny as this may seem, a tight belt tends to push your stomach contents up into the esophagus where they don’t belong. One thing you might not know is that maintaining a healthy weight is a critical part of managing heartburn. For some people, however, physical activity actually aggravates the symptoms of heartburn; in fact, often the more intense the exercise, the worse the heartburn symptoms. So just experiment and figure out which workout is best for your body. But here are a few basic tips: Try low-impact exercises like riding a bike or walking; running or jogging can actually increase the chances of acid reflux. Pursue aerobic exercises like swimming, cycling, and dancing instead of resistance exercises like weightlifting. Try going easy on your abs; crunches and sit-ups add pressure on the abdominal muscles, which can aggravate acid reflux. Remember also, use gravity; any position that reverses the natural gravity of digestion—like handstands or other inverted stretches—can trigger heartburn. In summary, reducing smoking and stress whenever possible, as well as eating slower, keeping your head elevated, wearing looser-fitting clothes, and staying in shape with regular exercise will decrease the impact that heartburn has on your life. If these changes aren’t enough to keep your heartburn at bay, talk to your doctor about your symptoms and possible treatment options. I’m Dr. Frank McGeorge for Prilosec OTC.

Exercise and Heartburn: Techniques to Alleviate Exercise-Induced Heartburn

Maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of managing heartburn for many people. The recommended guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine^® and the American Heart Association suggest all healthy adults ages 18 to 65 need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, five days each week, or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 20 minutes, three days each week.¹

As always, check with your doctor before starting any type of treatment program.

For some people, physical activity can aggravate the symptoms of frequent heartburn. This association between heartburn and exercise has been described in medical literature for nearly 20 years.² Usually with exercise-induced heartburn, the more intense the exercise, the worse the symptoms.

Quick Tips

The following are basic tips for people concerned about the association between exercise and heartburn:

Do Low-Impact Physical Activity

Running or jogging can increase the chances of acid refluxHEARTBURN GLOSSARY Acid reflux: The backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus; also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).. Try low-impact exercises such as riding a bike or walking, which should produce fewer acid reflux symptoms.

Pursue Aerobic Exercises

If you have noticed that your symptoms get worse with intense exercise, try aerobic activities such as swimming, cycling, and dancing, instead of resistance exercises such as weightlifting.

Go Easy on the Abs

Crunches and sit-ups place added pressure on the abdominal muscles, which can aggravate acid refluxHEARTBURN GLOSSARY Acid reflux: The backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus; also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).. Do these activities in moderation.

Use Gravity

Positions that reverse the natural gravity of digestion, such as headstands, can trigger heartburn. In short, stay upright as much as possible.

Relax with Yoga

Yoga has been shown to help reduce stress, which can aggravate heartburn symptoms. Look for positions that don't place emphasis on abdominal muscles or reverse the natural gravity of digestion.

Dietary

Hydrate

To aid digestion, drink plenty of water before and during your exercise routine.

Dilute Your Sports Drinks

The high concentration of carbohydrates found in most sports drinks may contribute to heartburn. Most sports drinks provide between 60 grams and 100 grams of carbohydrates per liter. Try diluting this in quarter intervals to see if a 3/4 strength or a 1/2 strength solution decreases your heartburn.

Control Quantity

Decrease the size of portions you eat prior to or during exercise. Reflux is more likely to occur when there is a lot of food in the stomach.

Limit Foods That Fan the Flames

Certain foods and beverages are more apt to cause heartburn than others. Moderate your intake of citrus fruits and juices, chocolate, onions, peppermint, spearmint, fatty or spicy foods, and caffeinated or carbonated beverages.

Time Your Meals

Exercising on a full stomach is not advisable, largely because it increases intra-abdominal pressure, which contributes to heartburn. Wait at least two hours after a meal before exercising.

* It’s possible while taking Prilosec OTC. Use as directed for 14 days for treating frequent heartburn.
¹ The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association Physical Activity and Public Health: Updated Recommendation for Adults. Circulation 2007;116;1081-93; originally published online Aug 1, 2007.
² Clark CS, Kraus BB, Sinclair J, Castell DO. Gastroesophageal reflux induced by exercise in healthy volunteers. JAMA 1989;261:3599-01.
³ Collings KL, Pratt P, Rodriguez-Stanley S, Bemben M, Miner PB. Esophageal reflux in conditioned runners, cyclists, and weightlifters. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2003;35(5):730-5.

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Article Highlights

How do we know Prilosec OTC can fight your frequent heartburn? It’s clinically proven. See how effective Prilosec OTC has been for others, and get quick tips for finding relief through diet and exercise.

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* It’s possible while taking Prilosec OTC^®. Use as directed for 14 days for treating frequent heartburn.
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