TUMS
For occasional heartburn and indigestion, Tums and other antacids such as Maalox, Mylanta, and Rolaids work very well. Best of all, they start working within a few minutes. But if your heartburn tends to be long-lasting, you should try another class of drugs: H2 blockers, which include cimetidine (Tagamet OTC), famotidine (Pepcid AC), nizatidine (Axid AR), and ranitidine (Zantac 75 and Zantac 150). All of them are available as low-cost generics. They take up to an hour to work but usually give you heartburn relief for up to 12 hours.
Prilosec OTC (generic omeprazole) isn’t for an occasional attack of heartburn. It belongs to a category of drugs called
proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) that work by blocking an enzyme needed for making acid in the stomach.
Lansoprazole (Prevacid 24HR) is another PPI. Despite what the ads imply, those drugs are not intended for immediate heartburn relief, but they can help with severe and ongoing cases, as well as ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
If you have any of those chronic conditions, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor before taking a PPI. Those drugs are associated with certain rare but potentially serious side effects, including an increased risk of infections and pneumonia as well as bone fractures. And they can sometimes cause dangerous interactions with other medications and dietary supplements. So it’s best to avoid taking them unless your doctor gives you the green light.
