Acid Reflux Drug Interactions

In order to circumvent any possible perils that stem from acid reflux drug interactions, it’s important to consult your physician or pharmacist before beginning any form of self-initiated therapy.

This is especially true for patients that are more vulnerable than others:

• Pregnant and/or breastfeeding women
• Children and infants
• Elderly patients
• Patients that suffer from simultaneously occurring disorders or have a suppressed or compromised immune system.

Some of the most serious interactions are the ones that would have been the easiest to prevent. When your physician or pharmacist asks you about the medications you’re taking, it’s imperative that you tell him or her about ALL of them regardless of how uncomfortable it might be.

Don’t overlook the products that you "SOMETIMES" take, like Tylenol. By not doing so, many patients have endangered their own well-being.

Here is a list of some of the most frequently used OTC medications for GERD as well as some of the interactions that could occur with each:

Prilosec OTC

Warfarin (Coumadin)

Ketoconozole

Iron

Digoxin

Insomnia/Anxiety Medications

Cyclosporine

Dilantin

Theophylline

Itraconazole

Rolaids

Glucotrol

Flagyl

Kayexalate

Actigall

Skelid

Oral Antibiotics called “quinolones”

Neurontin

Synthroid

Carafate

Aspirin

Fosamax

Tenormin

Capoten

Antibiotics called “Tetracyclines”

Products Containing Aluminum/Magnesium

Pepcid

Cefditoren

Cefpodoxime

Theophylline

Delavirdine

Itraconazole

Ketoconazole

Metformin

Do not take antacids within 1 hour of taking Pepcid

Pepto Bismol

Warfarin/Blood Clotting Agents

Acetazolamide or Methazolamide

Aspirin

Tetracyclines

Methotrexate

Phenytoin

Probenecid

Sulfinpyrazone

Diabetes Medications (Various)

Levaquin, Cipro or other Similar Antibiotics

To create a list of GERD drug interactions that is all-encompassing would be a difficult task because everyone is different in terms of their genetic makeup. That DNA design is instrumental in determining how the body will react to a particular substance.

Although drug interactions are very closely studied by pharmaceutical companies before a product is ever brought to the market place, it is quite possible that an outlying case or abnormal reaction to a medication might occur from time to time.

It’s unlikely, but it IS possible. With that in mind, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The next time you seek professional advice from a physician or pharmacist, be certain that you divulged the names of any and every medication that you are currently taking, have taken in the recent past or take intermittently for common colds, headaches and other simple ailments.

If you’re a private person, that type of self-disclosure has the capacity to take you further outside your comfort zone than you would like, but it is well worth it. Your other alternative is like a risky game of "Russian Roulette" with your health.

Harmful interactions can only be prevented by taking responsibility for your own safety and well-being. The greatest intentions of any health care professional are only sufficient when all the facts are made known.

Now that you know the different interactions, you should also be aware of the necessary precautions to take. Click here to learn the necessary precautions for OTC acid reflux therapy.

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