You’d be surprised what remedies people try to relieve heartburn. Don’t make these same mistakes yourself. Here is a list of things you should NOT take, and the reasons why.

Don’t drink regular Alka-Seltzer. Although baking soda can neutralize heartburn for a while, aspirin can make it worse. Alka-Seltzer Antacid Relief is aspirin-free, so it’s safe in this regard (but still high in sodium).

Don’t take aspirin. In case you missed the above, aspirin can irritate your stomach and make heartburn worse. Sometimes it relieves pain for a short time, even stomach pain, but it will eventually irritate the stomach and/or esophagus and make heartburn worse.

Don’t take ibuprofen or naproxen sodium for the same reason you take aspirin.

Don’t take baking soda if you have high blood pressure. Don’t raise your blood pressure because of a little heartburn.

Don’t have a drink of beer or wine (or any other type of alcohol). It can be relaxing in the short term (or more likely not). But in the long run, alcohol will make the problem worse.

Don’t drink a glass of orange juice. That’s like pouring gasoline on a fire: acid on acid.

Don’t take a nap. The flow of stomach acid is driven by gravity. Lying down makes it easier for acid to reflux into the chest.

Don’t take a run. Exercise slows digestion, and exertion can cause acid to rise in the chest.

I can’t finish this article without telling you what you should take. For occasional heartburn, take an H-2 blocker (ranitidine, famotidine, or cimetidine) or a PPI (omeprazole or lansoprazole). Those are generic names for over-the-counter drugs that were once prescription only. If you can’t find them by generic name, ask your pharmacist friend. Antacids also help. For frequent heartburn, see your doctor. You could have an ulcer or a serious condition.

Copyright 2010 Cynthia J Koelker MD