Prevacid 24 Hr vs. Prilosec OTC: A Review on These Popular Over the Counter Heartburn Treatments

Heartburn and acid reflux can disrupt many people’s eating enjoyment. Some people have heartburn and acid reflux on a daily basis. This could also be caused from a condition which is called GERD. Treatment can now be found over the counter for those stubborn cases of heartburn. One medication is called Prilosec OTC and this has been available over the counter for some time. The newest 24 hour OTC treatment is Prevacid 24 hour. Both of these frequent heartburn treatments are former prescription only medications. Now that they are both over the counter we can enjoy the benefits of these medications while saving money. Being a person with frequent heartburn and acid reflux; I decided to purchase both of these products and give them a try. Both can be purchased at your local pharmacy.

Prevacid 24hr has just been released for sale over the counter. I purchased a box of fourteen delayed release capsules for fewer than thirteen dollars. The active ingredient in Prevacid 24 hour is 15 mg of Lansoprazole. The inactive ingredients in Prevacid 24 hour are colloidal silicon dioxide, D&C; red 28, FD&C; blue 1, FD&C; green 3, FD&C; red 40, gelatin, hydroxypropyl cellulose, low substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, magnesium carbonate, methacrylic acid copolymer, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, starch, sucrose, sugar sphere, talc, and titanium dioxide. The medications should be taken once per a day by adults 18 years and older who suffer frequent heartburn. Symptom relief can take up to four days, although some report symptom relief within 24 hours. This product should not be used if you have trouble or pain swallowing, vomiting blood, bloody stools, and black stools. Before using this medication you should consult first with your physician if you have had liver disease, heartburn for over three months, heartburn accompanied with lightheadedness, sweating or dizziness, chest pain or shoulder pain with shortness of breath, sweating, pain that spreads to the arms, neck or shoulders, or lightheadedness. Talk to your doctor before use if you have frequent chest pain, frequent wheezing, unexplained weight loss, nausea, and vomiting or stomach pain. If you are currently taking medications you should first ask your doctor if Prevacid 24 hour is the right choice for you. For more information on Prevacid 24 hr you can visit prevacid24hr.com.

Prilosec OTC is another frequent heartburn medication. I purchased a box of fourteen tablets for fewer than twelve dollars. The active ingredient in Prilosec OTC is Omeprazole Magnesium at 20.6 mg. The inactive ingredients are as follows glycerol monostearate, hydroxypropyl clellulose, hypromellose, iron oxide, magnesium stearate, methacrylic acid copolymer, microcrystalline cellulose, paraffin, polyethylene glycol 6000, polysorbate 80, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium stearyl fumarate, starch, sucrose, talc, titanium dioxide and triethyl citrate. The medication should be taken once a day by adults 18 years or older who suffer frequent heartburn. Symptom relief can take up to four days, although some report symptom relief within 24 hours. This product should not be used if you have trouble or pain swallowing, vomiting with blood, bloody stools or black stools. Before starting this medication you should talk with your doctor if you have heartburn for more than 3 months, heartburn with lightheadedness, sweating or dizziness, chest pain, shoulder pain that is accompanied with shortness of breath, sweating, pain spreading to arms, neck or shoulders and dizziness. Ask your doctor before starting if you have frequent chest pains, wheezing, unexplained weight loss, nausea, and vomiting or stomach pain. This medication can interact with some medications so ask your doctor before starting this medication. For more information on Prilosec OTC visit prilosecotc.com.

The first medication that I tried out was Prilosec OTC. I started taking it in the morning before eating. I washed the tablet down with a full glass of water. I didn’t notice any effects with the first day of use. I continued to get heartburn and acid reflux two days into taking this medication. On the third day I could notice a big difference in my symptoms. I showed no symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux. I did notice I did have extra gas and needed to burp often. I continued to take this medication for the full fourteen day course. During this time I noticed my heartburn and acid reflux symptoms completely disappear. I was able to eat any food that I normally would enjoy without symptoms. This medication is excellent and helped me tremendously. The only downfall is that after stopping within a few days symptoms return.

When the symptoms returned after stopping Prilosec OTC I decided to wait a couple weeks before starting Prevacid 24 hr. I started taking Prevacid 24 hr the same way as I took the Prilosec OTC with a glass of water in the morning. This time I noticed an immediate effect on my heartburn and acid reflux. I had relief with 24 hours of taking Prevacid 24 hr. This was such a relief since I was suffering for days. I continued to take this product, while enjoying the benefits for the full 14 day course. Prevacid 24 hr gets the job done and is easy to take. I didn’t notice any side effects or problems with this medication. I will highly recommend this product to anyone that is suffering from frequent heartburn.

Now in comparing both products, they both snuff out symptoms of frequent heartburn. They both are relatively affordable and they both didn’t cause me to have unwanted side effects. So, to conclude this review, both medications are of equal value and I would recommend both for the treatment of frequent heartburn.

Sources:http://www.prevacid24hr.com/about-prevacid24hr.jsp

http://prilosecotc.com/en_US/consumer/prilosec-otc/