New heartburn drug available without a prescription. But beware—you may not need it

If you haven’t seen the new ads for the latest heartburn drug, Prevacid 24HR, chances are you probably will soon. According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, the drug’s manufacturer, Novartis AG, announced an enormous $200 million advertising campaign, just in time for the belt-busting holidays.

For consumers, this may actually be good news. This new drug in the class of medications known as proton-pump inhibitors, or PPIs, further expands the choice of low-cost drugs available without a prescription to treat frequent heartburn and GERD, or gastroesophgeal reflux disorder, also sometimes known as acid reflux.

Indeed, the suggested price of Prevacid 24HR, according to the WSJ, is similar to the price of another over-the-counter drug of the same type, Prilosec OTC (about $24 or less for a month’s supply). The two drugs are also nearly identical in terms of how well they work and their overall safety profile. Even more cost-conscious consumers could save bigger bucks if they turn to the generic version of Prilosec OTC, called omeprazole. Many pharmacies offer it as a store brand for even less.

Prilosec OTC, omeprazole, and Prevacid 24HR were recently named Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs for how well they worked, because they are as safe as other drugs in the PPI class and are significantly less expensive. For more detail about heartburn, GERD, and understanding these drugs, see our latest Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs report.

However, there is one word of caution: If you’re diagnosed with GERD or you have frequent heartburn, your doctor might prescribe Nexium, also known as the "purple pill." Highly advertised to doctors and consumers and likely overprescribed, it was the second-highest-selling drug in the U.S. last year at $4.8 billion. Nexium, at more than $240 a month if you pay the cash price, actually works about the same for most people than the cheaper over-the-counter drugs, such as generic omeprazole.

But keep in mind: PPIs are powerful medications that work to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach as well as help heal damage you may have in your esophagus as a result of it. They are also used to treat gastric ulcers. Heartburn occurs when the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus remains open and allows stomach acid back into the esophagus. If this happens several times a week for several months, you may have GERD, and you should see a doctor because all the extra acid can eventually damage the esophagus.

For people with just occasional heartburn, PPI drugs are not the answer and they won’t provide immediate heartburn relief from say, eating too much turkey, gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, along with drinking too much alcohol during a holiday meal. For that, we recommend taking an inexpensive antacid like Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, Tums or a generic. And if those don’t work, you can try another type of heartburn drug like Pepcid AC or Zantac 150, or generic (these drugs are known as H2 blockers).

Besides drug treatments, you can also make 10 lifestyle changes to reduce or eliminate occasional heartburn.

If you do take Nexium, Prilosec OTC, its generic omeprazole, Prevacid 24HR, or other PPI drugs, there are some safety concerns. Several studies have linked PPIs to a higher risk of pneumonia and infection with a bacterium called Clostridium difficile. Other studies have also found that long-term use of PPIs may be associated with an increased risk of hip fractures. Talk with your doctor about those risks, especially if you must take a PPI over a long period of time. People ages 65 and up and those with chronic medical conditions should be vaccinated against pneumonia and get a flu shot every year, and we underscore this recommendation for people in those categories who are also taking a PPI.

In addition, anyone taking clopidogrel (Plavix), a blood thinner used to prevent clots after heart attacks and stent placement, should be especially cautious with PPIs. Some studies indicate that PPIs may reduce clopidogrel's effectiveness, which could increase the risk of another heart attack. Our medical advisers recommend that people taking clopidogrel should not take PPIs unless other remedies to treat their heartburn have not been adequate.

—Lisa Gill, editor, prescription drugs

Check out Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs on treating heartburn for additional reports, video information, and other helpful tools.

Comments

[Drogba]

You must be careful with back pain as the consequences can be dangerous so findrxonline indicated in an article on the subject, I suffer from chronic fibromyalgia for a few years ago I had a tug on my lower back and has gotten worse over time, I have visited many doctors and to ease my pain I was prescribed narcotic opioid drug that is like vicodin, oxycontin, lortab that help curb these terrible back pain.