Medicine for acidity and indigestion: what to know

Antacids neutralise acid already in the stomach and may work quickly for occasional symptoms. Other medicines reduce acid production and may be chosen when symptoms recur or are linked with acid reflux. Indigestion can also occur with gastritis, a peptic ulcer, gallstones, or a hiatus hernia, so relief does not always explain the underlying problem.

Read the guidance for [Indigestion](/symptoms/indigestion/) and [Acid Reflux Medication](/treatments/medical-management/acid-reflux-medication/) to understand the symptom and treatment options.

Follow the label or your clinician’s instructions, including when to take the medicine and how long to continue it. Tell a pharmacist or doctor about pregnancy, kidney disease, other medicines, or frequent symptoms before choosing a product. Avoid taking several acid remedies together unless a professional has advised this. Smaller meals, remaining upright after eating, and identifying foods that trigger symptoms may also help.

Arrange medical advice if symptoms keep returning, do not improve with appropriate self-care, or are accompanied by trouble swallowing, repeated vomiting, black stools, vomiting blood, unexplained weight loss, or severe pain. Get urgent help for chest pressure, breathlessness, fainting, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw, or back, because these symptoms may not be caused by indigestion.

Ask what may be causing your symptoms, which medicine suits your pattern, how long to use it, and whether you need testing for [Helicobacter Pylori Infection](/conditions/helicobacter-pylori-infection/). Ask which warning signs should change your plan.