Symptom Checker
Step 4: Read and complete the decision guide to learn more about your symptoms.
Acid Reflux Treatment
Medications That May Worsen GERD Symptoms
There are three ways that medicines may exacerbate GERD symptoms. For this reason, we have separated problem medicines into three groups.
Please check for your own medications in each of our three lists.
Group 1: Medicines That Loosen Your Esophageal Sphincter
Nitroglycerin and nitrate medications for your heart
Including Nitroquick, Nitrostat, isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), Nitroglycerin skin patches, and other nitrates.
Blood pressure or heart medicines in the "calcium channel blocker" family
This family includes diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine (Plendil), verapamil (Calan), and others.
Muscle relaxants
Including cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), carisoprodol (Soma), diazepam (Valium), tizanidine (Zanaflex), methocarbamol (Robaxin), quinine sulfate, and others.
Medicines for an overactive bladder
These include oxybutynin (Ditropan), tolterodine (Detrol), and others.
Asthma inhalers or pills
Especially albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil), pirbuterol (Maxair), salmeterol (Serevent, Advair), metaproterenol (Alupent, Metaprel), formoterol (Foradil), ipratropium (Atrovent), and theophylline (Theo-Dur).
Anxiety medications
Especially diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and other "benzodiazepines."
Migraine medications
Including propranolol (Inderal), amitriptyline (Elavil), dihydroergotamine (DHE, Migranal), Cafergot, sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), zolmitriptan (Zomig), and others.
Dieting pills that contain caffeine
Anti-diarrhea medicines
Examples are loperamide (Imodium) and diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil).
Do you take any medications on this list?
Disclaimer: This content should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a call or visit to a health professional. Use of this content is subject to specific terms of use & medical disclaimers.