There are several classes of drugs for acid-related disorders, such as

dyspepsia Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier t ...

peptic ulcer disease Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines i ...

(PUD),

gastroesophageal reflux disease Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is one of the upper gastrointestinal chronic diseases where stomach content persistently and regularly flows up into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms and/ ...

(GORD/GERD), or

laryngopharyngeal reflux Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is the retrograde flow of gastric contents into the larynx, oropharynx and/or the nasopharynx. LPR causes respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheezing and is often associated with head and neck complaints such as ...

. The

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

gives drugs in these classes the categorization code ATC code A02.

H₂ antagonists

The H₂ receptor antagonists are a class of

drugs A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalat ...

used to block the action of

histamine Histamine is an organic nitrogenous compound involved in local immune responses, as well as regulating physiological functions in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter for the brain, spinal cord, and uterus. Since histamine was discovered in ...

parietal cell Parietal cells (also known as oxyntic cells) are epithelial cells in the stomach that secrete hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intrinsic factor. These cells are located in the gastric glands found in the lining of the fundus and body regions of the ...

s in the

stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...

, decreasing the production of

acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

by these cells. H₂ antagonists are used in the treatment of

, although they have been surpassed in popularity by the more effective

proton pump inhibitor Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a class of medications that cause a profound and prolonged reduction of stomach acid production. They do so by irreversibly inhibiting the stomach's H+/K+ ATPase proton pump. They are the most potent inhibitors ...

s. H₂ receptor blockers lead to roughly a 40% improvement. H₂ receptor antagonists are named using the suffix "-tidine".

Proton-pump inhibitors

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a group of

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

s whose main action is a pronounced and long-lasting reduction of

gastric acid Gastric acid, gastric juice, or stomach acid is a digestive fluid formed within the stomach lining. With a pH between 1 and 3, gastric acid plays a key role in digestion of proteins by activating digestive enzymes, which together break down the ...

production. They are the most potent inhibitors of acid secretion available. The group followed and has largely superseded another group of

pharmaceuticals A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and rel ...

with similar effects, but a different mode of action, called H₂-receptor antagonists. These drugs are among the most widely sold drugs in the world, and are generally considered effective. When these medications are used long term, the lowest effective dose should be taken. They may also be taken only when symptoms occur in those with frequent problems. Proton-pump inhibitors are named using the suffix "-prazole". There is a purported correlation (but no proven causal link) between the use of PPIs and the risk of dementia. However, this remain controversial as chronic and co-morbid pathology, and resultant polypharmacy (including increased consumption of PPIs), will probably itself also give rise to an increased risk of dementia as a whole. Three large epidemiological studies (two in Germany and one in Taiwan) showed that long-term exposure to PPIs may increase the risk of developing dementia in the elderly. Conversely, two other large studies (one in Finland and one in the United States), found no association between the use of PPIs and the risk of Alzheimer's dementia. Several systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that there is no association between PPIs use and increased risk of dementia or Alzheimer's Dementia.

Prostaglandins

A prostaglandin is any member of a group of

lipid Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include ...

compounds that are derived enzymatically from

fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, fr ...

s and have important functions in the

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

body. Every prostaglandin contains 20

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an element is the measure of its combining capacity with o ...

atoms, including a 5-carbon ring. They are mediators and have a variety of strong

physiological Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

effects, such as regulating the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle tissue. There are many prostaglandins with many effects.

Prostaglandin E2 Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), also known as dinoprostone, is a naturally occurring prostaglandin with oxytocic properties that is used as a medication. Dinoprostone is used in labor induction, bleeding after delivery, termination of pregnancy, and ...

has effects including reducing gastric acid and increasing gastric mucus, which among other effects treat acid-related disorders. Prostaglandins are named using the root term "-prost-".

Other drugs

Other drugs which have been used to treat acid-related disorders are not part of the above categories and function through a variety of mechanisms.

Alternative methods for reducing acid production

Helicobacter pylori eradication protocols ''Helicobacter pylori'' eradication protocols is a standard name for all treatment protocols for peptic ulcers and gastritis in the presence of ''Helicobacter pylori'' infection. The primary goal of the treatment is not only temporary relief of sym ...

Availability of drugs

In the United States, all four

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...

-approved members of the group—

cimetidine Cimetidine, sold under the brand name Tagamet among others, is a histamine H2 receptor antagonist that inhibits stomach acid production. It is mainly used in the treatment of heartburn and peptic ulcers. The development of longer-acting H2 rec ...

ranitidine Ranitidine, sold under the brand name Zantac among others, is a medication used to decrease stomach acid production. It is commonly used in treatment of peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome. I ...

famotidine Famotidine, sold under the brand name Pepcid among others, is a histamine H2 receptor antagonist medication that decreases stomach acid production. It is used to treat peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Zollinger-Elli ...

, and

nizatidine Nizatidine is a histamine H2 receptor antagonist that inhibits stomach acid production, and is commonly used in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease. It was patented in 1980 and approved for medical use in ...

—are available

over the counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...

in relatively low doses.

References

{{Drugs for peptic ulcer and GORD