Side Effects of Heartburn Oral Medication

Side Effects of Heartburn Oral Medication

Waking up in the middle of the night with the burning sensation you know all too well can become tiresome. It’s easy to quickly pop some antacid and get back to bed, and deal with it the next day. However this can become a very easy routine to slide into. Life takes over; you eat late, eat the wrong foods, and just deal with your heartburn later. However, constantly popping antacids does have its side effects, which may make you rethink your medication.

medication

Famotidine is an ingredient in oral heartburn medication and can be the cause of some unwanted side effects.

Common side effects

  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach cramps
  • Infrequent bowel movements

Rare side effects

  • Chills
  • Bleeding gums
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Pale skin
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Blood in your urine or stools
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath

The body adjusts to the type of medicine you take; therefore, you may not even experience any of these side effects. However, the following are less common / rare, and require medical attention.

  • Change in taste or a bad aftertaste in your mouth
  • Loss of sexual desire
  • Continuous ringing or buzzing in the ear
  • Swelling of breasts or soreness in both males and females
  • Insomnia
  • Mood swings
  • Fear
  • Hair loss
  • Muscle stiffness
  • Hives

Before taking medication for your heartburn and suffering from these potential side effects, try to make lifestyle changes, which in turn will make you healthier. Look at the foods you eat and drinks you drink, and ask yourself if there an alternative. In most cases there are. Switch caffeine for herbal tea or chips for baked slices of veggies. Contact Houston Heartburn to learn more about controlling or preventing your heartburn.