Treatment of Indigestion

How do doctors treat indigestion?

How doctors treat indigestion depends on the cause. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription medicines, changing what you eat and drink, or mental health therapies.

Medicines

You can buy many medicines to treat indigestion without a prescription, such as H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). However, if your indigestion doesn’t get better, you should see your doctor.

Depending on the cause of your indigestion, your doctor may recommend or prescribe

• medicines to treat a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Doctors may give you more than one type of antibiotic at the same time or combine antibiotics with other types of medicine.
• medicines to lower the amount of acid your stomach makes, including PPIs or H2 blockers. You can buy these medicines over the counter, or your doctor may prescribe one. Your doctor may prescribe PPIs to treat functional dyspepsia for a longer period of time.
• antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, which may ease the pain from indigestion.
• prokinetics, which help your stomach empty faster.
• medicines to reduce nausea and vomiting, if you have these symptoms with your indigestion.
• supplements, such as peppermint oil and caraway oil.

For safety reasons, talk with your doctor before using dietary supplements or any other complementary or alternative medicines or practices.

Mental health therapies

Anxiety and depression may play a role in functional dyspepsia. Your doctor may recommend mental health therapies or other ways to help you reduce your stress, such as meditation, relaxation exercises, or counseling.

Changes to your medicines

If your indigestion is caused by a medicine, your doctor may recommend changes to the medicines you take.

Treating other health problems

If your indigestion is caused by other health problems, your doctor may treat the underlying condition first to improve indigestion symptoms.