Can Mezim be used for heartburn?

When it comes to eliminating heartburn, the first drug that comes to mind is Mezim. However, many are tormented by the question of whether Mezim can be used for heartburn and what effect this medicinal product has on the body. Let's try to figure out these questions.

general information

"Mezim Forte" is made on the basis of pork pancreatin, natural enzymes such as lipase, trypsin, amylase. Medicines are produced in the form of elongated oval-shaped dragees. To prevent premature dissolution of the tablet in the stomach, a special coating is used that dissolves only in the intestines.

The drug is able to improve digestion, accelerate the breakdown of fats, proteins, and starch. Trypsin in the composition of the product is endowed with the property of regulating the acidity of digestive juice.

The maximum effect from the moment of use of the product is achieved after 30 minutes.

Help the pancreas. What is pancreatin and when is it prescribed?

Pancreatin is a drug obtained from the pancreas of cattle and pigs.

The acid-resistant coating of pancreatin tablets, which includes enzymes such as lipase, amylase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, prevents their destruction of pancreatin shells under the influence of hydrochloric acid of the stomach.

Thanks to this, enzymes are released and produce beneficial effects on digestion directly in the duodenum.

Composition and release form

Enteric-coated tablets contain pancreatic enzymes: Amylase, Lipase, Protease.

May include lactose, contain Ponceau 4R dye (E124), bile, other enzymes, as well as excipients: sodium chloride, anhydrous colloidal silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose, crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, povidone, magnesium stearate, methacrylate copolymer dispersion, talc, propylene glycol , titanium dioxide (E 171), carmoisine (E 122). There are a number of dietary supplements containing pancreatic enzymes, vitamin-mineral complexes and nutrients. There is also a vegetarian pancreatin.

Uniting characteristics of “Mezim Forte”, “Festal”, “Pancreatin”

“Mezim Forte”, “Festala”, “Pancreatina” are enzyme medicines for the gastrointestinal tract.
All three drugs have the following common characteristics:

• Operating basis:
  pancreatin - to improve and speed up digestion;
• amylase - for the breakdown of carbohydrates;
• lipase - for digesting fats;
• protease - for processing proteins.
• They belong to the group of enzyme preparations.
• Main differences:
  Dosage of the main substance.
• Availability, type and concentration of additional ingredients. For example, Mezim Forte contains trypsin, which gives the ability to regulate acidity when other drugs cannot do this.

The differences between “Pancreatin” and “Mezim” are in the dosage of pancreatin: 250 and 300 mg or 3500 and 10,000 IU, respectively. Festal uses cattle bile, which makes it a prohibited medicine for pathologies of the gallbladder and liver. Mezim Forte is approved for diseases of these organs.

Reviews

“The doctor prescribed me not only Mezim, but also Motilium for heartburn, because I have chronic cholecystopancreatitis, and often vomit after eating. Enzymes help food break down better, it does not ferment in the stomach, but is immediately absorbed, and Motilium suppresses the urge to vomit.”

Alexander, 42 years old:

“I heard that Mezim is a good drug, but I was wondering whether it helps with heartburn or not. The doctor said that I could take it because I suffer from low acidity in my stomach. Indeed, even after fatty foods, heartburn stopped tormenting me, the heaviness in my stomach disappeared.”

“I like the drug Mezim - it’s really effective and inexpensive. After the holidays, several days ago I suffered from abdominal pain and had problems with bowel movements. Now I drink it right before a meal and don’t suffer from heartburn or bloating.”

If you have digestive problems and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, doctors consider taking Mezim for heartburn justified. But the drug is not suitable for a one-time elimination of burning sensation in the esophagus, since it does not belong to the group of antacids. The tablets are prescribed by a specialist according to indications; the exact dosage, duration of treatment and frequency of administration are determined by the treating gastroenterologist.

Does Mezim Forte help and what diseases does it treat?

The medicine is widely used in the complex treatment of such pathologies:

• pancreatic dysfunction caused by chronic inflammation of the organ or cystic fibrosis;
• inflammation in liver cells caused by hepatitis;
• disorders of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract, provoked by chronic inflammation in the form of enteritis, anacid and hypoacid gastritis.

The drug is used in the postoperative period, after resection of part of the stomach, pancreas, and liver. "Mezim Forte" effectively helps with violations of errors in medical nutrition, with heavy feasts and overeating with fatty foods.

In what cases is the drug prescribed?

Mezim is a medicine designed to improve the digestion process. Widely used in the following cases:

1. After surgery on the liver, pancreas or stomach;
2. For certain ailments characterized by insufficient functioning of the pancreas (diseases such as cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, etc.);
3. In the event that a lot of fatty foods are consumed and the diet is not followed correctly;
4. With hepatitis, other inflammatory processes occurring in the liver;
5. If there are disruptions in the functioning of the intestines and stomach (enteritis, anacid gastritis, etc.).

Important! Before you start using this drug, you should definitely consult a doctor.

When should I take Mezim for heartburn?

The instructions for use of the medicine do not indicate its purpose as a remedy for heartburn. But Mezim Forte for heartburn helps in certain cases, for example:

Mezim can be taken in case of a number of stomach ailments.

• When food stagnates in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The condition can be caused by a lack of pancreatic enzymes, which is typical for pancreatitis. Undigested food ferments and festers, causing heartburn.
• When overeating fatty, spicy, fried foods during a feast. As a result of heavy stress on the gastrointestinal tract, heartburn occurs. In this case, Mezim will help reduce the burning sensation, which speeds up and facilitates the process of digesting heavy food.
• With weak secretion of the gastric mucosa, which is observed during gastritis with low acidity. In this case, “Mezim” for heartburn is highly effective and fast-acting. To relieve an unpleasant burning sensation in the chest, the enzyme preparation should be taken in the amount of 1-2 tablets three times a day. Increasing the dose is discussed with the doctor.

Causes of heartburn

Before moving on to what effective medications are there for heartburn, you need to pay attention to the causes of its occurrence.

The main factors provoking the disease include:

• Excess weight. Often, overweight people consume much more food than others, and therefore the body cannot always cope with such volumes.
• Pregnancy. Almost all expectant mothers, especially in later stages, constantly complain of heartburn, which becomes stronger every day.
• Taking certain medications that can provoke such a disorder in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Binge eating. This is especially true for fatty, spicy and salty foods, because they are much harder to digest.

In addition, if a person has problems with the gastrointestinal tract (a number of diseases), then heartburn can accompany him constantly. This is why the need to take heartburn medications increases. A list of suitable drugs in this case will have to be drawn up by the attending physician. We will look at several categories of medications that can improve the patient's condition.

Method and recommendations for use

The tablets should be taken before meals, without destroying the shell, with alkaline or plain water. After taking the tablet, it is advisable to take a horizontal position to allow it to pass through the gastrointestinal tract unhindered. The average single dose is 1-2 tablets. If necessary, an additional 1-4 tablets are allowed, but not exceeding the maximum daily concentration of 150,000 IU of lipase. Dosages for children depend on age and are agreed with the doctor:

• for children under 1.5 years old - the maximum daily dose is 50,000 units;
• for children over 1.5 years old - 100,000 units.

The drug "Mezim" is taken before meals.
If treatment with Mezim is based on restoring the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract after a diet violation, the course can last up to 1 week. When replacement therapy is needed, the treatment course can be extended to several months or years. Recommendations for use are as follows:

• take orally before, during or immediately after meals;
• The dragee should not be chewed, as this will reduce its effectiveness;
• Do not take tablets with tea or juice;
• It is better to take tablets while standing or sitting;
• You cannot lie down for 3-4 minutes so that the protective shell of the medicine does not collapse in the esophagus instead of the stomach;
• when taken simultaneously with other drugs, you should take a break of 15 minutes between doses.
• The duration of the therapeutic course varies from 7 days to several months.

Instructions for use

It is important to know how to take Mezim correctly, because only in this case will you be able to achieve the maximum effect.

It is recommended to drink Mezim for heartburn before meals. Do not destroy the tablet shell, wash it down with clean water. After drinking the product, it is advisable to lie down in a horizontal position, giving it the opportunity to pass through the digestive system unhindered.

Take 1-2 tablets at a time. If necessary, up to 4 tablets can be prescribed, but you should not exceed the maximum permissible daily volume of 150,000 units of lipase.

The dosage for children is determined by age and is determined only by the doctor.

Krohama up to 1.5 years old should take no more than 50,000 units per day;

Children over 1.5 years old - 100,000 units per day, no more.

Despite the relative safety of the drug, Mezim during pregnancy is recommended to be taken only if there are indications.

Important! The tablets should not be chewed, otherwise their effectiveness will be reduced.

It is also not recommended to take the drug with juice or tea. While taking the tablets, you should be standing or sitting.

Thus, it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of whether Mezim helps with heartburn.

Work experience more than 7 years.

Professional skills: diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and biliary system.

Heartburn is a truly “acidic” word that accompanies the unpleasant state of lack of appetite, nausea. In the modern world, various conditions have been created for eliminating heartburn (“Mezim Forte”, “Rennie”), we will analyze it completely, understand the specifics of the drug before purchasing.

The most famous remedy for treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (composed of exclusively natural “enzymes”) is Mezim Forte. The main component of the drug is pancreatin, medically extracted from the pork pancreas. The effectiveness and safety of the drug have been tested by doctors and is used to resolve a wide range of problems (including patients with defects in the functioning of the gastroduodenal area and liver).

Use during pregnancy and lactation

Heartburn during pregnancy often worries a pregnant woman because of her strange eating habits. But there is no clear affirmative answer about the possibility of taking Mezima Forte during pregnancy. It is also prescribed during lactation due to the lack of absorption into the blood, that is, the drug does not enter milk, does not saturate the placental blood, and therefore does not affect the newborn and fetus. On the other hand, no tests have been conducted in a group of pregnant and lactating mothers.

Action of enzymes in the body

Enzymes help speed up the process of digesting food. In the stomach, food is processed by gastric juice with hydrochloric acid and enzymes. If there are few enzymes, the food does not have time to be completely digested. It enters the alkaline environment of the intestines, where the processes of breakdown and absorption occur.

Most of the beneficial substances enter the blood through the mucosa, are delivered to the tissues and are metabolized inside the cells; the smaller one enters the large intestine, interacts with water and is excreted along with feces. With a lack of enzyme substances, food remains on the walls of the stomach and intestines, “stagnates”, and the process of rotting and fermentation begins.

Failures in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract cause various diseases. Several types of medications are used for treatment: antacids, enzymes, painkillers, proton pump inhibitors and others.

Use in childhood

Mezim Forte can be prescribed to children who overeat large amounts of heavy protein foods. The drug is an auxiliary component in the breakdown of difficult foods.

The daily dosage of Mezim for children is not higher than 15,000-20,000 IU/kg body weight. Only a doctor can decide on a prescription.

The difficulty of taking Mezim in children under 1 year of age lies in the need to destroy the integrity of the protective shell of the pill due to the inability of the baby to use the drug independently. When crushed, the medicine loses its healing properties. The instructions for Mezim do not recommend use in children under 3 years of age.

Side effects

Most often, after consuming Mezim, an allergy appears in the form of hives. Additional phenomena are considered:

• diarrhea, constipation, nausea;
• epigastric discomfort;
• a jump in the level of urea in the blood with prolonged use and exceeding the daily dose.

The negative effect of Mezim therapy can be expressed by digestive disorders.
If the drug is taken for cystic fibrosis (which is a contraindication), strictures (narrowings) will form in the ileocecal area after taking high doses.

special instructions

1. You should not drink during exacerbation of chronic pancreatic inflammation.
2. For cystic fibrosis, the dosage is selected according to the amount of enzymes necessary for digestion. This takes into account the quality and quantity of food consumed. It is possible to minimize the consequences by taking no more than 10,000 units/kg/day.
3. If there is an increased level of lipase in the blood, when used simultaneously with Mezim, the risk of developing constipation increases. In this case, the dose is increased gradually.