Indigestion is pain or discomfort in the lower chest or abdomen which occurs after eating. It may be brought about by eating too much. It also may be caused by peptic ulcer, gall bladder disease, or lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance is the inability to properly digest milk products. In many cases the remedy is lactase enzyme supplements which are available without prescription.

OTC antacids help with some forms of indigestion. If the discomfort results from eating too much acidic food or by a peptic ulcer, antacids will be of value. If the pain is caused by a gall bladder, antacids will be of no value.

There are two types of antacids. The first type reacts chemically with stomach acid to reduce it. These antacids do not start their action until there is excess acid present. They consist of either aluminum hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide.

Aluminum hydroxide antacids tend to be constipating. Magnesium hydroxide compounds tend to cause diarrhea. Antacids such as Di-Gel, Gaviscon, Maalox, and Mylanta combine aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. This combination reduces potential diarrhea and constipation problems.

The other type of antacids inhibits the secretion of gastric acid. As a result, they prevent symptoms from occurring rather than treating them after they occur. Cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), and nizatidine (Axid) are OTC products that prevent the formation of excess stomach acid.