Effectiveness of foaming antacid in relieving induced heartburn.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover study was made of 60 patients with chronic heartburn to test the efficacy of foaming antacid in promoting symptom relief. Heartburn was induced by a meal consisting of chili, black coffee, and a spicy tomato drink mix. Of the 60 patients, 40 (67%) had relief within 15 minutes after taking foaming antacid tablets as compared to only 17 (28%) after taking a placebo. The difference in response was significant (P less than .05). Foaming antacid appears to be an effective therapy for acute postprandial heartburn.