SAVE A TENNER ON HEARTBURN REMEDIES

MOST EXPENSIVE: Gaviscon Heartburn & Indigestion Liquid Aniseed 600ml

£15.99 at Boots

CHEAPEST: Peptac Liquid Peppermint 500ml

£3.19 at Weldricks Pharmacy

SAVINGS PER YEAR: £12.80

AT LEAST 40 per cent of

Britons reach once a year or more for over-the-counter remedies to combat indigestion – where acid from the stomach and undigested food travels up, or refluxes, towards the throat.

There are many treatments on offer, some with shocking price tags – almost as much as two NHS prescription medications would cost you.

There are two main types of heartburn treatments. The first is antacids, such as Gaviscon and Rennie, which contain different compounds of calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium to neutralise the acid that causes heartburn.

They also contain a substance called alginate, which coats the lining of the oesophagus, protecting it from the irritation of reflux. Switching to an unbranded version will save you at least £10 per packet, for both liquid and tablet versions.

Also popular are proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, which reduce the amount of acid the stomach makes. These appear to be perhaps the only over-thecounter medications with little price difference between the branded and unbranded pill packet. Nexium, which contains a PPI called esomeprazole, is £7.99 for a packet of 14 tablets, roughly the same as unbranded versions found online.