Heartburn and reflux treatment online

Yes. You can talk to an AHPRA-registered Australian doctor about heartburn and reflux through a real-time telehealth consultation. You complete a short online form and an AI preconsult call, then a doctor phones you, reviews your history and discusses your options. The doctor decides what is clinically appropriate. Completing a form or paying a fee does not mean a particular outcome.

No. A telehealth consultation suits both a review of heartburn and reflux you already manage and a first conversation about new symptoms. If your doctor thinks you need an examination, a test or an in-person appointment before anything else, they will say so and point you to the right service.

Where clinically appropriate, yes. Your doctor decides after speaking with you and reviewing your history. Some medicines cannot be prescribed by telehealth, and some situations need an in-person examination or a test first. If your doctor prescribes, your eScript token arrives by SMS for use at a pharmacy. If they complete the consult without prescribing, the consultation fee still applies. Doccy refunds the fee only when we cannot deliver the consultation.

A prescription consultation costs $42.00 AUD. This is a one-off consultation fee. It is not the price of medicine and there is no subscription. If a doctor prescribes, you pay your pharmacy separately, with PBS pricing where you are eligible. Medicare details are required and the consultation is not bulk billed.

Heartburn and reflux is not always suitable for telehealth. If your doctor thinks you need to be seen in person, they will explain why and recommend a next step, such as your usual GP, a pathology collection centre or an emergency department. Completing that consult without a prescription is still a completed consultation, and the fee applies. Doccy refunds the consultation fee only when we cannot deliver the consultation. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

Reflux is stomach contents flowing back up into the oesophagus, the tube between your mouth and stomach. Heartburn is the burning feeling behind the breastbone that reflux causes. Most people get it occasionally. GORD, short for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, is the diagnosis when reflux happens often, which healthdirect defines as more than twice a week, or when it starts to damage the lining of the oesophagus. GORD usually needs a management plan rather than the odd over-the-counter option.

Heartburn happens when the ring of muscle at the bottom of the oesophagus relaxes at the wrong time and lets stomach acid through. Large or fatty meals, eating late, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, spicy or acidic foods and smoking are common triggers. Being overweight and pregnancy both increase pressure on the stomach. A hiatus hernia makes reflux more likely, and some medicines can worsen it. Your doctor will ask about your pattern to work out which triggers matter for you.

See a doctor in person if you have difficulty or pain when swallowing, vomiting, especially with blood in it, black or red stools, unexplained weight loss or unusual tiredness. These need investigation, sometimes with a gastroscopy. Chest pain that is severe, getting worse or lasts more than ten minutes can be a heart attack, and heartburn can feel similar. Do not assume it is reflux. Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.

Yes, and for many people they are the most important part of treatment. Eating smaller meals, avoiding food in the three hours before bed, cutting back on alcohol, coffee and trigger foods, stopping smoking and losing weight if you are carrying extra all reduce reflux. Raising the head of your bed helps night-time symptoms. Your doctor can help you work out which changes are most likely to help you and how to combine them with any other treatment.

Yes. If pharmacy options have not settled your symptoms, or you need them most days, it is time to talk to a doctor. Your doctor will ask how often you get symptoms, what you have tried and whether you have any warning signs. They can discuss lifestyle changes, a management plan and prescription medication where they consider it appropriate. If your symptoms suggest something other than simple reflux, they will refer you for in-person assessment or testing.