Treating GERD and chronic heartburn symptoms with medication successfully can reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms. Medication has other benefits such as convenience and availability.

• Medication has very good results, with 80 percent of patients experiencing relief of symptoms.⁷

• An article stated that 23.2 percent of patients were satisfied with medication.⁷

• A study found that patients’ quality of life reached levels similar to non-GERD sufferers within a few weeks of beginning PPI therapy. ¹

• The effectiveness of acid-suppressive drugs in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms is excellent.¹⁰

• As of 2004, more physicians were treating Barrett’s esophagus and its associated symptoms with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). And, if the medication is successful in treating the symptoms, the physicians will continue recommending this treatment for a long time.⁶

• Data show that after four weeks of medication treatment, patients are more likely to experience relief with PPIs (1.53 times as likely) than with H2 antagonists.¹

While medication does have benefits, it does present risks. Be sure to speak in detail with your physician about this treatment option. You may want to schedule regular checkups, just in case the GERD progresses in severity or Barrett’s esophagus becomes evident.