Heartburn Requiring Frequent Antacid Use May Indicate Significant Illness

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
ANTACIDS ARE widely used for heartburn, even though they are ineffective for many conditions associated with heartburnlike symptoms, including peptic ulcer disease and serious esophageal disease (eg, erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD], strictures, and columnar metaplasia of the esophagus (hereafter, Barrett's esophagus).1 Because heartburn may be dismissed as trivial, many affected individuals do not consult physicians and may have experienced symptoms for years.2,3 No adequate data fully characterize upper gastrointestinal tract abnormalities in regular antacid users.