Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is acid reflux that happens more than twice a week, when stomach acid leaks into the food pipe and causes heartburn and regurgitation.
Key points
- Some reflux symptoms are the same as a heart attack, which is the one thing worth knowing before dismissing chest discomfort as indigestion.
- Left untreated, it can lead to complications including inflammation of the food pipe, narrowing, and Barrett’s oesophagus.
- Lifestyle changes often manage it, with medicines or occasionally surgery where they do not.
Medicines listed for Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease
The six products listed for this condition are all proton pump inhibitors, a class that reduces the amount of acid the stomach produces. They include Esomeprazole (Nexium), Pantoprazole (Protonix), omeprazole (Prilosec), rabeprazole (Pariet), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and dexlansoprazole (Dexilant). Three are capsules and three are tablets, with strengths ranging from 10 mg to 60 mg.