Study: Heartburn drug might cause heartburn

July 7, 2009 (WLS) -- The study suggests that drugs commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may actually be causing heartburn in some people.

Researchers studied 120 healthy people for 12 weeks. They found that treatment with a proton pump inhibitor, or PPI, actually produced heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion in people who took the medication after eight weeks. Forty-four-percent of those people reported acid reflux after stopping the medication.

Doctors suggest that long-term drug usage to treat heartburn should only be used for patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The study appears in this month's issue of Gastroenterology.

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