Holistic management of symptomatic reflux: rising to the challenge of proton pump inhibitor overuse

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are medications that suppress the production of stomach acid.1 Introduced to clinical practice over 30 years ago, PPIs gained rapid popularity for the effective treatment of acid-related disorders and are now some of the most prescribed therapeutics worldwide.2 PPIs are indicated for conditions such as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), peptic ulcer disease, Zollinger–Ellison syndrome, and Helicobacter pylori infection, and are also recommended for gastroprotection against non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anti-platelet treatments that can induce pathologies in at-risk patients.1