Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Decreased physician visits for dyspepsia were predicted with the histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) release to over-the-counter (OTC) status. The aim of this study was to examine the presentation frequency for dyspeptic complaints before and after the OTC release of the H2RA and the self-reported effectiveness of OTC H2RA. METHODS: Two cross-sectional surveys were used in a community sample. The patients comprised a random age- and sex-stratified sample of 1600 ambulatory adults in 1993 and 1800 in 1997. Self-report, valid mail surveys gathered information on healthcare seeking and gastrointestinal symptoms in 1993 and 1997 and antisecretory use in 1997. RESULTS: Presentation frequency for dyspepsia was 22% in 1993 versus 23.5% in 1997. Only 16% of chronic users of the OTC H2RA obtained complete relief of symptomatic episodes. Use of an OTC H2RA was highly associated with presentation to a physician in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: OTC H2RA infrequently provided the complete relief desired by patients. Presentation frequency to physicians for dyspeptic complaints did not change with availability of H2RA OTC.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 3602 |
Pages (from-to) | 673-676 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | American Journal of Gastroenterology |
Volume | 96 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2001 |