Drs say that ppis should not be take long term, so what does someone do, when diet and lifestyle measures dont treat their symptoms? like what am i supposed to do? i have been on for five weeks ppi and pepcid. i stopped pepcid and i feel like i did?

In general, PPI should be stopped after GERD symptoms are under control because of PPI' side effects. However, for people with severe GERD, they have to take PPI in the long term or a histamine 2 blocker such as pepcid can be tried as a substitute because of less side effects in the long term. 50% of my patients can't get off PPI. If GERD is due to severe hiatal hernia, fixing that can spare PPI.

If your symptoms are not under control with the regimen that you are supposed to be taking, you should return to see your primary doctor or your gastroenterologist. Many patients with long-term Gerd require long-term PPIs. Anti-reflux measures are also useful at times. Good luck.