Self-reported effectiveness and physician consultation rate in users of over-the-counter histamine-2 receptor antagonists

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 p atients comprised a random age- and sex-stratified sample of 1600 ambulator y adults in 1993 and 1800 in 1997. Self-report, valid mail surveys gathered information on healthcare seeking and gastrointestinal symptoms in 1993 an d 1997 and antisecretory use in 1997. RESULTS: Presentation frequency fur 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 pre sentation 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. (C) 2001 by Am. Cell. of Gastroe nterology.