of 4-8 weeks 188]. A recent metanalysis in patients with esophagitis showed that PPIs exhibit a better healing effect and faster symptom relief than histamine receptor antago- nists (H2RAs), which are in turn better than placebo [89] The success rate of esophagitis healing was 83% after 8 weeks of therapy. Moreover, PPIs are effective for maintenance of esophagitis healing and symptom control in patients who respond to an acute course of therapy for a period of 6- 12 months [49, 90]. Whether one PPI is superior to the other is a matter of a matter of controversy. Although data suggest differences among various PPIs with respect to healing rates 191], absolute differences in efficacy are very modest and more pronounced in patients with severe esophagitis [89]. However, individual variability in patient response to PPIs varies widely and in patients not responding