I've been on Omeprazole for about ten years and didn't realize I was killing myself!  My father treated severe acid reflux with Tums for years.  He died of esophageal cancer at age 61.  I was in the room when the surgeon diagnosed his cancer.  He then proceeded to describe what my Dad had been going through with heartburn for years. It was spooky listening to him describe it.

I was starting to have similar symptoms.  I went to my doc and got scoped and have been on prescription Omeprazole since then.  I very rarely get heartburn anymore.  I guess I haven't heard the horror stories about this drug.  I give it credit for saving me from the similar pain I saw my Dad go through for thirty years.