Patients with endoscopically confirmed oesophagitis (n = 49) were treated for 8 weeks with either cisapride (10 mg four times a day) or ranitidine (150 mg twice a day) in a double-blind study in general practice. Mean overall symptom scores fell from 10.8 to 4.5 in the cisapride group and from 9.9 to 4.4 in the ranitidine group over the course of the study. The proportion of patients reporting improvements in individual symptoms in the two treatment groups (cisapride and ranitidine respectively) were: heartburn, 66% and 55%; acid regurgitation, 53% and 47%; epigastric pain, 60% and 52%; satiety, 57% and 47%; bloating, 69% and 71%; belching, 65% and 72%; nausea, 62% and 85%; vomiting, 77% and 66%; poor appetite, 50% and 75%. Improvement in the endoscopic grade of oesophagitis was observed in 66% of patients receiving cisapride and 63% of those receiving ranitidine. It was concluded that cisapride is as effective as ranitidine in relieving the symptoms of oesophagitis and in healing oesophageal erosions.