Peptic Ulcers
Treatment & Prevention Options
Treatment involves life style changes, medications and
surgery.
Life Style Changes:
These consist of quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol,
aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAID)s.
Medications:
Single medications do not help cure H pylori infection.
Two combinations of medications are stated to be
successful in majority of the people.
- Triple Therapy: A combination of bismuth
subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) and antibiotics tetracycline and
metronidazole works effectively in 80-95% of the people. Bismuth
subsalicylate and tetracycline are to be taken 4 times daily
and metronidazole 3 times daily.
- Dual Therapy: In this therapy two antibiotics,
namely amoxicillin and metronidazole are taken 3 times daily.
Metronidazole can be replaced with clarithromycin wherein the
infections are resistant to the former.
An acid pump inhibitor such as omeprazole is substituted at times
for one of the antibiotics. |
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Other Medications:
Other medications used to treat ulcers are antacids,
aluminum hydroxide combined with magnesium or calcium
(Ex: Maalox, Mylanta, Tums and Rolaids).
Histamine promotes acid production. Histamine (H2)
blockers are acid blocking medications used to treat
peptic ulcers. Examples of these drugs are cimetidine
(Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid) and
nizatidine (Axid).
Surgery:
Surgery is the best option for people in whom medical
therapy does not work. Surgical operations include the
following:
Vagotomy: Vagus
nerve transmits messages from the brain to
stomach to secrete acid. In vagotomy, a part of
the vagus nerve is cut to reduce acid secretion.
Antrectomy: Generally,
antrectomy is done in conjunction with vagotomy.
This involves removal of lower part of stomach
that produces a hormone aiding the increased
production of stomach acid.
Pyloroplasty: This
operation enlarges the opening between the
stomach and duodenum (the pylorus) aiding in the
passage of partially digested food. After the
passage of food, acid production normally ceases.
This procedure is also done with vagotomy (4).
Prevention Methods
Peptic ulcers can be prevented by adhering to
following measures:
Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com
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