How to Use Medications to Treat an Ulcer

An ulcer is a laceration located somewhere along the digestive tract. Medications can be used to effectively treat or even eradicate an ulcer from the body. There are many types of ulcer medications that affect different parts of the digestive tract.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Use Medications to Treat an Ulcer

1. Know that histamine antagonists, better known as H2 blockers, are medications that reduce the acid in your stomach by blocking histamines. Commonly prescribed H2 blockers are antacids like Tagamet, Zantac and Pepcid. H2 blockers are used to heal ulcers.
2. Try a proton-pump inhibitor if an H2 blocker does not work to treat your ulcer. Proton-pump inhibitors can successfully control and decrease acid secretion. Medications such as Prilosec and Prevacid are proton-pump inhibitors and may be more effective than other medications to treat an ulcer located in the esophagus.
3. Ask you doctor about medications that contain sucralfate. Sucralfate coats the surface of an ulcer to aid in healing and has few recorded side effects. Carafate is a common medication containing sucralfate prescribed to treat ulcers.
4. Consider taking medications with misoprostol, like Cytotec. Misoprostol strengthens the inner lining of the stomach, which helps the digestive system cope with stomach acid.
5. Treat H. pylori with antibiotics. H. pylori is a bacteria known to cause ulcers and can be difficult to get rid of. People commonly use the antibiotics Biaxin and Levaquin for H. pylori. Other ulcer medications, like H2 blockers and proton-pump inhibitors, might be prescribed to use in conjunction with them.
6. Download the e-document "Is there a relationship? Esophageal cancer and ulcer medication. An article from: Medical Update" by Edwin W. Brown. Read about the potential cancer risks of some ulcer medication.
7. Consult with your pharmacist about drug interactions or to ask questions about ulcer medications that your doctor has not answered.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with your doctor about potential side effects of ulcer medications. Be aware of what symptoms medications are treating and their possible drug interactions, as well.
• Alert your doctor immediately if you have severe side effects or experience bleeding while taking ulcer medications. Bleeding and side effects can indicate an allergic reaction to medication and should be discussed with your doctor.

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