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What Medication and Diet to Use for Stomach Ulcers

Stomach ulcers are painful, crater-like sores which form on the lining of the stomach. An ulcer can be caused by a few things including stress, coffee consumption and spicy foods. Ulcers are caused by a bacterial infections and overuse of drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Treatment of stomach ulcers is paramount because if they go untreated, they can turn into bleeding ulcers or perforate the stomach lining. Both of which are painful and harmful to the digestive system. Along with reducing stress for treatment of stomach ulcers, there are medications and diets that help as well.

  1. Medication for Stomach Ulcers

    • Doctors prescribe various medications for stomach ulcers. The most common prescriptions are H2-blockers, proton-pump inhibitors, mucosal protective agents and antibiotics. H2 blockers, such as Zantac and Pepsid, reduce the amount of acid that the stomach makes. Proton-pump inhibitors help by reducing the stomach's production are 10 times more powerful than H2-blockers. The best know Proton-pump inhibitor is Prisolec which can suppress about 95 percent of stomach acid production. The most common medications for stomach ulcers are mucosal protective agents which protect the stomach's mucous lining from acid. Common examples are Tums, Rolaids and Pepto-Bismol. Antibiotics are another treatment for uclers. Stomach ulcers can be treated by a taking short course of antibiotics and are helpful for reducing the chances of the ulcer reoccurring. With antibiotic therapy, there is a one percent chance of the ulcer reoccurring.

    Diet for Stomach Ulcers

    • People suffering with ulcers want to avoid spicy foods, fried foods, chocolate, caffeine and carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages and foods that are acidic such as tomatoes and citrus fruits. They are encouraged to eat a high fiber diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains. They are advised to eat small meals throughout the day to help the ease of digestion. Also, those who have stomach ulcers should avoid eating before bedtime and indulging in foods that are know to cause excess gas such as dried-cooked beans and fatty meat like short ribs, bacon and salami.

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