Treatment
Your doctor will work with you to find the best way to help heal your ulcers based on what is causing them.
If your tests show you have
H. pylori infection:
- You will be prescribed:
- One or two bacteria-killing antibiotics (such as amoxicillin, tetracycline, metronidazole or clarithromycin).
- A medication that has bismuth.
- A medicine to lessen the acid in your stomach.
- Antibiotics and acid-blocking medications can usually cure these ulcers if they have not caused too much damage.
- Often, antibiotics are given for 1–2 weeks.
- It is important to take all of this medicine to cure the infection.
- You should also stop taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, meloxicam and celecoxib.
- During and after your treatment, stay away from alcohol and cigarettes, as smoking inhibits ulcer healing.
- Once the medicine has treated the ulcer, there is a 90 percent chance that the disease is fully cured.
- With proper care, surgery is usually not needed.
- Still, you may need surgery if an ulcer fails to heal, if you have bleeding problems or if a perforation (hole) or obstruction (block) in the stomach happens.
- Luckily, surgical therapy is rarely needed, because medications usually cure ulcers.
Since the source of
H. pylori infection is not yet known, no final recommendations have been made for preventing peptic ulcer disease. However, it is always wise to
wash your hands fully, eat food that has been prepared the right way and drink water from a clean, safe source.
If you have ulcers not caused by
H. pylori:
- Stop using NSAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, meloxicam and celecoxib.
- Your doctor will start you on medicine to lessen the acid in your stomach.