What Are The Risks For People With Ulcers
Why do painkillers increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems? The same chemicals that amplify pain — which some pain medicines block — also help maintain the protective lining of the stomach and intestines. When a painkiller stops these chemicals from working, the digestive tract becomes more vulnerable to damage from gastric acids.
For people with ulcers, the risky pain relievers are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. They include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and ketoprofen, the active ingredients in medicines such as Bufferin, Advil, and Aleve.
Other pain relievers may be less dangerous. Acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — works differently and poses a much lower risk of GI problems. However, like any drug, it does have side effects of its own. You shouldn’t take any over-the-counter painkiller for more than 10 days without your health care provider’s approval.
The risks from NSAIDs are quite serious. Studies show that people who use NSAIDs are about three times as likely to have gastrointestinal bleeding. Even at low doses, NSAIDs can make mild ulcers much worse.
Aspirin has additional risks. “Aspirin can help prevent blood clotting, which is why it helps people at risk of heart attacks and strokes,” says Cryer. “But in people with ulcers, it can lead to more serious gastrointestinal bleeding.”
Signs And Symptoms Of Peptic Ulcers
Many people with peptic ulcers don’t have any signs, but upper abdominal pain is the most common symptom.
- Extend from your navel up to your breastbone
- Feel worse when your stomach is empty
- Feel better temporarily when you eat certain foods or take an antacid
- Get worse at night
- Come and go for days or weeks
Other symptoms of peptic ulcers may include:
- Vomiting of red or dark blood
- Feeling bloated or full
- Bloody, black, or tar-like stools
- Unexplained weight loss
- Changes in your appetite
What Is A Stomach Ulcer
A stomach ulcer, also called a gastric ulcer, is an open sore that develops in your stomach lining. You can also get one in your duodenum, the first part of the small intestine that your stomach feeds into. Duodenal ulcers and stomach ulcers are both types of peptic ulcers. Theyre named for pepsin, one of the digestive juices that are found in the stomach and that sometimes leak into the duodenum. These juices are a contributing factor in peptic ulcer disease.
Peptic ulcers occur when the protective mucous lining in your stomach and duodenum has been eroded, allowing gastric acids and digestive enzymes to eat away at your stomach and duodenal walls. This eventually results in open sores that are continually irritated by the acid. If left untreated, they can begin to cause serious complications, such as internal bleeding. Over time, they can even wear a hole all the way through. This is a medical emergency.
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Alternative And Complementary Therapies
Certain lifestyle changes can help you recover from an ulcer.
- Watch your diet. If you know that there are specific foods that make your ulcer feel worse, avoid them until your treatment is over. For many people, these include alcohol, caffeine, fatty foods, spicy foods, and chocolate.
- Stop smoking. If you smoke, you are already at increased risk of getting an ulcer. The data also shows that ulcers take longer to heal in smokers and that the ulcer medication you are taking may be less effective. Scientists dont know exactly why smoking has these negative effects.
- Take pain medication carefully. NSAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and many other commonly taken drugs, are taken for pain and fever, but can cause an ulcer if used too often. NSAIDs can also prevent an ulcer from healing as quickly as you would like, so talk to your doctor about what you can take for your other aches and pains while you are waiting for your ulcer to heal. Acetaminophen does not cause ulcers, so it may be an effective substitute. Also, be sure to read all drug labels some cough and cold liquids have NSAID ingredients in them, and you should avoid them, too.
- Cut back on alcohol. Stop drinking alcohol if you want to completely reduce your risk of additional ulcers and help your body heal.
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Types Of Stomach Ulcers
Ulcers can develop in various parts of the GI tract, including the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. Contrary to popular belief, research shows that men develop duodenal ulcers more often than any other kind, including stomach ulcers. On the other hand, the opposite is true for women: They tend to develop more stomach ulcers and fewer ulcers of the duodenal.
Many doctors refer to stomach ulcers simply as peptic ulcers. A few other types of ulcers and names that ulcers sometimes go by include:
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Gastroenterologists In Austin Texas
If you suffer from stomach ulcers, reach out to us at Austin Gastroenterology by calling the location nearest you or request an appointment online now.
We offer a wide variety of GI services and treat various disorders of the upper and lower digestive tract. Our goal is to provide you relief so you can go back to living your life without bothersome stomach pain.
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Surgery And Other Procedures
If bleeding from an ulcer does not stop with medication and supportive care , a physician called a gastroenterologist will perform an endoscopy. He first identifies the ulcer and the area that is bleeding, then injects medications to stop the bleeding and stimulate the formation of a blood clot. If the bleeding recurs or you have a perforated ulcer or an obstruction, surgery may be required. About 30% of people who come to the hospital with a bleeding ulcer need endoscopy or surgery.
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How Long Does Gastritis Take To Go Away
Acute gastritis patients usually recover completely and without problems. Chronic gastritis, on the other hand, can have a variety of outcomes, ranging from favorable to poor . Acute hyperacidity might cause consequences in rare cases.
Peptic ulcers, bleeding ulcers, anemia, stomach malignancies, MALT lymphoma, renal difficulties, intestinal obstructions, and even mortality are all complications of chronic gastritis. Hyperacidity can be avoided if the underlying causes of gastritis are treated or avoided .
Strategies To Reducegastrointestinal Toxicity
Caution is needed to minimise the known adverse effects. Before prescribing, the medical history needs to be reviewed in order to assess the risk of gastrointestinal toxicity. This includes asking about the use of over-the-counter aspirin and NSAIDs. Consideration needs to be given to the choice of NSAID and the duration of therapy. Patients need to be informed and be aware of potential serious adverse events.
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When To Call A Healthcare Provider
If the ulcer is large or deep, growing in size, incredibly painful, or if you have any signs of infection , you notice a bad smell coming from your ulcer, or youre running a fever, call your healthcare provider right away.
Youll also want to call your healthcare provider if your ulcer, no matter how minor, isnt showing signs healing after a week to 10 days.
In most cases, the ulcer will be dressed to protect the wound. However, if your ulcer is draining considerably, your healthcare provider may recommend leaving the wound uncovered. Dressing the ulcer if its draining considerably can impede healing.
If your ulcer is painful, pain medication can be prescribed. Antibiotics may also be prescribed either prophylactically to prevent infection or to treat an already infected wound.
Debridement is done to remove dead tissue from more serious ulcers. For deep ulcers or those that arent healing after a long period of time, skin grafts may be needed. In the most severe cases, part of the foot, leg, or other appendage may have to be amputated.
Restoring good circulation is key in treating and preventing ulcers. This includes elevating the legs, wearing compression stockings, reducing pressure on ulcer-prone areas, superficial vein surgery. Leg ulcers, in particular, are incredibly likely to reoccur, so compression stockings are often needed to be worn for life.
How Is A Peptic Ulcer Treated
Some peptic ulcers heal on their own. But if you donât treat them, the ulcers tend to come back.
They can erode the blood vessel wall in your stomach or small intestine. The ulcers also can eat a hole through the lining and get infected. Or they can cause swelling, which may block food from moving from your stomach into your small intestine.
If H. pylori is the culprit, your doctor may prescribe a mix of antibiotics to kill it. If aspirin and other NSAIDs are behind the ulcer, you may need to cut down on them, stop taking them altogether, or switch to another pain reliever.
Your doctor may also give you antacids to fight stomach acid, or prescribe medicine to lessen the acid your body makes. Prescription drugs called cytoprotective agents can help protect the lining of the stomach or small intestine so the ulcer can heal.
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Complications Of Peptic Ulcers
Left untreated, peptic ulcers can result in severe complications and emergencies.
- Internal bleeding You can have bleeding in your stomach, esophagus, or duodenum when the ulcer opens a blood vessel. Ulcers can cause bleeding that occurs slowly over time or quickly, possibly resulting in hemorrhaging that can be life-threatening due to shock. Sometimes you may not notice a bleeding ulcer until you become anemic, a condition in which your body lacks red blood cells because of inadequate iron. This occurs when ulcers cause chronic, low-grade blood loss.
- A hole, or perforation, in the stomach wall You can develop a perforated ulcer, which means it has eaten through your stomach or intestinal wall.
- Obstruction This is when you have swelling or scarring related to your ulcer that is preventing your food from being digested properly.
The signs that you are having an ulcer emergency are:
- Blood in vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- Increasing pain
- Mental confusion
- Severe abdominal distension
If you think you or someone you know is having an ulcer emergency, seek immediate medical attention.
What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture . Do not allow the liquid to freeze. Dispose of unused famotidine liquid after 30 days.
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
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Over The Counter Stomach Ulcer Medication
Ulcers can develop in the stomach, duodenum or the esophagus. There is a misconception that ulcers develop due to stress or eating spicy food. However, the actual cause of ulcers is a bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori. No doubt, stress and spicy food tends to make the ulcers worse. Also, certain medications like NSAIDs can lead to ulcers.
Some of the symptoms of ulcers include pain in the abdomen accompanied with burning sensation, pain in the stomach after eating, heartburn, nausea, burping, indigestion, loss of weight, having poor or no appetite, vomiting, stomach pain increasing in degree when the stomach is empty and the stomach pain alleviating after drinking a glass of milk. If you suffer from these symptoms, then in all probability you are suffering from an ulcer. Usually, you will have to adopt lifestyle changes and also take certain medications. Sometimes, over the counter medication is advised for patient suffering from ulcers.
Some of the over the counter medications for stomach ulcers are as follows:
Antacid: This is the most frequently used over the counter medication. It is available in the form of a tablet or syrup. You may have to take the antacid with a prescription acid blocker. Antacid is known to neutralize the acids in the stomach and providing immediate relief from the pain.
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Bismuth: Cures Cramping In The Stomach Due To Diarrhoea
- Brand name Kaopectate, Peptobismol
- Composition Bismuth subsalicylate
- Popularity level 7
- Bismuth is an antidiarrhoeal drug that acts by decreasing PG synthesis in the intestinal mucosa due to which chloride secretion and loss of water from the intestines deceases.
- Dosage It is taken as a suspension, 60 ml in every 6 hours.
- Price Kaopectate costs $14.00 per pill or unit.
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What Is The Treatment For Peptic Ulcers
The choice of treatment depends on whether or not the ulcer is caused by infection with H pylori. Correct diagnosis is key to whether a treatment works or not. If the bacteria are the cause, treatment focuses on killing the infection. Regardless of whether the bacteria are the cause, reducing acid in the stomach is another important focus of treatment.
The following treatments are recommended for ulcers:
- Lifestyle changes: Quit smoking, avoid alcohol, aspirin, and NSAIDs
- Acid-blocking medications
- Medications that protect the lining of the stomach and duodenum
- Triple-therapy or dual-therapy regimens for ulcers caused by H pylori
No single medication works to get rid of H pylori infection. Two combinations have been found that work well in most people.
These treatments are generally given for two weeks.
Once H pylori bacteria are eradicated from a persons digestive tract, usually it will not come back. The ulcers usually heal completely and do not return.
Treatment for bleeding ulcers depends on the severity of blood loss and includes:
It is important to remember that treatment may not work if the diagnosis is not correct. If the doctor diagnoses an ulcer, it is important to determine whether the ulcer is caused by infection with H pylori.
How Do Ulcers Develop
NSAID usage isnt the only reason ulcers develop in the stomach or upper area of the small intestine. Another common culprit is a bacterial infection caused by Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori. And although NSAIDs and H. pylori infection are independent risk factors, Staller said, they can work together to increase a persons chances of developing ulcers.
Dingells case appears to be more directly tied to taking ibuprofen, however. The saga, as she calls it, started months ago, when a bothersome dental implant led to a bone infection in her jaw. After she had jaw surgery in January, the lawmaker, who has been outspoken about the dangers of opioids and narcotics, instead opted to take Motrin for pain relief.
Soon, Dingell said, she was regularly downing 800 mg morning and night, which continued long after the initial surgery. By around March, Dingell said, her doctors started to raise concerns about how much ibuprofen she was taking.
The doctors warned me, she said. They told me that taking it for this long, they wanted to watch me closely, and I thought I was invincible.
Ibuprofen and other pain relievers such as naproxen, or Aleve, reduce your bodys ability to make a layer of mucus that protects the lining of your stomach from gastric acid, said Christian Stevoff, clinical practice director in the division of gastroenterology at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine.
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Baking Soda Combined With Apple Cider Vinegar
The amalgamation of sodium bicarbonate and fermented apple solution may rather sound eccentric for a few. However, these proponents individually bear several health benefits that could help you cure and control your stomach ulcer.
Why Does it Work?
Baking soda, chemically referred to as sodium bicarbonate is a white alkaline powder that has proven its potential in curing several health conditions including stomach ulcers. In ulcers, it is commonly noticed that the stomach is completely filled with stomach acids and the inner lining of the wall is corroded due to acid.
When baking soda comes in contact with the acid, it neutralizes the acid, and as a by-product of this reaction, water is released. This is the first step, as the acid gets converted, the bacteria are then exposed, and apple cider vinegar that is a proven antimicrobial agent acts on the h pylori bacteria, and thereby prevents and cures stomach ulcers. Although there havent been any studies that have concluded on these claims, however, there are several anecdotes that claim the efficacy of this solution.
How Much to Use?
It is ideally recommended that you drink this once a day for at least a week. It is recommended that you check the improvements in health later.
How to Use?
Procedure:
Ulcer Medication Over The Counter
Many non-prescription medications are available that help relieve pain and quicken the healing process. This article discusses various over-the-counter peptic ulcer and mouth ulcer medications.
Many non-prescription medications are available that help relieve pain and quicken the healing process. This article discusses various over-the-counter peptic ulcer and mouth ulcer medications.
Peptic ulcers are open sores which occur on the lining of stomach, esophagus, or duodenum. Many people believe that peptic ulcers are caused by spicy food or stress. However, peptic ulcers are caused due to a specific type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Stress and spicy foods can worsen peptic ulcer, though. NSAIDs, which are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, like ibuprofen can also cause peptic ulcers.
If you are experiencing symptoms like abdominal pain with a burning sensation, pain after few hours of eating, pain becoming worse on an empty stomach, heartburn, belching, nausea, indigestion, vomiting, weight loss, or poor appetite, then these all point to peptic ulcer. To treat peptic ulcers, the doctor will prescribe you certain ulcer medications. Over-the-counter drugs and many lifestyle changes will also be advised.
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