Your health care provider will recommend medicines to heal your ulcer and prevent a relapse. The medicines will:
- Kill the
H pylori
bacteria, if present.
- Reduce acid levels in the stomach. These include H2 blockers such as ranitidine (Zantac), or a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), esomeprazole (Nexium), rabeprazole (AcipHex) or pantoprazole (Protonix).
Take all of your medicines as you have been told. Other
changes in your lifestyle
can also help.
If you have a peptic ulcer with an
H pylori
infection, the standard treatment uses different combinations of the following medicines for 7 to 14 days:
- Two different antibiotics to kill
H pylori.
- PPIs such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), or esomeprazole (Nexium).
- Bismuth?subsalicylate (the main ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) may be added to help kill the bacteria.
You will likely need to take a PPI for 8 weeks if:
- You have an ulcer without an
H pylori
infection.
- Your ulcer is caused by taking aspirin or NSAIDs.
Your provider may also prescribe this type of medicine regularly if you continue taking aspirin or NSAIDs for other health conditions.
Other medicines used for ulcers are:
- Misoprostol, a medicine that may help prevent ulcers in people who take NSAIDs on a regular basis
- Medicines that protect the tissue lining, such as sucralfate
If a peptic ulcer bleeds a lot, an EGD may be needed to stop the bleeding. Methods used to stop the bleeding include:
- Injecting medicine in the ulcer
- Applying metal clips or heat therapy to the ulcer
Surgery may be needed if:
- Bleeding cannot be stopped with an EGD
- The ulcer has caused a tear?in the stomach or duodenum