$Unique_ID{BRK01458}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Can Antibiotics be Used to Cure a Stomach Ulcer}
$Subject{ulcer cause treatment antibiotic digestive system antibiotics stomach
peptic ulcers lining infection helicobacter pylori campylobacter h bacteria
gastric digestion infections bacterial bacterium}
$Volume{I-10,A-10}
$Log{
Ulcers of the Digestive System*0005801.scf
Peptic Ulcers*0005802.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Can Antibiotics be Used to Cure a Stomach Ulcer


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QUESTION:  My sister reports that her husband is being treated with
antibiotics to cure his stomach ulcer.  It is certainly a new one on me, and
we are wondering if she has it a bit mixed up, or if possibly the doctor isn't
telling her the whole truth.  Do you have any way of finding out about this
treatment and telling us about it?  We would be most grateful.

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ANSWER:  I think she has it right, and doubt that the doctor is holding back
any bad news.  Peptic ulcers (or stomach ulcers, if you will) are the result
of one of three main factors:  the use of medications which irritate the
stomach lining, most noted with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents
(NSAIDs), cigarette smoking, and an infection caused by Helicobacter pylori
(formerly known as Campylobacter pylori).  There are some writers that insist
that inheritance plays a role, or that life's stresses may also be a cause,
but there is some controversy about this.  The treatment of any illness
depends upon its cause, so when the suspicion that H. pylori is present is
proven to be true, antibiotics make an effective treatment.  It is probable
that the ulcer is an indirect result of the infection, and that the bacteria
first interfere with some of the protective mechanisms of the stomach lining
or actually damage the tissue before the ulcer develops.  Some studies show
that healing follows the use of antibiotics in such cases, while still other
papers fail to demonstrate the same effect.  There are no such doubts about
the relationship between cigarettes, which damage the gastric lining, increase
acid secretion and change the blood flow, and the development of a stomach
ulcer.  In addition, smoking slows up the healing process, and so patients who
suffer an ulcer and are helped by treatment but continue smoking will find
that the ulcer develops again and again.  An ulcer may be treated with several
medications now available, and a cure may be obtained in from 90 percent to 95
percent of patients who are adequately treated for a twelve week period.  When
ulcers do recur, an evaluation using an endoscope, which permits the physician
to look into the stomach, is appropriate to determine the actual state of the
disease.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.