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- $Unique_ID{BRK00063}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Can Antacids Help Cure an Ulcer?}
- $Subject{ulcer diet antacids stomach acids Digestive System acid stomach
- medications GI gastrointestinal H2-receptor gastric ulcers diets antacid
- medication medicines medicine treatment treatments}
- $Volume{I-10,R-10}
- $Log{
- Ulcers of the Digestive System*0005801.scf
- Peptic Ulcers*0005802.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Can Antacids Help Cure an Ulcer?
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- QUESTION: Can antacids help cure an ulcer and is diet important?
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- ANSWER: Antacids, the oldest of all ulcer medications, are still considered a
- valid treatment option. Ulcer healing is directly related to the ability to
- reduce acid secretion, and since antacids neutralize acid that has been
- secreted into the stomach, they are certainly a safe and effective therapeutic
- choice. A seven-times-per-day dosage is usually prescribed and should be
- taken one and three hours after meals and at bedtime. However, recent studies
- suggest that the final dosage be taken between six and eight p.m. rather than
- at bedtime, so check with your doctor and see what he advises. There are a
- variety of antacid medications, that come in both liquid and tablet form, some
- combined with medication that reduces the gas in your GI system as well.
- It's worth mentioning that it is not necessary to combine antacids with
- H2-receptor antagonists which reduce the amount of gastric acid secreted into
- the stomach. H2-receptor antagonists are a separate treatment option, though
- on days when pain and discomfort are particularly severe, patients may wish to
- supplement this therapy with a little antacid as well.
- Unfortunately, with all the diet testing done on patients with ulcers, no
- magic diet has ever been found. The best advice I can offer is to simply
- caution patients against eating anything that causes discomfort. For patients
- taking antacids, I also advise frequent food intake since the antacids'
- ability to buffer acid secretion is not very effective on an empty stomach.
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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.
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