Treatment of stomach ulcers – since the development of gastric and duodenal ulcers is an acid-dependent process, medications that reduce stomach acid secretion play the main role in their treatment.
Today, these are most commonly proton pump inhibitors, but so-called histamine receptor blockers are also often recommended.
Coating agents that protect the lining and antacids that neutralise acid can only be used as symptomatic therapy; their effectiveness falls far short of the former.
Since stomach- and duodenal ulcers are in most cases caused by Helicobacter pylori infection; if this is diagnosed (primarily by detecting it in a tissue sample), a 7-14-day combined antibiotic treatment may also be considered.
An important basic rule is that with a stomach ulcer , after a set period of time (in weeks 4-6 from the first examination, then in month 3 and in some cases month 6), a repeat gastroscopy is needed, because in the case of a stomach ulcer , there is a risk of it becoming cancerous.
With a duodenal ulcer, a follow-up gastroscopy, however, is only needed in exceptional cases.
