Antiulcer

What are they

Under the name of “antiulcer” there are different classes of drugs, which with different mechanisms contribute to the prevention and treatment of gastroduodenal ulcer.

Preventing stomach acid problems is possible starting with the diet. In this article, find out which foods to avoid.

How they work

The various drugs intervene on the different mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of ulcers. At the origin of this pathology there may be:

• excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid by cells that contribute to the production of digestive juices (parietal cells);
• insufficient activity of the cells that secrete the substances responsible for protecting the gastric mucosa from the action of the juices themselves (muciparous cells);
• an inflammation of the stomach wall induced by the presence of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

The intervention against gastroduodenal ulcer must therefore pursue two fundamental objectives:

• counteract the factors that can alter the mucosa to the point of determining its erosion (excessive acidity of gastric juices, Helicobacter pylori infection);
• strengthen mucosal protection systems.

Did you know that physical activity helps overcome hyperacidity problems? In this article, find out why.

What are they?

In accordance with their different mechanisms of action, drugs used in the prevention or treatment of ulcers can be divided into four categories: antacids, antisecretives, gastroprotectors, antimicrobials.

Antacids are compounds that do not interfere with the activity of cells of the gastric mucosa, but which, due to their chemical characteristics, are able to directly neutralize the acidity of the contents of the stomach. Of common use are magnesium, aluminum or calcium salts.

Antisecretives are drugs capable of interfering with the production of hydrochloric acid by the parietal cells of the stomach. In this group, two types of molecules are distinguished, according to the cellular process on which they intervene: proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole); H2 receptor antagonists (ranitidine, cimetidine, nizatidine, famotidine).

The group of gastroprotectors also includes two different types of compounds: those that form a protective layer on the gastric mucosa (sucralfate, colloidal bismuth); those that stimulate the activity of muciparous cells (misoprostol).

Antimicrobials include several antibiotics active on Helicobacter pylori (metronizadol, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, tetracycline).

If you want to know more about gastric ulcer read this article.

In treatment and prevention

The four types of drugs are indicated, depending on the case, alone or possibly in combination with each other. In particular, in case of Helicobacter pylori infection, antibiotic therapy combined with an antisecretory drug is always used.

The different antiulcers can also be used both in the treatment of ulcerative disease in progress and in its prevention in the presence of predisposing factors, such as gastric hypersecretion or the intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs).

During NSAID therapy, for example, it is always advisable to take a gastroprotector.

Effects

Although generally well tolerated, antiulcers can sometimes cause gastrointestinal disorders (nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation), headache, dizziness, skin rash.

As for antacids, it should be remembered that, by altering the chemical environment of the stomach, they are able to interfere with the absorption of other drugs that are taken at the same time.