Treatment of Gastritis

Treatment of gastritis aims at reducing symptoms. Treatment involves medicines to relieve symptoms and treat the underlying cause(s). The medication that your doctor prescribes will depend on the severity of gastritis as well.

Medications given for treatment of gastritis include:

• medications that block acid production and promote healing such as rabeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, omeprazole, esomeprazole,
• medications to reduce acid production such as cimetidine, ranitidine hydrochloride, famotidine,
• antacids that neutralise stomach acid such as sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, alumina and magnesia and calcium carbonate and magnesia and
• antibiotics to treat Helicobacter pylori infection.

Antibiotic medications to kill H. Pylori: The most common cause of gastritis is infection with the bacteria helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). If the bacterium is found in your digestive tract, your doctor may prescribe a combination of antibiotics to treat the infection. Different antibiotic regimens are used in different parts of the world. The antibiotic combination options used for treating H pylori include clarithromycin and amoxicillin, metronidazole and amoxicillin and metronidazole and tetracycline. Combination antibiotic regimen is prescribed for two weeks depending on their type and number.

Medications that block acid production and promote healing: Proton pump inhibitors such as rabeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, omeprazole, esomeprazole are effective in controlling acid levels in the stomach. These medications act by blocking the action of the parts of cells that produce acid. Long-term use of high dose proton pump inhibitors has been observed to increase the risk of hip, wrist and spine fractures. Discuss with your doctor about the need of calcium supplement to reduce this risk.

Medications to reduce acid production: Acid blockers or the histamine (H-2) blockers act to reduce the amount of acid secreted into your digestive tract. Some of the most commonly prescribed H-2 blockers include ranitidine, famotidine, cimetidine and nizatidine.

Antacids: These medicines act by neutralising the acid present in your stomach and relieving the symptoms. Antacids usually contain aluminum or magnesium hydroxide, magnesium trisilicate and bismuth subsalicylate. As they neutralise the existing stomach acid, they can provide quick pain relief. Some of the side-effects of antacids include constipation or diarrhoea depending on the main ingredients.

Your doctor will prescribe a combination of the above mentioned medications aimed at reducing stomach acid, relieving symptoms and promoting the healing of the stomach lining.

Avoiding precipitating factors

If acute gastritis is caused by alcohol or the use of certain medications such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs, the symptoms may improve by stopping the use of those substances. The inflamed lining of stomach will heal over time if it is protected.