H. Pylori Treatment and Patient Education

H. Pylori is a bacterium that is found in the stomach of many people around the world. The disease can cause stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. The treatment methods for the disease includes taking several drugs for approximately 14 days. ( Crowe, S. (2018). One of the treatment regimen includes a proton pump inhibitor. This type of medication reduces the ability of the stomach to produce acid. Reduced production of acid enables the damaged tissues in the stomach to heal. Proton pump inhibitors are lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprazole (AcipHex), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), and esomeprazole (Nexium). A dose of two antibiotics is usually recommended in order to reduce the risk of the antibiotics failing and resistance of the bacteria to drugs. 

Patients who have active gastric or duodenum ulcers should be tested. Patients who have also suffered from ulcers before should also be diagnosed for H. Pylori. People who come from a family with a history of peptic ulcers should also go for testing. When under medication, patients who are taking metronidazole should avoid consuming alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine. Combining alcoholic beverages can lead to severe effects such as increased heartbeat, vomiting, nausea, and skin flushing. It is not uncommon for the medication to fail, in case a prescription does not resolve the problem, and it is advisable to go for another prescription. The prescription also takes 14 days but it comprises of different drugs from the first dose. After treatment, it is advisable to go back for another checkup to confirm that the disease has been dealt with completely.

In conclusion, treatment for H. Pylori involves taking several antibiotics for 14 days. The drugs sometimes fail to solve the problem, in such a case, the patient should go back for another prescription. After getting well, the patient should go back for treatment to confirm that the infection has been resolved.

References

Crowe, S. (2018). UpToDate. Uptodate.com. Retrieved 16 March 2020, from

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/helicobacter-pylori-infection-and-treatment-beyond-the-basics

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