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Helicobacter pylori - Treatment

Alternative Names

Gastritis - Helicobacter pylori; H. pylori

Treatment:

Patients who have H. pylori and also have an ulcer are most likely to benefit from being treated. Patients who only have heartburn or acid reflux and H. pylori are less likely to benefit from treatment. The treatment fails in up to 20 percent of patients.

Treatment must be taken for 10 to 14 days. Medications may include:

Antibiotics, such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), amoxicillin, tetracycline, or metronidazole (Flagyl)
Histamine H2 blockers, such as cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid, Tazac), and sometimes bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol)
Proton-pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), or esomeprazole (Nexium)

Expectations (prognosis):

Once the H. pylori bacteria are gone from your body, the chance of being infected again is very low.

Complications:

H. pylori infection is linked to stomach cancer and ulcer disease.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have blood in your stool, abdominal pain, ongoing indigestion or heartburn, or any of the other symptoms mentioned above.

Seek immediate medical help if you are vomiting blood.

Digestive system

Reviewed last on: 9/7/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Chey WD, Wong BC. American College of Gastroenterology guideline on the management of Helicobacter pylori infection. Am J Gastroenterol. Aug 2007;102(8):1808-25.

Ables AZ, Simon I, Melton ER. Update on Helicobacter pylori treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2007;75(3):351-358.

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