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Page: Treatment of Infection
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In peptic ulcer patients where infection is detected, the normal procedure is eradicating H. pylori to allow the ulcer to heal. The standard first-line therapy is a one week triple-therapy. The Sydney gastroenterolgist Thomas Borody invented the first triple therapy in 1987. Today the standard triple therapy is amoxicillin, clarithromycin and a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole – though sometimes a different proton pump inhibitor is substituted, or metronidazole is used in place of amoxicillin in those allergic to penicillin. Such a therapy has revolutionised the treatment of gastric ulcers and has made a cure to the disease possible, where previously symptom-control using antacids, H2-antagonists or proton pump inhibitors alone was the only option.
Unfortunately, an increasing number of infected individuals are found to harbour antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This results in initial treatment failure and requires additional rounds of antibiotic therapy or alternative strategies. For resistant cases, a quadruple therapy may be used. Bismuth compounds are also effective in combination with the above drugs. For the treatment of clarithromycin-resistant strains of H. pylori the use of levofloxacin as part of the therapy has been recommended.
There is some preliminary evidence that regular consumption of broccoli sprouts might eradicate H. pylori.
Some studies show that mastic gum can destroy H. pylori in vitro, but studies done in vivo have shown it to be ineffective.
A study done on Mongolian gerbils indicates that green tea extract can suppress H. pylori growth. Another study done in South Korea suggests that an acidic polysaccharide found in green tea is significantly effective in preventing adhesion of H. pylori to human cultures of epithelial cells.
As explained below, some authors suggest that some strains of H. pylori may be protective against certain diseases of the esophagus and cardia. Therefore, a more cautious approach than complete eradication may be necessary in some cases.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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