Medicines for inflammation of the stomach lining
Gastritis can have many different causes. If the gastritis is of bacterial origin, it may make sense to take antibiotics against the disease. In order to relieve the pain, the patient can also take other medications against the gastrointestinal disease, for example an analgesic such as paracetamol. In order to treat gastritis properly, however, the patient should also take additional medication for the gastrointestinal disease. These drugs include antacids, which have a buffering effect on stomach acid, H2-receptor blockers or antihistamines, proton pump inhibitors such as pantoprazole and prokinetics, which ensure that the patient does not get sick again and again.
Medicines for hemorrhoids / anal fissures
In the case of hemorrhoids and anal fissures, i.e. tears around the bumhole, the only permanent therapy for patients is often surgery. Nevertheless, the patient can try to take different medications against the gastrointestinal diseases to make the pain more bearable. For this purpose, the patient can take painkillers, which, however, only promise short-term relief, and the patient can also take so-called laxatives. These ensure that the bowel movement becomes very soft and thus does not further irritate the butt hole (anus) by too hard a bowel movement.
Medications for chronic inflammatory bowel disease
Drugs for gastrointestinal diseases are supposed to make the patient feel better and cure the patient’s illness. Unfortunately, this is not possible for all diseases. In ulcerative colitis, for example, although it is possible to improve the symptoms, it is not possible to cure the disease completely.
Nevertheless, there are various medications for the gastrointestinal disease that can ensure that patients feel better in an acute flare. These include above all aminosalicylates, such as mesalazine and sulfasalazine.These drugs for gastrointestinal diseases ensure that the inflammation is inhibited and thus the disease cannot completely break out. There are also drugs that suppress the immune system and thus prevent an acute flare of ulcerative colitis from developing.
These include corticosteroids, azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine, Ciclospoprine A and Tacrolimus as well as the antibody Infliximab. A preventive therapy in which drugs against gastrointestinal disease are taken outside of the acute attack is only guaranteed by aminosalicylates. All other drugs are only intended for the acute attack.
In addition to ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease is also one of the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. Here too, drugs are administered to treat gastrointestinal disease, with anti-inflammatory agents also playing a major role. Budesonide or prednisolone, which consist of cortisone-like structures and are thus anti-inflammatory, are usually used.
In some cases, however, the effect of the drugs is not sufficient, which is why azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine must then be used as drugs against the gastrointestinal disease. Which drugs are used is different for each patient and should be discussed with the treating physician each time a relapse occurs. Medicines against gastrointestinal illnesses in pregnancy are often to be taken only with caution since with many medicines it is unclear whether they endanger the unborn child or not.
Nevertheless, many patients during pregnancy wish to take medication against gastrointestinal diseases as many patients suffer from nausea, belching (heartburn, reflux) and vomiting. Often it is sufficient here, instead of taking medication, to make sure that the patient eats more and more small meals instead of 3 times a day large meals. This can prevent the stomach from being stretched too much and can prevent recurrent burping and nausea.
If a patient suffers from severe nausea, which makes life difficult for her and causes her to lose her appetite, a combination of the active ingredients of the antihistamine doxylamine and vitamin B can be very helpful. This medicine for gastrointestinal disorders is completely harmless during pregnancy as it does not harm the unborn child. Also medicines with the active ingredients ondansetron and metoclopramide can be administered during pregnancy without increasing the risk of birth defects in the unborn child.
If a pregnant patient suffers from enormous heartburn (reflux) during pregnancy, she can take medication for gastrointestinal disorders despite pregnancy. These prevent too much excess acid being produced in the stomach, which in turn prevents the acid from migrating up the esophagus. Nevertheless, it is very important during pregnancy to ensure that the patient takes only as little medication as necessary, as every medication carries the risk of harming the unborn child.
In the case of serious gastrointestinal disorders, such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease, it may still be necessary to administer cortisone in an acute episode of the patient, even if this could possibly harm the child. However, it is better to administer the drug rather than risk premature birth or stillbirth due to the acute episode. In general, any medication for gastrointestinal disorders during pregnancy should be discussed in detail with your gynaecologist and family doctor as they know what may or may not harm your child.
