Therapy chronic gastritis

As a general therapy for inflammation of the stomach lining, care should be taken to avoid substances that irritate the stomach, such as coffee, alcohol, nicotine and spicy foods. Type A – gastritis: In autoimmune gastritis, the cause of the inflammation is not treated, but only the symptoms and complications. It is necessary to artificially replace the missing vitamin B-12 by an intramuscularly administered syringe (injection).

Because of the increased risk of stomach cancer and carcinoids, an endoscopic checkup must be performed annually to detect and treat cancer (stomach cancer) at an early stage. Type B gastritis: The bacterium Helicobacter pylori must be treated with antibiotic therapy (eradication therapy). Several antibiotics are used at the same time (triple therapy) in order to fight the bacterium effectively and to prevent the formation of resistant strains.

Two antibiotics such as amoxicillin and clatrithromycin (alternatively metronidazole) and a proton pump inhibitor (e.g. omeprazole) are administered over 7-10 days to reduce the formation of gastric acid. The success of the therapy can be monitored about four weeks after the therapy by means of the 13C-urea breath test or an endoscopic examination with tissue removal (biopsy). Type C gastritis: In this form of gastritis, the chemical substance that causes the inflammation, often drugs such as NSAIDs, must be discontinued.

If this is not possible, a gastric protection preparation (proton pump inhibitor) must be used to intercept the damaging effect of such drugs. This is often done when NSAIDs (e.g. Voltaren) and similar substances are prescribed for the first time in order to prevent gastritis from developing in the first place if they are taken for a long time. In the case of alcohol and nicotine consumption, these harmful substances (noxious substances) must of course be avoided.

In the case of an existing bile acid reflux, relief can be achieved by administering certain medications, the so-called prokinetics such as metoclopramide (Paspertin). Prokinetics speed up the passage through the stomach, i.e. lead to harmful substances being transported away from the stomach more quickly. The drug cholestyramine binds bile acids and thus improves bile reflux.

<– Back to the main topic of gastritisWhich medicines can be taken for chronic gastritis depends entirely on the type of inflammation and the underlying cause. If it is a chronic type A gastritis, i.e. an autoimmune disease, a lifelong supply of vitamin B12 is necessary, as the cells of the stomach lining can no longer produce it. In type B gastritis, which is often based on bacterial colonisation with Helicobacter pylori, it is necessary to combat this with medication, often in the form of a triple combination of an acid blocker (e.g. omeprazole/pantoprazole) and two different antibiotics (amoxicillin/clarithromycin or clarithromycin/metronidazole).

Chronic type C gastritis benefits solely from the elimination of the harmful noxious agents, such as the discontinuation of medication, reduction of stress, etc. In chronic gastritis, care should be taken to reduce or even avoid irritating foods such as coffee, tea, cola, acidic juices and spices. In the same way, smoking, consumption of alcohol and excessive consumption of meat products should be stopped.

The reduction of stress through e.g. relaxation therapies can also be useful. Under certain circumstances, even fasting limited to a few days can be beneficial for healing, or at least a light, low-fat and low-carbohydrate meal. Camomile and fennel teas can have a calming effect on the stomach and alleviate the symptoms. Ginger tea can also have anti-inflammatory effects. Other foods with anti-inflammatory effects are cabbage juice and products containing mucus, such as porridge, raw potatoes or mallow leaves/flowers.