Treatment Options

Helping Yourself

Successful treatment of ulcers relies on your compliance to the lifestyle changes and medications recommended by your doctor. Therapies to treat PUD can prevent serious complications and the need for surgery. You can help yourself by taking the following steps:

• Avoid foods that seem to bring on your symptoms. For many people, spicy foods make ulcer pain worse.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which may worsen ulcer pain.
• Avoid or limit dairy products while your ulcer is flaring up. Milk and milk products seem to delay healing of ulcers.
• Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or other NSAIDs. Try acetaminophen instead, if needed for pain or fever.
• Over-the-counter antacids such as Tums, Maalox or Mylanta may be used to relieve symptoms of ulcer pain and indigestion. Antacids need to be used around-the-clock for them to help promote ulcer healing. Therefore they are generally used as needed to help treat symptoms.
• Over-the-counter acid-reducers such as famotidine (Pepcid AC) and ranitidine (Zantac 75), or acid-blockers such as Prilosec OTC are effective treatments for acid suppression in treating PUD.
• Discuss prescription treatment options with your physician. Many over-the-counter treatments are not indicated for long-term use without the supervision of a doctor.

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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.