Medicines to Treat Dyspepsia

Definition

The term "dyspepsia" originates from the Greek and literally means "difficult digestion". With this term, in fact, s "indicates that condition - or that" set of conditions - which the patient describes as a whole as "indigestion".
This disorder is quite widespread in Western countries and is closely related to the eating habits of these populations.

Causes

The causes that provoke dyspepsia can be different. Among these, we remember a bad diet, obesity, the presence of infections caused by Helicobacter pylori, some types of gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastritis, gastric ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease, the use of certain types of medicines (such as, for example, NSAIDs, theophylline, iron, etc.) and " abuse of smoking and / or alcoholic substances.

Symptoms

Symptoms triggered by dyspepsia usually affect the upper abdomen and consist of belching, heartburn, bad breath, acid regurgitation, pain in the upper abdomen and a feeling of long and difficult digestion.
Furthermore, in some cases, patients suffering from dyspepsia may also experience difficulty swallowing, vomiting, cough and headache.

The information on Dyspepsia - Drugs to Treat Poor Digestion is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Dyspepsia - Medicines to Treat Poor Digestion.

Medicines

Since dyspepsia can be caused by several factors, it is clear from the outset that first-line treatment must be aimed at treating the primary cause of indigestion.
For example, if the dyspepsia originates from an "infection caused by Helicobacter pylori, it is necessary to institute an "adequate antibiotic therapy to counteract the infectious agent" (for more detailed information, see the article "Triple therapy for the" eradication of Helicobacter pylori ").
Similarly, if the dyspepsia is caused by a bad diet, or by the abuse of alcohol and / or smoking, it is necessary to intervene directly on the diet and lifestyle of the patients.
However, some medications can be used to relieve symptoms caused by indigestion, so symptomatic treatment can be undertaken. The most used drugs are mainly antacids, prokinetics, proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists. The latter two classes of drugs, however, are mostly used when dyspepsia is caused by gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease and gastric ulcer.

The following are the classes of drugs most used in the therapy against dyspepsia and some examples of pharmacological specialties; it is up to the doctor to choose the active ingredient and dosage most suitable for the patient, based on the severity of the disease, the state of health of the patient and his response to treatment.

Antacids

Antacids are drugs used in the symptomatic treatment of heartburn that can be caused by dyspepsia. Their effect is quick and temporary.
Among the various antacids that can be used, we remember:

Magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide (Maalox ®): these two compounds are used in combination against stomach acid. They are available in different pharmaceutical formulations suitable for oral administration. When administered in the form of chewable tablets, the dose usually used in adults and adolescents over 18 years of age is 1-2 tablets (containing 400 mg of each hydroxide), to be taken up to four times a day, after meals and at bedtime.

Prokinetics

Prokinetics are drugs that help and stimulate intestinal motility. In addition, they can also be used to counteract vomiting. Among the most used active ingredients, we find:

Domperidone (Peridon ®, Motilium ®): domperidone is available in pharmaceutical formulations suitable for oral (tablets and oral solutions) and rectal (suppositories) administration.
The dose of domperidone usually administered orally in adults and adolescents over 12 years of age is 10 mg, to be taken up to a maximum of three times a day. In any case, it is always good to ask your doctor for advice and follow the instructions given by him.
Metoclopramide (Plasil ®): Metoclopramide is a drug available for oral and parenteral administration.
Generally, the dose used orally in adult patients is 10 mg of the drug, to be taken a maximum of three times a day. Anyway, even in this case, when using the drug, it is necessary to follow the instructions given by the doctor.

Proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists

Proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists are drugs that work by reducing the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
However, as mentioned, these medicines are used when dyspepsia is caused by particular gastrointestinal affections.
In fact, these classes of drugs have specific therapeutic indications for the treatment of diseases such as gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux diseases and gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Therefore, the aforementioned drugs are not used to treat dyspepsia itself, but to treat the possible underlying cause of its onset.
For more detailed information regarding the treatment of these disorders, please refer to the dedicated articles already present on this site ("Drugs to Treat Gastritis", "Drugs to Treat Gastroesophageal Reflux", "Drugs to Treat" Ulcer ").