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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment for H. pylori infection typically involves a combination of medications to eradicate H. pylori from your body.
Medications to eliminate H. pylori from your body
Antibiotic medications are used to treat H. pylori infection. Doctors typically prescribe a combination of medications, with the hope that this strategy will help keep H. pylori from developing a resistance to one particular medication. You'll likely take two antibiotic medications for 14 days.
Medications to reduce acid in your stomach
Medications that reduce acid in your stomach may help enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics. Acid-reducing medications may also help alleviate symptoms and promote healing. These medications include:
- Proton pump inhibitors. These prescription medications suppress acids by shutting down "pumps" in acid-producing cells. Examples include omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex) and esomeprazole (Nexium).
- Histamine (H-2) blockers. These medications reduce the amount of acid released into your digestive tract. H-2 blockers include ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet) and nizatidine (Axid).
Testing for H. pylori after treatment
Your doctor may recommend that you undergo testing for H. pylori several weeks after your treatment. A follow-up breath or stool test may confirm that the H. pylori bacterium is no longer present in your body and treatment was successful.
Or follow-up testing may show that treatment was unsuccessful. In that case, you may undergo treatment again, receiving a different combination of antibiotic medications.
- Graham DY, et al. Helicobacter pylori. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/134273666-3/0/1389/0.html. Accessed April 28, 2009.
- Fuccio L, et al. Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. BMJ. 2008;337:746.
- H. pylori and peptic ulcer. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hpylori/index.htm. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- Talley NJ, et al. Gastric cancer consensus conference recommends Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment in asymptomatic persons from high-risk populations to prevent gastric cancer. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2008;103:510.
