Is bismuth a safe medicine for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease?

sea-maid submitted, created time 1 week 1 day (www.eurekalert.org)

Bismuth compounds have been used for centuries in medicine. The discovery of H. pylori in 1983 led to renewed interest in bismuth compounds, because these were found to successfully treat the infection in combination with antibiotics. However, in the 1970s bismuth salts, used at high doses for prolonged periods, were found to lead to neurotoxicity. However, there has been no summary of evidence for the toxicity of bismuth when used for short periods as part of H. pylori eradication therapy and some researchers think it might have applications in treating ulcers.

Submit comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: neurotoxins neurotoxicity drug safety bismuth stomach ulcers peptic ulcers ulcers

Researchers discover gene that helps control the production of stomach acid

sea-maid submitted, created time 2 months 3 days (www.eurekalert.org)

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a gene that helps control the secretion of acid in the stomach—information that could one day aid scientists in creating more efficient treatment options for conditions such as acid reflux or peptic ulcers

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: genetics peptic ulcers ulcers acid reflux digestion stomach gene stomach acid