Peptic Ulcers
Patient information leaflets
NHS Borders
Endoscopy Unit
Borders General Hospital
telephone: 01896 826440
Working Hours
Monday - Friday 08:00 to 18:00
For information in another format please call the unit.
"Information given on this site is not meant to take the place of a talk with your doctor or health worker."
Peptic Ulcers
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Peptic ulcers, also known as gastric ulcers, are ulcers that develop on the lining of the stomach.
Symptoms:
The pain caused by a stomach ulcer can travel out from the middle of your tummy up to your neck, down to your belly button, or through to your back. It can last from a few minutes to a few hours and often starts within a few hours of eating.
You may also wake up in pain during the night. Taking antacids (indigestion medication) may relieve the pain temporarily, but it will keep coming back if the ulcer is not treated.
Less common symptoms:
- Indigestion
- Heartburn
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling and being sick
- Weight loss
- Belching / Bloating
Causes:
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- increased acid production
- lifestyle factors
Occasionally, stomach ulcers can be cancerous, but this is rare.
Therefore, with any stomach ulcer, biopsies are usually taken during your gastroscopy to exclude a cancer.
Treatment/management:
- Acid-suppressing medication
- Helicobacter eradication treatment
Lifestyle Changes:
- reduce alcohol intake
- stopping smoking
- stopping NSAIDS
What happens after the treatment?
Sometimes a repeat endoscopy is advised 6-8 weeks after your gastroscopy, to check that the ulcer has healed.
If you were given a prescription for a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) at the time of your endoscopy, you should see your GP before this runs out to get a further prescription so that a full 6-8 week course has been taken.
You must make sure you carry on taking your Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) until you have had your repeat endoscopy.
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