[Medical Q&A] Is there any relationship between gastric ulcer and medication?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Zhao Jie, Chief Pharmacist Professor of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University

The occurrence of gastric ulcer is related to the use of certain drugs.

Everyone knows that there is a large amount of gastric acid in the stomach, which is highly corrosive, but under normal circumstances, the stomach is safe and sound. This is because there is a thick layer of mucus in the stomach, and the gastric mucosa also secretes a lot of substances to protect the stomach wall. The use of certain drugs (such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticoagulants, etc.) may cause excessive gastric acid production, which initially damages the gastric mucosa. Further development may lead to the formation of open sores in the muscular layer under the gastric mucosa, i.e. ulcers. If the damage continues to worsen, this "wound" will continue to deepen, leading to perforation or heavy bleeding in the digestive tract, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. Among the drugs that cause gastric ulcers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs account for a large proportion. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, celecoxib and other drugs used when symptoms such as fever, toothache, joint pain, dysmenorrhea, gout, etc., as well as aspirin often used by patients with coronary heart disease, are all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which may cause gastric mucosal damage. It should be noted that when stomach pain occurs (which may be caused by gastric ulcer), you must not buy analgesics at will. If you use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain on your own, it will only make the situation worse. Not only will it cover up the original symptoms, it may also aggravate the condition. At this time, you should seek medical attention in time, find out the cause, and then receive standardized treatment.