Peptic Ulcers

Indications – Peptic Ulcers

Peptic ulcers form in stomach and include gastric, esophageal or duodenal ulcers according to their location – gastric can be found on the inside of the stomach, while esophageal occur inside the hollow tube called esophagus and duodenal form on the inside of the upper part of small intestine.

Causes and Symptoms

The primary causes can be different – bacterial infection (Helicobacter pylori), the overproduction of some hormones, or the use of pharmaceuticals (non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids). Diet, tobacco smoking or excessive alcohol drinking were supposed to be primary causes as well, but recent research proved that they are more like only contributing factors to one of the primary causes.

Main symptoms include burning and gnawing pain in stomach, nausea or vomiting, bloating and weight loss.

Conventional Treatments and What Cannabis Can Do

Ulcer treatment includes medications reducing acid levels in stomach (lansoprazole, sodium boicarbonate etc.), antibiotics (in case of bacterial infection), upper endoscopy and surgery if no other treatments help. As regards cannabis, there are still no clinical data available, however, it has been shown that some cannabinoids inhibit gastric acid production in humans and prevent the formation of ulcers in laboratory animals.