These days there are plenty of medications indicated to treat different gastrointestinal problems such as ulcer, nausea, diarrhea, and others. There are several types of such medicines and each is used to treat particular gastrointestinal disorder.
Anticholinergic drugs
Anticholinergic medications such as Dicyclomine work by reducing the action of the bowel and decreasing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. These medications also have antispasmodic effect due to their ability to reduce the action of the bowel by making the muscles relaxed and thus relieving spasms.
Antidiarrheal drugs
Diarrhea is a stomach disorderthat can be provoked by many conditions such as ulcerative colitis, influenza or other types of infection, or it can be as a side reaction of a medicine. Narcotic drugs and anticholinergic medicines reduce the action of the bowel and help to manage diarrhea. To this type of medications belongs such antidiarrheal agent as diphenoxylate and atropine combination.
Antiemetic drugs
Antiemetic drugs are indicated to eliminate the vomiting. Among these medicines one of the most effective is prochlorperazine which is the phenothiazine derivative. This drug helps to manage the vomiting by influencing the vomiting center in the brain. This medication begins to show its effect within a few minutes to one hour.
Dolasetron, granisetron, and ondansetron are the medications that are also used to treat nausea and vomiting. Antihistamine agents are also used to prevent nausea and vomiting, especially if these conditions are provoked by travel sickness. The same as with Antiemetic drugs, Antihistamine agents also influence the vomiting center.
Antiulcer drugs
Antiulcer drugs are indicated to smooth the symptoms and treat peptic ulcers and treat acid-reflux disease. Histamine (H-2) blockers such as cimetidine, nizatidine, famotidine, and ranitidine prevent histamine from affecting the secretion of stomach acid.
To the group of antiulcer medicines belong also the protons pump inhibitors also known as PPIs. These drugs lower the secretion of the acid produced by stomach. These agents aid the healing and provide long-lasting relief from ulcer and burning sensation. Among these drugs that are widely used to treat different stomach disorders are omeprazole, pantoprazole, and lansoprazole. Such antiulcer medication as sucralfate acts by protecting the ulcer from stomach acid.