Metronidazole for gastritis: how to take and dosage

Information about the drug

Metronidazole is considered to be an antiprotozoal and a drug aimed at combating pathogenic microbes. It is classified as a 5-nitroimidazole derivative. The medication helps cope with Helicobacter pylori infection, as it eliminates various pathogenic variations, as well as protozoan microorganisms. The tablet destroys bacterial cells, causing their death.

If therapy is carried out in combination with a drug based on amoxicillin, the course will be aimed at eliminating the effect of Helicobacter pylori (suppressing the development of addiction to metronidazoles). Aerobic and facultative microorganisms are not sensitive to this medicine, but together with the combined flora it acts on the side of antibacterial agents that are more effective against ordinary aerobes. According to the instructions, Metronidazole causes disulfiram-like reactions and improves the recovery capabilities of damaged tissues.

The product is produced in tablets (250 mg), which are film-coated. This prohibits their division. Each package contains 20 tablets. It is necessary to purchase a whole pack at once and check that the instructions are included in order to know exactly how to take Metronidazole for gastritis. The patient can familiarize himself with this information, but he should be guided only by the doctor’s prescription and not deviate from the chosen dosage and frequency of administration.

Possible negative reactions

Metronidazole tablets penetrate through biological fluids such as breast milk, urine, and saliva. It can also reach maximum concentrations in brain tissue and the placenta. Because of this feature, the drug is not usually prescribed to pregnant or lactating women.

The use of Metronidazole tablets for the treatment of an expectant mother is strictly prohibited. Even doctors don't prescribe them. If taken during pregnancy, there may be a risk to the fetus.

Benefits of an antibiotic

The active substance metronidazole is the main component of the drug of the same name, used for the treatment of gastritis caused by the pathogenic Helicobacter pylori microorganism. In medical practice, it was the first to be used for this purpose, but to this day this medicine has not lost its popularity.

This antimicrobial and antiprotozoal drug is produced by the modern pharmacological industry in the form of solutions for infusions (droppers), mixtures and tablets for oral use, and suppositories.

Most often, for gastritis, Metronidazole is prescribed in tablet form. The tablets are white with a slight greenish-yellow tint and a transverse stripe.

In addition to the active substance, the drug contains potato starch, stearic acid and povidone. But due to the fact that this medicine has certain contraindications, when prescribing it, it is necessary to provide the gastroenterologist with the following information:

• recent renal dialysis;
• history of liver pathology;
• alcohol addiction;
• the presence of such a rare blood disease as porphyria;
• planning or carrying a pregnancy;
• breastfeeding a baby.

To authorize a drug, the doctor must know what medications the person is taking. This applies not only to those drugs prescribed by specialists, but also to over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements and homeopathic remedies.

Possible uses

It is recommended to take the medication in the following cases:

• acute and chronic trichomoniasis;
• giardiasis;
• amoebiasis;
• cutaneous leishmaniasis;
• ulcerative gingivitis;
• peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum.

It can also be used to treat acute and chronic gastritis. Sometimes the remedy is recommended for the development of symptoms of meningitis or brain abscess. Patients diagnosed with pneumonia of various origins, lung abscess, or when an infection appears in the peritoneal cavity (peritonitis, postoperative period) take the tablets.

Metronidazole has also proven its effectiveness in diseases of the pelvic organs, so the drug is used for pathologies of soft tissues and skin. You should not prescribe the medicine yourself, as it is a strong remedy with the possible development of adverse reactions.

Indications

It is important to take the drug "Metronidazole" as an adjuvant in the treatment of pathological conditions such as:

• inflammation of the inner lining of the heart;
• infectious damage to the abdominal organs and lungs caused by aerobic bacteria;
• infectious inflammation of all components of bone tissue;
• urethritis and vaginitis;
• giardiasis;
• chronic tonsillitis;
• peritonitis;
• abscesses of soft and bone tissue structures.

The drug copes with helicobacteriosis, which provokes stomach ulcers.
Metronidazole is often prescribed to prevent the development of complications after surgery. In addition, the medication is used to treat gastritis, and in combination with other medications, it is used to treat gastric ulcers caused by the active activity of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium.

The role of Metronidazole in the treatment of gastritis

Statistics from recent decades are disappointing: along with the trend of increasing average body mass index, there is a significant increase in cases of gastrointestinal tract pathologies, among which gastritis predominates - diseases associated with chronic/acute inflammation of the gastric mucosa.

It has been proven that in most cases the disease occurs against the background of increased activity of the bacterium H. pillory, therefore antibiotics, in particular Metronidazole, for gastritis are often included in the drug therapy regimen.

Drug therapy for gastritis with metronidazole

Among the most common reasons leading to the development of gastritis, experts name poor nutrition (passion for fast food, spicy and fatty foods), stress and other psycho-emotional disorders, and unfavorable environmental conditions.

The worst thing is that this disease, if it occurs in a chronic form, often goes unnoticed, and only as the symptoms intensify, when gastritis enters the later stages, does the fight against the disease begin. In this case, even long-term treatment and adherence to a strict diet do not guarantee a complete cure, so any gastrointestinal ailments should be taken very seriously.

Treatment of gastritis involves the use of complex therapy, and antibiotics play an important role in it - neutralization of Helicobacter promotes the rapid restoration of stomach functions, creating favorable conditions for stopping inflammatory processes, healing erosions and ulcers.

The most effective antibiotic regimen is the use of two drugs, with Metronidazole present in both cases.

Features of the use of Metronidazole in the treatment of gastritis

The main active ingredient of the antibiotic is Metronidazole. It was this drug that was the first to be used in the treatment of all forms of gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. And it has proven its effectiveness, remaining today the most popular means of antibacterial therapy.

Metronidazole belongs to a group of antiprotozoal/antimicrobial drugs used in the form of suppositories, infusion solutions, tablets and mixtures. Typically, for gastritis, this antibiotic is prescribed in the form of orally taken white tablets with a light light green tint.

In addition to metronidazole itself, the medication contains povidone (a local antiseptic), stearic acid and vegetable starch.

How to take Metronidazole for gastritis is decided only by a gastroenterologist: the drug is characterized by a fairly large list of contraindications, so when determining a treatment regimen, it is necessary to take into account a number of factors:

• whether the patient has undergone kidney dialysis in the foreseeable past;
• whether he abuses alcohol;
• whether the patient has a history of renal pathologies;
• porphyrin disease is also a direct contraindication to the use of metronidazole;
• The drug is also prescribed to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers with great caution.

Metronidazole is the main active substance in a number of analogues of the drug (Ornidazole, Tinidazole, Secnidazole, Trichopolum), the composition of which differs in auxiliary components. They are prescribed taking into account the possible presence of allergic reactions to any components of these antibiotics.

The principle of action of Metronidazole is to block the respiratory abilities of pathogenic bacteria, as well as to disrupt the mechanism of protein synthesis of Helicobacter. After taking the drug, they actively participate in metabolic processes, affecting H. pillory in the digestive tract, after which they enter the liver, where the active substance is metabolized. 20% of it is excreted in feces, 80% in urine.

For erosive gastritis, Metronidazole should be taken three times a day during or after meals. The maximum daily dose is 6 tablets. You can't chew them. They are swallowed whole and washed down with water (large quantities). The maximum duration of the therapeutic course is 7 days.

Helicobacter is an insidious bacterium, as it quickly loses sensitivity to antibiotics. Therefore, even a mild form of gastritis is difficult to treat. To cope with the disease, Metronidazole is used in conjunction with other drugs: Amoxicillin. This scheme is used only if the test for the presence of pathogenic microflora in the stomach is positive.

The dosage of the drug is calculated by the doctor. The standard treatment regimen for gastritis with Metronidazole involves taking the drug twice a day, 500 mg.

special instructions

Ulcerative gastritis is a serious pathology that is difficult to treat. Metronidazole is most often used for this purpose, but this medicine is an antibiotic, and therefore has special instructions for use:

• After taking the pill, you should not drive a car for the next few hours, as side effects such as dizziness, clouding of consciousness, and slow psychomotor functions are possible;
• If the functionality of the liver and kidneys is impaired, treatment of gastritis requires adjustment of the dosage of Metronidazole;
• If it is necessary to use the drug with indirect anticoagulants, you need to carefully review the contraindications and establish the rate of administration of the anticoagulant;
• When taking the medicine simultaneously with antacids, its absorption by the gastric mucosa slows down.

During treatment of gastritis with Metronidazole, it is necessary to constantly monitor the level of leukocytes in the blood. If there are any abnormalities in the composition of the blood, then the question of discontinuing the drug and using its analogue is raised.

It is prohibited to use Metronidazole on your own, since uncontrolled use of tablets and non-compliance with the regimen of use will lead to a deterioration in the patient’s well-being and further development of gastritis.

Contraindications and adverse reactions

Not everyone is allowed to use Metronidazole for the treatment of stomach diseases. The medicine should not be used by patients with hypersensitivity to its components, pregnant or nursing mothers. The drug is contraindicated in patients who have been diagnosed with severe pathologies of the central nervous system, as well as those who have been diagnosed with acute liver or kidney failure. In addition, a contraindication to the use of Metronidazole is a pathological condition, which is characterized by a reduced number of leukocytes in the blood.

Application for children

Doses and duration of use of the drug Metronidazole for children depend on the disease and its severity:

To prevent infectious complications, children aged 5 to 12 years are prescribed to take 125 mg every 8 hours for 2 days.

When anaerobic bacteria develop in the body, children over 12 years of age must take 2 tablets 3 times a day for at least 7 days. Children from 2 to 12 years old take 7.5 mg per 1 kg of baby’s weight, taken three times a day.

For trichomoniasis, children from 2 to 5 years old are prescribed to take 250 mg per day, children from 5 to 10 years old need to take 375 mg per day, over 10 years old no more than 50 mg per day. The total dosage is divided into two doses per day, the course of treatment should be 10 days.

To treat giardiasis, you need to take the drug 500 mg twice a day for 7 days.

Children suffering from ulcerative colitis are not recommended to take the medicine.

How to use?

Before using Metronidazole as part of a complex treatment of stomach diseases, it is important to consult a specialized physician who will prescribe a therapeutic course individually for each patient.

For adults and children over 16 years of age, the dosage is 1-2 tablets per day, which should be taken after a meal with a large volume of water. You are allowed to consume no more than 6 pieces per day. The duration of the treatment course is 7-10 days, depending on the severity of the inflammatory process occurring on the walls of the organ. You need to drink Metronidazole for stomach ulcers in combination with an antibiotic such as Amoxicillin in a dosage of 2 tablets. three times a day. The duration of treatment usually takes up to 14 days.

Side effects

Like any modern antibiotic, Metronidazole has a whole range of side effects. The active substance of the antibiotic is characterized by high penetrating ability, so it easily penetrates into any biological fluids, including saliva, breast milk, blood, and saliva. It also has the ability to accumulate in tissues (in particular, in the brain). The placental barrier, which protects the intrauterine fetus from external influences, is also not an obstacle to Metronidazole.

Therefore, it is not recommended to prescribe Metronidazole as antibacterial therapy for gastritis to pregnant/lactating women, as well as to patients with a history of serious pathologies of the liver, blood, kidneys, as well as to people suffering from serious ailments of the central nervous system. The antibiotic is not prescribed to children under three years of age.

Side effects from the digestive system

Side effects of metronidazole:

• digestive tract: the possibility of various manifestations of dyspepsia, including vomiting, loss of appetite;
• nervous system: frequent cases of headaches, sleep disorders, causeless mood swings, and depressive states;
• there may be a change in the color of urine (this is normal) and increased frequency of urination (in such cases, the drug should be discontinued);
• Side effects are especially common when antibiotics are not taken on time, including irritability, increased urination, insomnia, intestinal dysfunction with frequent diarrhea and constipation.

If such disorders occur, it is necessary to urgently consult with your doctor, who will adjust the antibacterial therapy regimen.

In addition, you may experience:

1. Insomnia due to headaches, increased irritability and depression.
2. Impaired urination, but at the same time a change in the color of urine after taking the medicine should not be alarming, since the reason for this is the regular withdrawal of the active substance.

Individual intolerance to the active substance can cause allergic reactions, which will manifest themselves as itching, swelling, and redness of the skin. If the above alarming symptoms appear during the treatment of gastritis with this antibiotic, then you should immediately report them to your doctor. As a rule, in such cases, he stops taking the medication and recommends another course of treatment.

Compatibility

It should be able to enhance the effect of indirect anticoagulants, and this is fraught with an increase in the time of prothrombin formation, therefore, with such a tandem, there is a need to adjust the dose of the anticoagulant. In addition, when using an antimicrobial drug simultaneously with Disulfiram, the risk of developing various neurological symptoms increases. Therefore, it is important to maintain an interval between doses of these medications, and it is better if it is more than 2 weeks.

The drug cannot be combined with alcoholic drinks.

There is an increase in the antimicrobial effect of Metronidazole when it interacts with sulfonamides. While undergoing treatment with the antibacterial drug in question, you should not drink alcohol, as this is dangerous due to the occurrence of abdominal pain, nausea, severe headaches and skin flushing.

Combination of Metronidazole with other drugs

The NO2 group of metronidazole is integrated into the respiratory chains of bacteria and protozoa, disrupting the processes of their intracellular metabolism, which causes the death of pathogenic microorganisms. The effectiveness of the drug is potentiated by its ability to inhibit the replication of DNA molecules and, as a result, the very process of reproduction and development of pathogens of a number of anaerobic obligate infections.

The medicine is indicated for gastritis associated primarily with Helicobacter pylori infection, the presence of which is determined by special laboratory tests.

In the treatment of gastritis, Metronidazole is prescribed only as an additional agent in combination eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection together with other drugs. In modern medicine, two main 7-day treatment regimens for gastritis are used: based on H+/K+-ATPase inhibitors and bismuth preparations.

1 - Proton pump blocker: Omeprazole or Lansoprazole (20 mg and 30 mg, respectively) twice a day + Clarithromycin, 250 mg 2 times a day with meals + Metronidazole, 500 mg 2 times a day with meals.

2 - De-nol at a dosage of 120 mg, drink 4 times a day before meals + antibiotic Tetracycline, 500 mg in 4 divided doses during the day (or Amoxicillin or Clarithromycin, 1000 mg and 500 mg, respectively, drink 2 times a day) + Metronidazole, 500 mg twice daily (with food).

Metronidazole and Amoxicillin in the treatment of gastritis

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic drug that belongs to the broad-spectrum semi-synthetic penicillins. The mechanism of its pharmacological action is based on disruption of the synthesis of the phospholipid cell wall of bacteria. Amoxicillin is indicated for gastritis associated with helicobacteriosis, therefore it is often prescribed in complex therapy together with Metronidazole, which mutually enhances their effect. In addition, with this scheme, the likelihood of antibiotic resistance (resistance) of pathogenic microorganisms to both drugs simultaneously is significantly reduced.

For gastritis, Amoxicillin is prescribed to be taken together with Metronidazole in a daily dosage of 1.5 - 2 g (based on 2 doses). If necessary, the doctor supervising the patient can make changes to the course of treatment depending on the patient’s condition, the effectiveness of therapy, etc.

Metronidazole and Amoxicillin for gastritis against the background of Helicobacter pylori infection are one of the most popular treatment regimens. But in order for their therapeutic effect to be most effective, one should take into account the severity of the disease, its duration, the presence of concomitant pathologies - all this can only be assessed by a specialist who, accordingly, will prescribe the correct treatment.

Indications for simultaneous use

The main indication for the combined use of these antibiotics is eradication therapy - the destruction of microbial colonies of H. pylori, which is the main cause of irritation and ulceration of the stomach walls.

A combination of drugs may be prescribed for the following indications:

• exacerbation of Helicobacter-associated gastrointestinal ulcer;
• atrophic gastritis;
• dyspepsia of non-ulcer origin;
• malignant neoplasia of lymphoid tissue associated with the gastric mucosa;
• resection for a malignant tumor of the stomach;
• gastric cancer in close relatives;
• gastroesophageal reflux disease, long-term use of NSAIDs (with caution).

If first-line drugs are ineffective or as an additional treatment, the amoxicillin + metronidazole complex can be prescribed for tuberculosis and at the initial stage of chlamydia, despite the lack of anti-chlamydial activity of the antiprotozoal drug.

The dosage of drugs and the duration of treatment are determined by the doctor.

Contraindications to Amoxicillin and Metronidazole

Contraindications to the use of drugs are:

• hypersensitivity to beta-lactams, nitroimidazole and its derivatives;
• diseases of the nervous system;
• age up to 18 years (for tuberculosis therapy);
• tumors and other dysfunctions of the hematopoietic system;
• monocytic tonsillitis;
• pregnancy;
• breast-feeding.

Drinking alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited during therapy.

How to take Amoxicillin and Metronidazole together

The standard regimen for taking drugs for H. pylori eradication involves taking 1 tablet of each drug three times a day. The daily dose of both antibiotics does not exceed 2000 mg. The average course duration is 12 days.

For tuberculosis, medications are taken for six months.

The penicillin antibiotic is taken before meals, and the antiprotozoal antibiotic is taken after.

Side effects

When taking Metronidazole and Amoxicillin together, the following side effects may occur:

• allergic reactions;
• diarrhea, heartburn, nausea;
• urinary disorders, bladder inflammation;
• hyperthermia;
• headache, fatigue, confusion, problems with concentration and coordination;
• decrease in blood cell concentration.

Efficiency of application

Due to the fact that the drugs enhance each other’s actions, we can confidently speak about their effectiveness. But in each specific case, the relevance of treatment with these particular drugs should be considered individually, taking into account all the features of the course of the disease.

In most cases, this complex is indispensable for those patients for whom other drugs are contraindicated or when these drugs do not provide the desired effect.

Metronidazole analogues

It may be useful for you to know the names of other medicines produced on a similar basis:

• trichopolum;
• ornidazole;
• secnidazole;
• Tinidazole

Their auxiliary components differ, which is important when prescribing medicine to patients with a tendency to one or another allergic reaction.

Sources: gastrolekar.ru/gastrit/metronidazol.html https://peptic.ru/gastrit/lekarstva-i-narodnye-sredstva/metronidazol-pri-gastrite.html https://antibi0tik.ru/bolezni/kak-prinimat- metronidazol-pri-gastrite.html triparazita.ru/metronidazol/metronidazol-pri-gastrite/ https://pobedigastrit.ru/lekarstva/ispolzovanie-metronidazola-pri-gastrite.html https://parazit24.me/lechenie/preparaty/ metronidazol-pri-gastrite-kak-pit.html https://vnorg.ru/zheludok/gastrit/008-metronidazol-pri-gastrite.html https://gigiena-center.ru/amoksicillin-i-metronidazol-pri- gast.html https://dieta.gastrit-i-yazva.ru/gastrit/skolko-prinimat-metronidazol-pri-gastrite/ gastrit-yazva.ru/lechenie/metronidazol-pri-gastrite This material is exclusively subjective and not is a guide to action. Only a qualified specialist can determine an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Last modified: 03/19/2020