There are no medications prescribed for GI bleeding. Most times, your doctor will prescribe intravenous fluids or a blood transfusion to deal with immediate problems. In fact, the overuse of some medications like NSAID pain relievers are believed to sometimes cause GI bleeding. If your GI bleeding is being cause by an underlying condition, the medication will vary depending on the nature of the condition. The treatment is to correct the underlying cause while treating the complications arising from blood loss.
GI Bleeding
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is the medical term used when part of your digestive tract bleeds internally. Symptoms vary, depending on whether the bleeding is in the upper or lower GI tract. There may be blood in the stool or vomiting, or you may feel dizzy and fatigued. To properly diagnose GI bleeding and any underlying conditions, doctors may perform an endoscopy. Learn more about causes and treatment for GI bleeding with expert advice from Sharecare.
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Southern Hills Hospital answeredSee All 2 AnswersGI bleeding is first treated by stabilizing and possibly transfusing the patient.
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The main risk factor for GI bleeding is older age—but remember, GI bleeding is usually a sign of another condition, and having that condition is what raises your risk. Common problems like hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). gastritis (possibly caused by overuse of alcohol and/or NSAID pain relievers), anal fissures, colitis, and diverticular disease are all associated with gastrointestinal bleeding. Other conditions that made lead to it are ulcerative colitis, benign tumors, polyps, or cancer in the digestive tract, esophageal varices, or angiodysplasia (abnormal blood vessels in the digestive tract). Colorectal cancer and hemorrhoids are the most common causes of GI bleeding in older people. You can't always tell the origin of the bleeding from its symptoms; rectal bleeding, for example, may come from the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. It is a good idea to consult a doctor for evaluation, as some causes of GI bleeding can be quite serious.
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GI bleeding is curable only in as much as the underlying condition that causes GI bleeding is curable. Certain conditions that cause GI bleeding can be cured while others cannot. Limiting your usage of alcohol, steroids, and pain relievers may help you to avoid GI bleeding.
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GI bleeding is a symptom of a disease, not a disease itself; some of these diseases are preventable, and others are not. Also, limiting your usage of alcohol, steroids, and NSAID pain relievers may help you to avoid GI bleeding. You can also take steps to avoid preventable liver diseases (cirrhosis, hepatitis) or hemorrhoids, which may cause GI bleeding.
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Alcohol in large amounts over a period of time can lead to alcoholic gastritis, which can irritate the GI tract and result in GI bleeding or ulcers. This risk is increased among alcohol users who also use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen. There is a particular danger for heavy alcohol users who take amounts of these drugs over the recommended dosage. This can cause serious damage and bleeding in the GI tract. Acetaminophen is not an NSAID, but can be dangerous instead to the liver, especially when combined with alcohol. Alcohol users should consult a doctor about recommended dosage for pain relievers and interactions with alcohol.
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GI bleeding is caused by a variety of underlying conditions that vary depending on where the bleeding is coming from. Some of these underlying conditions in the upper GI tract are ulcers, liver disease, gastritis, and varices. In the lower GI tract causes of bleeding include inflammatory bowel disease, arteriovenous malformations (abnormal connections between arteries and veins), a tumor, colon cancer, ulcers, polyps, colitis, diverticula, and hemorrhoids.
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Parkland Medical Center answeredSee All 2 AnswersThe GI tract is the path that your food follows from your mouth, to your esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum. GI bleeding occurs when one stop on that digestive pathway is bleeding internally. You can either have lower GI bleeding or upper GI bleeding. Both forms can be extremely dangerous.
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Parkland Medical Center answered
There are no alternative treatments for GI bleeding. GI bleeding must be treated swiftly and promptly with the best and proven treatments. There may be some alternative treatments for the condition causing GI bleeding but that will also vary depending on the condition. For example, it was once thought that ulcers could be cured by changes to your diet. The current thought is that ulcers cannot be cured by diet changes alone, only prevented and managed by avoiding aggravating habits like smoking, taking NSAIDs, and eating acidic foods.
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Parkland Medical Center answered
GI bleeding is a frightening condition for the person who suffers from it. However, it can also signify a worse underlying condition. The way those underlying conditions affect the body vary depending on which condition it is. Most GI bleeding results from ulcers. Ulcers can affect your body when they burst and eat away at the lining around it, or when they cause swelling and scarring that blocks passageways.