H2 blockers, also known as H2 receptor antagonists, are medications used to treat a variety of gastrointestinal conditions. They decrease the amount of acid produced by the stomach.
H2 blockers are available both over the counter and with a prescription. Prescription H2 blockers are used for the following conditions:
- Duodenal ulcers
- Gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers)
-
- Erosive esophagitis
- Pathological hypersecretory conditions (which occur when too much stomach acid is produced), such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome or systemic mastocytosis.
Not all H2 blockers are approved for all of the conditions listed above. Over-the-counter H2 blockers are approved to treat less-serious conditions, including:
H
2 blockers work by blocking a specific kind of histamine receptor.
Histamine is a chemical released by that body that has several effects. In the stomach, histamine causes more acid to be produced. By blocking histamine in the stomach, H
2 blockers reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach. This is why H
2 blockers are known as "acid reducers."
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