Digestive Health
Digestive medicines are chosen according to the cause of symptoms, not the symptom alone. Persistent reflux, nausea, abdominal pain or bowel changes may need assessment before treatment.
Azulfidine
500mg
Sulfasalazine 500mg tablets, used in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. A sulfonamide DMARD.
Ranitidine Tablets
150 · 300mg
Ranitidine 150mg and 300mg tablets, used for peptic ulcer disease and reflux disease. An H2-receptor antagonist that cuts stomach acid.
Key points
- Acid reducers, anti-nausea medicines and anti-inflammatory bowel medicines address different problems and are not interchangeable.
- Persistent or recurring symptoms need review because infection, inflammation, bleeding and medicine effects can look similar.
- Vomiting blood, black stools, severe abdominal pain or inability to keep fluids down require urgent care.
The listings are for comparison; suitability and supply depend on clinician and pharmacy checks, stock, destination rules and any prescription requirements.
How the medicine groups differ
- Acid-reducing medicines: lansoprazole and rabeprazole reduce stomach acid but do not identify or remove every cause of reflux or ulcer symptoms.
- Anti-nausea medicines: metoclopramide and domperidone have different movement, heart-rhythm and interaction considerations.
- Bowel and bile medicines: mesalazine is used for specific inflammatory bowel conditions, while ursodeoxycholic acid is used for selected bile-related conditions.
What these medicines are used for
Linked conditions include gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, ulcerative colitis and nausea. These are separate problems that happen to share the digestive tract. Acid suppression helps the first two, inflammatory bowel disease needs medicines aimed at the immune response, and nausea is a symptom with many causes rather than a diagnosis.
Important safety checks
Pregnancy, heart-rhythm problems, kidney or liver disease and other medicines can change suitability. Long-term acid suppression and repeated use of anti-nausea medicine should be reviewed rather than continued without reassessment.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent help for vomiting blood, black or bloody stools, severe or worsening abdominal pain, a rigid or swollen abdomen, fainting, severe dehydration or difficulty swallowing with food getting stuck.