Can antacids or milk help peptic ulcers heal?
Neither antacids—such as Tums—nor milk can heal peptic ulcers, although each may make you feel better briefly. Check with your doctor before taking antacids or drinking milk while your ulcers are healing. Some of the antibiotics used for H. pylori infection may not work as well if you take antacids. And while antacids may make ulcer pain go away for a while, they won’t kill the H. pylori germ. Only antibiotics can do that. Many people used to think that drinking milk helped peptic ulcers heal. But doctors know now that while milk may make ulcers feel better briefly, it also increases stomach acid. Too much stomach acid makes ulcers worse. Check with your doctor before taking antacids while your ulcers are healing.
