Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Sucralfate

Sucralfate is a prescription medication used to treat peptic ulcers. It is marketed under the brand name Carafate. It can be taken orally, in tablet or suspension form. Sucralfate was approved by the FDA in 1981. more...

Home
Diseases
Medicines
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
Growth hormone
Salbutamol
Salmeterol
Sandimmune
Sandostatin
Sansert
Saquinavir
Sarafem
Satric
Scopolamine
Seasonale
Secobarbital
Secretin
Selegiline
Semprex-D
Sensipar
Sensorcaine
Serax
Serevent
Serine
Seroquel
Serostim
Serrapeptase
Sertindole
Sertraline
Serzone
Sevelamer
Sevoflurane
Sibutramine
Sildenafil
Silibinin
Simvastatin
Sinemet
Sinequan
Singulair
Sirolimus
Skelaxin
Sodium cyclamate
Solage
Soma
Somatostatin
Sotahexal
Sotalol
Sotret
Spiperone
Spiriva
Spironolactone
Sporahexal
Sporanox
SPS
SSD
Stanozolol
Stavudine
Stelazine
Stilbestrol
Stilbetin
Stimate
Stiripentol
Strattera
Streptokinase
Streptomycin
Suboxone
Subutex
Sucralfate
Sucralfate
Sufentanil
Sulbactam
Sulfamethoxazole
Sulfanilamide
Sulfasalazine
Sulforidazine
Sulla
Sulpiride
Sultamicillin
Sumatriptan
Suprefact
Suramin sodium
Sustaire
Sustiva
Suxamethonium chloride
Symmetrel
Synarel
Synercid
Synthroid
Syntocinon
Zaleplon
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Chemical makeup

Chemically, it is a complex of the disaccharide sugar, sucrose, combined with sulfate and aluminum. Its chemical formula is C12H14O11(SO3Al(OH)2)8·(Al(OH)3)x·(H2O)y, where x is 8 to 10 and y is 22 to 31. In acidic solutions (e.g. gastric acid) it forms a thick paste that has a strong negative charge.

Usage mechanism

It is minimally absorbed into the body, and its actions are entirely on the lining of the stomach and duodenum. Although its mechanism is not entirely understood, the following actions are thought to be important for its beneficial effects:

  1. sucralfate, with its strong negative charge, binds to exposed positively-charged proteins at the base of ulcers. In this way, it coats the ulcer and forms a physical barrier that protects the ulcer surface from further injury by acid and pepsin;
  2. sucralfate directly inhibits pepsin (an enzyme that breaks apart proteins) in the presence of stomach acid;
  3. sucralfate binds bile salts coming from the liver via the bile thus protecting the stomach lining from injury caused by the bile acids;
  4. sucralfate may increase prostaglandin production, and prostaglandins are known to protect the lining of the stomach.
  5. sucralfate may also bind epithelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor, both of which enhance the growth and repair mechanism of the stomach lining

Clinical Uses

The current clinical uses of sucralfate are limited. It is effective for the healing of duodenal ulcers, but it is not frequently used for this since more effective drugs (e.g. proton pump inhibitors) have been developed. It is effective at preventing stress-related gastritis in critically ill patients and is sometimes used to treat patients who are experiencing NSAID-related dyspepsia.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Try antacids, sucralfate first for gastroesophageal reflux disease - Few Gerd Drugs Tested in Pregnancy
From OB/GYN News, 3/1/02 by Doug Brunk

LAS VEGAS -- If drug therapy is required in pregnant patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, first-line treatment should consist of non-systemically absorbed medications like antacids and sucralfate, Dr. Joel Richter said at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Hardly any of the drugs used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been tested in pregnancy, said Dr. Richter, chairman and professor of gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Systemic therapy with [H.sub.2] antagonists or prokinetic drugs like metoclopramide or cisapride should be reserved for patients with severe symptoms. "Metoclopramide does cross the placenta and is excreted in breast milk," he noted. "But there are no teratogenetic effects in animals or in humans. It may be a drug you want to use in the pregnant patient [who presents] with nausea and vomiting."

Ranitidine is one of the few drugs that has been documented to be effective in pregnancy, especially at dosages of 150 mg b.i.d. (Obstet. Gynecol. 90[1]:83-87, 1997). He cautioned against using the [H.sub.2] antagonist nizatidine, though. "With the little data we have on it, there does appear to be an increased rate of spontaneous abortions, congenital malformations, low fetal weight, and fewer live births, so I would recommend not using that [H.sub.2] blocker."

Dr. Richter considers using proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in pregnant patients only after endoscopy and subsequent to failure to respond to [H.sub.2] antagonists and prokinetic drugs. "It's good to avoid drug therapy if you possibly can, but you always must have an honest discussion with the mother about the risk-versus-benefit ratio," he said. "I think treatment should depend on symptom severity and should involve a stepwise increment in the drug you use."

Animal studies show that omeprazole, but not lansoprazole, caused fetal toxicity at doses 17-172 times the doses typical used by humans. Yet isolated reports suggest that omeprazole is safe to use during all three trimesters of pregnancy.

COPYRIGHT 2002 International Medical News Group
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

Return to Sucralfate
Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay