Q: After endoscopy I was diagnosed with having between 50 and 60 slightly inflamed gastric polyps. The doctor said there was no treatment for my condition.
I believe the Prevacid I have been taking for over 10 years may have caused my condition. I have tried aloe juice and digestive enzymes for my condition. Do you have other information for me?
A: Gastric polyps a/k/a stomach polyps are masses of cells that form on the stomach lining. Their presence is rare. They don’t ordinarily cause any signs or symptoms which may be why your physician feels no treatment is necessary and why it took so long for your physician to suggest undergoing endoscopy. They are often only discovered if a physician is checking for another condition. Symptoms may include internal bleeding, pain, tenderness, and anemia.
The most common forms of gastric polyps are hyperplastic, adenomas and fundic. Hyperplastic polyps are often found in individuals who have gastritis (stomach inflammation). Adenomas are the least common form of gastric polyp but are most likely to ultimately advance to stomach cancer. They are associated with inflammation and familial adenomatous polyposis. Lastly, fundic gland polyps have been discovered in individuals who frequently take specific medications that are purported to reduce stomach acid (proton pump inhibitors). These polyps aren’t of concern unless they are larger than one centimeter (2/5 of an inch). While the risk of cancer in these polyps is minimal, some physicians advise eliminating proton pump inhibitors, removing the polyp(s) surgically, or both.
Factors that may increase a person’s risk for developing gastric polyps include being 50 years of age or older, being diagnosed with H. pylori bacteria, being diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis, and through the long-standing use of specific medications prescribed for such disorders as gastroesophageal reflux disease which has been linked to fundic gland polyps.
Treatment will depend on the type of gastric polyps discovered. For example, small fundic polyps rarely become cancerous and a physician may take a wait-and-see approach. On the other hand, large polyps, hyperplastic polyps or adenomas need to be removed. Many procedures are often accomplished during endoscopy. Familial adenomatous polyps are likely to be removed because they are at a higher risk for becoming cancerous.
Proton pump inhibitor use has been associated with fundic gland polyps. Therefore, the use of medications in this category should not be taken without the advice of a person’s family physician. In fact, medical conditions that include liver disease, having low levels of magnesium, metabolic disorders, stomach pain and much more are clearly outlined as disorders in which Prevacid and other proton pump inhibitors should not be taken. Further, taking a proton pump inhibitor long term and at high doses may increase a person’s risk of bone fracture(s) of the spine, wrist or hip in individuals 50 years of age or older. It remains unclear if Prevacid is the precise cause for the increased risk of fractures. Further testing is necessary before this can be determined.
