I've just been diagnosed with ulcers. I am on metronidazole and Biaxin. My doctor also told me I should go on a bland diet. What exactly is a bland diet? So far, I've been eating mainly Cream of Wheat.

S.B.

Peptic ulcers, those caused by stomach acid, stem from two main causes. One is Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a type of bacterium that infects the stomach. The other is the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.

When an ulcer develops in the stomach or upper intestine (duodenum), the most common symptom is upper abdominal pain. This may cause the patient to seek medical help. The doctor will often order an upper endoscopy to examine the patient's stomach and duodenum for ulcers. In the same exam, tissue samples will be taken to look for the presence of H. pylori. This is important to do because treatment of an ulcer with antiacid therapy will lead to a cure in almost all cases, but if H. pylori is present, the recurrence rate is high unless the infection is treated with antibiotics. Similarly, the recurrence of NSAID-induced ulcers is also high if a patient continues to take the offending drugs. In your case, it appears that you were found to have H. pylori because you are taking antibiotics usually given for this infection.

As far as diet is concerned, while a bland diet may reduce abdominal symptoms in some patients, there is no evidence that any specific type of diet helps to heal ulcers more quickly. There are also no data to support use of any particular diet to prevent ulcer formation.