Achlorhydria is a condition referring to an inability to produce hydrochloric acid in thegastric juicesof the stomach.

Hydrochloric acid is produced by the parietal cells within the stomach walls.

It also helps maintain the right acidic environment to keep thwart illness and disease.

A man sitting up in bed with a painful stomach

Roy Morsch / Getty Images

This article covers the symptoms achlorhydria and its causes, including which drugs cause achlorhydria.

It discusses how achlorhydria is diagnosed, what complications can occur, and how achlorhydria is treated.

What Are the Symptoms of Achlorhydria?

Your healthcare provider will monitor your medication usage and investigate based on symptoms.

However, these tests are generally for diagnosing the suspected primary health condition, not achlorhydria itself.

How Is Achlorhydria Treated?

The cause of your achlorhydria will determine your treatment path.

If another health condition is causing your achlorhydria, treating that condition will generally alleviate low stomach acid problems.

Therefore, individual treatments for pernicious anemia,H.

pyloriinfection, or even gastric cancer will be the default treatment for achlorhydria.

Nutritional supplements like B12, iron, calcium, and vitamin D may also be warranted.

Drugs like PPIs can cause achlorhydria, as can certain medical conditions.

Talk to a healthcare provider if you’re experiencinggastrointestinal symptomsand aren’t sure why.

Your provider may run diagnostic tests to look for common culprits likeH.

If left untreated, low levels of hydrochloric acid can lead to complications in the future.

Treatment will be based on the underlying cause of achlorhydria.

The Institute for Functional Medicine.Testing for low stomach acidity.

2021;22(18):10147. doi:10.3390/ijms221810147

American Association of Clinical Chemistry.

Lab tests online.Intrinsic factor antibody.

MedlinePlus.Gastric tissue biopsy and culture.

MedlinePlus.Heliobacteria pylori (H. pylori) tests.

2015 Jul;102(1):9-19. doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.097394

Cojocaru M et al.Gastrointestinal Manifestations in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases.

Maedica (Buchar).

2011 Jan; 6(1): 4551.

Kulnigg-Dabsch S.Autoimmune gastritis.Wien Med Wochenschr.

2016;166(13-14):424430. doi:10.1007/s10354-016-0515-5