Ulcers? Advice? Me, not the horse

[mtngirl]

Ok, let me say up front, that yes, I plan on seeing my doctor, but it’s going to be a few days before that happens.

I think I may have ulcers, though I’m not sure.

Several days ago I started getting pain in my stomach. No heartburn, not acid reflux, just pain. Sometimes it’s achy, other times it’s more like hard cramping. Happens more when my stomach is empty and the pain is more intense when empty. I don’t find that any particular food makes it worse, but have to admit that I don’t have much of an appetite.

I’ve tried taking an acid reducer (I’ve had heartburn occasionally in the past), which doesn’t seem to work. Phenergrin for nausea, works for about two hours and then the pain is back. I wouldn’t call the pain severe, but it is enough to make me irritable and uncomfortable.

I know stress can be a major contributor, and there’s certainly more than enough of that and not much I can do about it at this point. Other than an acid reducer or smooth muscle relaxant, is there something else that might help that is OTC that I’m overlooking? Did you find certain foods or drinks that were calming?

Not looking for a diagnosis here, just wanting to know if you’ve had ulcers, what, other than prescription meds helped you.

[Laurierace]

I don’t remember the name of the med they gave me after I got an ulcer from taking my migraine medicine and lying down. It says to sit upright for 30 minutes but who can do that when you have a migraine? It is important to note that many cases of human ulcers are caused by bacteria and need to be treated with antibiotics so going to the doctor is essential if prilosec isn’t doing the trick.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

Could be gallbladder!

If it is an ulcer and it has perforated, then you will get black or “tarry” stools. It could also just be gastritis- or inflammation of the stomach. I have had both of those and what I did was

1. Double your antacid medication. You can take 40 mgs. of omeprazole (Prilosec) and 300 mgs of ranitidine (zantac) per day. It may take several days for them to start to work.

2. Try Pepto Bismol in between medication doses.

3. Drink chamomile tea. It really helps.

4. Aloe juice is great but not too palatable. There are some aloe juice drinks sold in Whole Foods that work pretty well.

5. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice or DGL in chewable tablets helps.

6. Slippery Elm bark- capsules are okay.

Don’ts-

-coffee
-alcohol
-fatty foods
-spicy foods
-milk products
-antacids like Tums (cause rebound reflux)

Good luck!

[mtngirl]

Thanks

Thanks EH. I’d forgotten about slippery elm. Chamomile tea definitely helps.

Not gallbladder as that’s been gone for over 25 years now. Actually managed to get in and see my doctor this week.

Doctor thinks it’s a combination of things but more stress than anything else. He prescribed some meds…suggested upping the Zantac, avoiding the spicy, fatty foods etc (despite the fact that I have NOT had any heartburn, just the pain and cramping) and basically said if it wasn’t significantly improved after the holidays that we’d do further testing. Suggested I find a different job, but that’s not an option at this point. :no:

Do have to admit that the pain has improved since having some time off from work. At this point I think I am in need of some serious horse therapy. Hopefully the weather will cooperate the next couple of days before I have to return to work.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

You’re welcome. Hope you feel better!

[LauraKY]

Most ulcers are caused by H. pylori in humans. It’s been known since the early 90’s but some doctors are still resistant to testing and treating for H. pylori (which really, really shocks me.) According to Johns Hopkins 80 percent of gastric ulcers and 90 percent of duodenal ulcers develop as a result of H. pylori.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hpylori/

[Eclectic_Horseman]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;7330720]
Most ulcers are caused by H. pylori in humans. It’s been known since the early 90’s but some doctors are still resistant to testing and treating for H. pylori (which really, really shocks me.) According to Johns Hopkins 80 percent of gastric ulcers and 90 percent of duodenal ulcers develop as a result of H. pylori.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hpylori/[/QUOTE]

Yes, but peptic ulcers and perforations are very frequently caused by oral anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs and prednisone. That’s how I got mine.

[LauraKY]

[QUOTE=Eclectic Horseman;7330733]
Yes, but peptic ulcers and perforations are very frequently caused by oral anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs and prednisone. That’s how I got mine.[/QUOTE]

True, some are caused by NSAIDs, but you can’t argue with statistics. Perhaps h. pylori makes one more susceptible to a problem with NSAIDs.

In any case, if you have ulcer symptoms, you should be tested for h. pylori.