High abdo pain and severe bloating after eating.

A gastroenterologist can perform an endoscopy to make the determination.

But your pain does not sound like a Duodenal problem.

Food with that would normally take the pain away. Absorption of the gastric acid would temporarilly prevent it from damaging the Duodenum.

The same applies to taking Antacids which would reduce pain.

Yours certainly sounds like a bacterial problem - not necessarilly h. pylori.

What does improving gastric bacteria do for you including, Probiotics, Yoghurt, Acidopholis and the like ?

Sometimes, eating takes the pain away, and sometimes I bloat like crazy, especially if I eat bread/pasta type things and a large meal. Protein shakes and bananas seem to be good for me to eat. I take Kolanticon gel which helps.

I've had some bloods taken yesterday and am due to give a feacal sample as soon as I can, so will await diagnostics.

Derek, if not duodenal, what do you think it might be?

I had a small breakfast after taking Kolanticon gel 3 hrs ago and am just starting to get that burning feeling approx. where my duodenum is now - sometimes the pain is a little lower, and I guess belly organs move around a little depending on my position. It's always mid/upper/right though, just below the liver margin.

Sometimes if I lean forward, like when I tie my shoelaces, things get pushed upwards and there's a strong searing pain just to the right of my sternum and I can feel a soft swelling there with my fingers - I have wondered about a hiatus hernia - but I imagined that would be centre, maybe slightly left of sternum due to it being stomach rather that duodenum? When I feel that soft swelling, I can gently manipulate it downwards which seems to ease it.

I don't experience heartburn, but did when I was pregnant 7 years ago, so I know what that can feel like.

Stress is extreme at the moment at work - relentless.

GP said they dont do breath test, but I need to do a feacal sample (I have that ready to take).

Endoscopy mentioned as a pssible once stool and blood results in.

Gosh, it's a minefield isn't it?

IBS :-/ I always feel that is a lazy diagnosis - in fact, no diagnosis. Maybe I'm wrong to think that.

I did wonder about colitis. I guess I'll have to wait and see what the results say.

Mmm - never heard of a GP who doesn't do a cheap and simple breath test.

But they will detect h.p from your sample. (More expensive and not quite so accurate - that is if they do test for it).

I wonder if you've put your finger on your problem.

Very very difficult I know but there are ways of helping to cope with stress.

Well IBS may be a lazy diagnosis because other than the above and that it affects females mainly -  they don't yet know the cause.

But it's still a very painful condition for sufferers.

I hope that they find the problem in your tests but I feel that at the end of the day you may be going down the Endoscopy/Colonoscopy route.

Best wishes

The stool sample came up as positive for H. Pylori. I'm now on Clarithromycin 500mg b.d. and amoxicillin 1g b.d. both for 7 days and omeprazole 20mg b.d. for an initial 7 days, and up to a month thereafter if still sore.

The doctor suggests no endoscope until after then, which I'm happy about. Clinically, he thinks it may be duodenal ulcer, hence the omeprazole b.d. instead of o.d.

I look forward to this regime improving my symptoms in a week or so.

Blood results came back negative for cancer markers and inflammatory markers which is a relief.

I felt great while on the antibiotics and for a week after. Hardly any bloating, reduced pain and more energy.

However, about a week after the 7 day course finished, the bloating returned slowly and now, 2 weeks later, the bloating is back to what it was. I am still taking omeprazole 20mg o.d. and on the one day I forgot to take it, I had diarrhoea.

I guess I need to return to the gp. Any ideas? Could it be that the h. pylori wasn't killed off fully?

I had many of the same symptoms. Suffered for two months. Fluttering duodenum. Pain so severely I thought it was gallbladder or pancreas. Went to the ER twice in severe pain. All blood tests and CT scans were negative. Disgusting smelling stools varying between gastritis and constipation. Fatigue. I even became anemic. I thought I was losing my mind. My blood pressure went up and down. It varied between hypertension and hypotension. Had my heart checked and blood pressure medication changed. Read on this site about Heliobacter. Tested for H Pylori and my bacterial count came back almost four times the maximum. Took the two week triple therapy which I finished last week. Pain is much better although I still get a dull pain when my stomach is empty. The secret is high density eating. Brown rice, broccoli, boiled or fermented cabbage, Brussels sprouts, chicken, fish fresh fruit like bananas in small quantities several times a day. Fibre like oats or all bran and low fat Greek yoghurt with honey for breakfast. And I have to take Nexium for the next two months while the ulcers heal. But all in all I feel much better. Still burping a bit but I hope that I'm out of the woods now. My energy levels are also almost normal now. Blood pressure stable. I make a point to take long walks with the dog every day to get fit again. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm back on anti-biotics. Amoxycillin 1g bd and metronidazol 400mg tds.

Plus the Omeprazole 20mg od I was already taking.

Fingers crossed this time!