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So scared by all these symptoms!

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carrie000
carrie000

I've never posted in a forum before but boy have o read a lot of posts these past few weeks!!

My problems started in April. I developed a strange hollow sensation in my stomach that made me feel like I was starving. It was irritating more than anything as I kept feeling the need to eat just to make it go away. The only way i could keep this raw, hollow tummy happy was by constantly eating. I had experienced this a couple of times before (diagnosed as gastritis) over the years and it had always gone away after 2 weeks on omeprazole. I waited a few weeks to see if it would pass and as it didn't I went to the gp who diagnosed gastritis again but this time prescribed lansoprazole as she believe it is better than omprazole.

I took 60g of lansoprazole a day (dose in morning and a dose in the evening) which seems quite a high dose. Anyway, I had some initial success with this about 3 weeks in where I felt normal again but then the symptoms returned. I carried on with the lansoprazole but recently I have started having more symptoms. I now have a horrendous gurgling tummy that makes such a noise after food. I also have stitch like pain and pain in my upper right back. Finally I had a sensation that food was sitting in my tummy and I had a HUGE stomach ! (I'm slim and could have passed for six months pregnant!)

I went back to my gp who is referring me for an endoscopy. She is also going to carry out an hpylori test but I have to be off lansoprazole for 2 weeks.

Here's the freaky thing - the feeling of something being stuck in my stomach and the major bloating have gone since I stopped the lansoprazole (four days ago) which is odd. But the gnawing emptiness and the stitch, gurgling belly etc remain.

Are these all gastritis symptoms? Or something more sinister?

I'm now very scared as the dr took some bloods at the point I saw her and she told me to discontinue lansoprazole. One result has come back with a 'borderline' amylase level of 120 and she has booked me an urgent ultrasound scan just to check my abdomen. I'm so scared!!! Does anyone have a similar story? Could the lansoprazole have made me worse? Could it have caused the slightly higher amylase reading?

Thanks for reading all of this.

I'm 40, non drinker, non smoker.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 carrie000

    Posted

    If your new symptoms went away after stopping the PPI, you were probably reacting to it.
  • shadow51
    shadow51 carrie000

    Posted

    Hi Carrie000, 

    Are you gaining or losing any weight?  The reason I ask, is that I went through something similar in college.  I was diagnosed with GERD and then a little while later my weight started dropping rapidly for no reason.  I was living on campus and eating like a typical college student...all fast food and junk. I lost 15 pounds in 1 month!  

    My problems started like yours, but in highschool...Me pediatrician was a jerk and told my parents I was just trying to get out ot going to school and the other "specialist" doctors tried to diagnose me with eating disorders.  Anyone that knows me well knows that neither of these were true.  I was an A/B student that graduated early from HS and I am a HUGE foodie!  And becaause I suffered enough discomfort and pain on a daily basis from the undiagnosed/untreated Gastritis & GERD, starving or puking for weight loss was never a consideration.  Once I got to college I got a new doctor.  She checked me for all kinds of stomach issues (even for parasites and tape worms!!!) and found only Gastritis & GERD.  Then about 6-8months later I was in a car accident where my rib cage had locked up and caused me to have breathing issues.  I was sent to a Physiotherapist for treatment. Through our conversations about my medical issues, he suggested I get a full T-Panel and Thyroid Scan.  My T-Panel came back showing only slightly hyperthyroidism, but my scan showed my thyroid gland to be enlarged.  He went on to tell me that most doctors would have dismissed the diagnosis based on the bloodwork, but because of my drastic symptoms and scans, he decided to begin treatment and monitoring.  I also ended up going to see a nutritionist to create a food plan for calories to gain and maintain weight, as well as balance my GERD/Gastritis.  I was lucky to find a doctor that was willing to listen even though this issue was not his "specialty" and to catch/treat it early.  My thyroid ended up normalizing itself after 2 years, and has stayed this way to this day.  I make sure to get my full T-Panel run at least once a year to make sure it doesn't come back and a scan whenever I have unexplained weight gain or loss.  I feel like if you haven't discussed thyroid issues with you doctor yet, you may want to and get at least the blood work done.  It helped me a lot.  Hope you find some relief and feel better soon! smile

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 shadow51

      Posted

      Thyroid problems are often missed.  My mum's underactive thyroid went undiagnosed and not treated for nine years.  Another five years passed after diagnosis and we discovered she was not being given enough thyroxine.  We went to a specialist who was willing to up her dose which got her physically better for three years. However, nothing could be done about her memory loss caused by lack of blood flow to her temporal lobes in her brain. It progressed for 25 years to hypothyroid dementia which she finally died from this year.

      You were very lucky that you wete diagnosed in time.  It is no surprise to me at all that it took such a long time to get help.

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