Stomach pain for months, need help!
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Hi all, I've been having stomach pain since February, and in May went to the doctor who diagnosed me with an ulcer. He prescribed Pantoprazole but I had another stomach pain attack about two weeks later. At this point the doctor put me on H Pylori treatment (2 weeks), although he didn't test me to see if I had the infection to begin with. I finished the treatment, and continuted to have ongoing stomach pain (that was at the end of June). The doctor told me to go off of the PPI for a month to do a urea breath test, which came back negative.
In the meantime my symptoms have gotten worse, to the point where I now have constant abdominal pain in the center just below my ribs. The pain occasionally spreads to my upper-middle back. I also have yellow stool that floats.
I had to go to the ER 3 times this week, and have been back on Pantoprazole since last Sunday. I continue to have constant abdominal pain. I've had blood tests, urine tests, an abdominal ultrasound, CT Scan, and chest X-Ray, all of which came back negative. I'm waiting on results from a stool test, and am in the process of making an appointment for an endoscopy test with a GI specialist.
In the meantime, can anyone help me figure out what's going on? Is it normal for a peptic ulcer to take this long to heal? The first ER doctor I saw said my pain is probably because I went off of the PPI for a month (during the month I still had abdominal pain, although it came and went more often). Any help would be greatly appreciated!
0 likes, 39 replies
jonmg87
Posted
I usually have moments throughout any given day where I experience at least 2-4 episodes of pain in my upper abdomen.
jonmg87
Posted
I usually have moments throughout any given day where I experience at least 2-4 episodes of pain in my upper abdomen.
jonmg87
Posted
Figured I'd keep a log here of my progress since restarting the PPI medication. Hopefully it will be of use to someone else who shares similar symptoms/treatment.
Day 1: Stomach felt a little better in the morning (was in the ER the night before and prescribed Pantaprazole). Took a pantaprazole, but still some cramping in the abdomen. Some cramping and difficulty breathing after walk in park, subsidied a little after lunch. Pain in stomach while eating lunch, difficult to breath. Back pain by middle of scapula. More stomach cramping after eating second piece of toast with peanut butter (around 4pm). Hurts. Dull pain continued into evening. Felt a little better when lying down. Pain subsided a little after 8:30pm. Had a banana and half a cup of plain rice.
Day 2: Pain severe in morning, went to ER. Had abdominal ultrasound which found small pancreatic cyst. Said it was too small to be causing my pain.
Day 3: Stomach burning around 4:30. Felt ok up until then. Pain dissipated a little about an hour later. Felt ok after dinner.
Day 4: Ate breakfast at 10:30. Felt light headed and fatigued when I woke up at 10. Dull ache in middle of stomach, slight burning. Felt better in afternoon after eating chicken noodle soup. Lay down for awhile as well. Felt good in later afternoon and early evening (empty stomach). Felt ok after dinner. Bloating after dinner, Starting taking pantaprazole twice a day. Went to bed bloated around 10:30pm.
Day 5: Felt slightly after waking up around 9am. Little appetite. Took medication around 9:10. Ate banaa at 9:45, oatmeal at 10:20 (about 25 minutes to eat). Slight dull ache around 11am. Ate lunch around 1pm. Stomach felt ok. Having longer strengthes without pain or lower amount of pain (i.e. dull ache). Mild stomach cramps around 3:30-4:00pm. Mild back pain. Ate dinner at 7. Stomach felt a little better after dinner, but mild heartburn in chest (middle). Started feeling heartburn while eating, continued on/off. Took second dose at 9:30pm. Dull ache (10pm). Took an hour to relieve symptoms. Pain returned overnight.
Day 6: Weight is 150.8 (used to be 167 pounds). Took morning dose at 9:15, had stomach pain at night, which reduced around 1am (6/10). Had stomach pain in morning. Ate banana at 9:40. Ate oatmeal at 10:30, pain felt really bad. Went to hospital ER, did abdominal x-ray and chest x-ray and cit scan, urine test.No conclusion so far of what it could be. Specialist appointment.
Day 7: Weight is 150.4 pounds. Took pill in moring at 9:10.Felt ok, showered. Ate breakfast around 9:40. Mild gnawing pain after eating. Pain continued for an hour and a half. Had crackers and cantaloupe at 11:25. Had chicken pho around 1;30 (half portion). Had banana about 30 minutes later. Dull aching pain aroudn 3:30 (ginger tea aggravated?). Pain continued into evening 6-7pm). Took second dose at 5:50. Ate dinner at 6:10-6:30. Had stomach pain (5/10). Pain kept coming in waves. Felt ok around 7:30-8:30. Pain comes and goes in waves for the night. Had half a steamed bun at 9:05. Stomach pain was lower after 9 (1-2/10). Went to bed around 11pm, hungry.
Day 8: Weight: 150.2. Some mild stomach pain overnight while sleeping. Took first dose at 9:24. Ate banana at 9:40. Ate oatmeal at 9:50-10:10. Stomach felt ok when I woke up at 9:20. Some discomfort after breakfast. Feeling of fullness. A little dull pain under right rib cage (11am) that comes and goes. Ate leftover pho at 11:45-12pm. Slight dull ache in center of abdomen around 12:20. Onions from pho? Comes and goes. Had steam bun at 12:45. Ate soup at 2:35, felt a little bloating after. Midl allergies (3-3:40). Eat smaller portions next time? StomachStomach mild dull pain around 4:30, went away relatviely quickly. Bloating at 4:45. Hot water helped a little with bloating, eased around 6:30. Took second dose at 6:45. Had sharp stomach pain in middle and left abdomen at 7:10 after attempted bowel movement. Pain faded around 1.5-2 hours later. Went to hospital. Left at 11:15, ate rice at 11:45. Stomach felt ok when I went to bed (12:30).
Day 9: Weight is 149.6. Felt a little lightheaded and tired when I woke up, probably from lack of food. Took first dose at 9:54. Ate banana at 9:55. Ate oatmeal at 10:10. Mild gnawing in upper abdomen (10:20). Gnawing feeling in stomach continued (11:13). Ate rice with chicken at 12:10-12:35. Stomach felt a little better in early afternoon, but constipated. Had banana at 2:25. Pain wasn't as bad as in early afternoon, but had gurgling in lower abdomen. Felt constipated too. Mild pain after eating. Ate half a steam bun at 4pm. Stomach pain in lower right abdomen from 4:15-6pm. Ate rice at 6:15 with second dose. Took probiotic at 6:35. Stomach felt a little better in evening (7pm). Some bloating and gas. Ate bok chou and egg at 8:30. Saw specialist, can't get endoscopy until the end of October (wtf?). Conspitated when I went to bed at 11pm.
Day 10: Weight is 148.6. Took dose and banana at 9am. Woke up with dull ache in upper abdomen. From egg? Ate oatmeal at 9:32-10:13. Pail dulled a little after eating. Cotninued to feel pain at 10:50. Pain a little duller at 11:30. Ate a little boodle and bok choi around 12:20. Ate crackers at 2:30. Pain was manageable in early afternoon (1-2/10). Fatigue though. Had noodles, chicken, and bok choi at 3:05-3:30. Light headed and tired in afternoon.Had dull ache in afternoon/evening. Felt a little better around 5:30 after lying down. Took second dose at 6pm. Ate dinenr after. Took probiotic again at 6:32. Hurt in evening. Took pain killer, seemed to help a little. Ate crackers around 9pm. Felt a little better in evening. Overall though not a great day.
Day 11: Weight is 148.8. Woke up at 8:30. Felt burning ache in stomach (4/10). Constipated as well. Took Lax-a-day aroudn 11am to get bowel movement. Took first dose at 9:17. Ate banana at 9:25. Ate oatmeal at 10:10-10:35. Had stomach pain in moring, began to ease aroudn 11am. Took Tylenol at 12:22, and had crackers after. Pain, fatigue around 1:30, and light headed. Ate lunch at 1:35-2:04. Pain slightly relieved by eating. Ate banana at 3:30. Ate two more crackers and cantaploupe at 3:35. Had more pain around 4:30, continued into evening (had to lie down). Had second dose at 6:08, ate dinner at 6:20-6:46. Cramping around 8pm. Ate crackers at 8:19pm. Pain continues to come in waves.
I'll be updating in future days as well. I really hope my progress gets better, because this is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to go through...
paul77828 jonmg87
Posted
Peanut butter is high in fat, cut it out for now.get your daily fats from eggs - soft boiled / poached or scrambled.
If you are on 40mg ppi and have been on it for over a week you will not be making much acid at all. So the pain you are feeling isn't acid...its diet mistakes and possibly gas (hence why bloated). When on ppi your food isn't broken down as well and bacteria can feast on it in the guts and a by product is gas - bloating / distension / nausea / constipation and diarreah. I used to be terribly bloated when on ppi - I came off it and went onto 300mg Zantac per day and my bloating pretty much went straight away. Although Zantac isn't as strong as ppi and have to be more careful with diet.
Do a test - on a day when you aren't doing anything and at home fast for the full day except for a bit of oatmeal at lunch. Take your ppi as normal. Record your symptoms. If your symptoms are less then it's your diet that is causing your issues. You will need to work on your diet.
I've known people have such bad stomachs that for 2/3 weeks all they could
Eat was cereal / oatmeal until they healed a bit.
You will heal. Just weather the storm and trial and error your diet. It sounds like you have gastritis and/or ulcer.
jonmg87 paul77828
Posted
Hmm, I haven't had peanut butter in over a week, and I've also cut out gluten and dairy completely. The pain I feel is less from bloating and more of a constant burning ache in my upper abdomen. I've mainly been subsisting on oatmeal, rice, lean chicken, bok choi, bananas, carrots, and cantaloupe. All I've been drinking is water as well.
paul77828 jonmg87
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jonmg87 paul77828
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paul77828 jonmg87
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Could try another ppi. Or Zantac which isn't as strong but more easily tolerated.
What dose ppi are you on ?
jonmg87 paul77828
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I'm on Pantaprazole 40mg twice a day (before breakfast and dinner).
Tried Zantac 150mg, doesn't seem to help.
paul77828 jonmg87
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If you're on that amount of ppi then Zantac is no use to you. It's no where near as strong as ppi.
I suppose you'll have to keep on with meds and diet and wait to see if endoscopy shows ulcer is there or not.
If it's gone then slowly come off ppi...don't come off it cold turkey cos the acid rebound will damage your stomach.
If your ulcer is still there then I would imagine stay on ppi and diet till it goes
jonmg87 paul77828
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Really hoping that the PPI starts healing my stomach soon!
paul77828 jonmg87
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So has the h pylori infection gone ?
You will need that confirming 8 weeks after triple therapy by stool sample (and you should ideally not be taking ppi for that as it can affect accuracy).
The ppi reduces stomach acid, which allows your stomach to heal faster. But diet mistakes can also irritate your stomach lining (although not as bad as acid).
PPI's can have side effects however. They gave me bad bloating on occasion and constipation. When I came off them I actually felt more 'normal', although your acid levels are higher so have to be more careful.
Is your endoscopy in October did you say?
jonmg87 paul77828
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I did a breath test after my H Pylori treatment that came back negative. I'm going to get retested though after my ulcer heals to make sure that it wasn't a false negative.
jonmg87 paul77828
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anesa55559 jonmg87
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