I'm in so much pain, ulcer or gastritis? Please help

[l4k]

I have had 4 babies, various operations etc but this pain has made me cry.
I've had a virus, I think with a few mild stomach pains and diarrhoea for a week but was feeling loads better on Thursday and we went out for a meal. As soon as I'd finished the pain started. By the time I got home I could hardly speak and was nauseous. Managed to sleep in the end, felt ill and weak all day yesterday , slept on and off all day. Went to gp who said gastritis gave me domperidone for nausea, omprazole (sp) for acid and buscopan
I ate a small sweet potatoe and some mushrooms and bacon at 5 pm and the pain increased again untill I was beside myself and crying. This is not like me. I was once accused of pretending not to be in pain to be discharged from hospital , by a consultant. I can handle pain but this was terrible.
I phoned 111 about 8 pm and he said it sounds like an ulcer. Told me to take gaviscon and codine. If no better in an hour to go to a&e.
it reduced the pain from about 9 to a 4-5 so I tried to sleep.
This morning it's back to a nagging dull pain, more manageable , but I still feel like crap.
Please will someone tell me how to cope with this? And what the hell to eat?
I'm really not a wimp, honest.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

I think you need to go back.

Could be gallbladder pain too.

[jonicomelately]

Please go back for more advice. This sounds quite serious. I've had several gastric ulcers. The pain is terrible but eating can relieve it and you haven't described the 'full feeling' I get after eating when suffering from ulcers.

[littlejo67]

Do you get pain in your back?
Look up symptoms of billiary colic.

[YouAreMyRain]

Unfortunately I am a veteran of abdominal pain and conditions.

Is the pain above or below your navel? IME gastritis is above the navel. I have had peritonitis too (very serious = emergency surgery) which was lower down. One laymans way to check the seriousness is to apply pressure to the area and check if the pain is worse while pressing or after the pressure is removed. If the pain worsens when you remove the pressure, that's bad, get to A&E. Quickly.

[Sandthorn]

Don't eat too much of anything at a sitting. Stick to low fat, moderate fibre, nothing too highly processed, and nothing too spicy. Skip booze for now.

You must push the doctor for a diagnosis. I got fobbed off with gaviscon for months before I went down with jaundice and gallstones were finally diagnosed.

[l4k]

Thanks for replys. I've been sleeping on and off all day. I took gaviscon before eating 3 small meals and so far so good.
It's definately above the navel and hurts more with pressure not more when removed.
I can't understand why I feel generally unwell too. Really tired and weak. But at least the pain is bareable now.
I will definately be going back to the gp on tues.
thanks again.

[l4k]

Still really not well. Can't eat much and so weak, shaky and tired. Pain constant but tolerable

[Sandthorn]

Have you managed to eat anything? Well-boiled white rice is good for anything stomach-related. In fact, if you're really crook, just boil some rice in a light stock, then drink the rice and ditch the stock... Was all I managed to keep down for days after recent brush with death episode of norovirus.

If there's another upswing in the pain, go to out of hours doctor or A&E, and ask them for more appropriate pain relief at the very least, and for nausea, too, if that's a problem. Give aspirin and ibuprofen a wide berth - both notorious for aggravating stomach complaints. Paracetamol should be OK, but do keep within recommended dosage. Just watch out for anything with codeine... Most people are totally fine with it, but I discovered, after having my gallbladder removed, that I have the most godawful reaction to codeine, which mimics the symptoms of a gallstones attack to the last detail, and apparently it's not that uncommon!

[Twighlightsparkle]

I have exactly this land off.i had it yesterday and feel awful today.

I was diagnosed with a gallstone but after being on the waiting list to have my gallbladder out they decided it probably wasn't.

I'm back to my GP this week

[kickassangel]

It could be a gallbladder problem or appendix as well.

It really sounds like you should see a doctor before Tuesday, possibly even A and E.

I had similar but more violent symptoms in November an 12 hours later got my appendix out. I'd been feeling a bit fluey and unwell for a while then suddenly had severe pain. Even prescribed pain killers did nt help, but I was feeling the pain in the wrong place so didn't realize what it was. However, pressure made a big increase to the pain so that sounds a bit worrying.

[LEMmingaround]

Gallstones !! I had this if it gets infected youll feel sick as a pig too. I know the pain. Its horrendous a nine and a half pound baby was a walk in the park compared to that pain. Hospitalised twice. Gall bladder gone felt much better. You can reduce the number of attacks by cutting out fat.

[LEMmingaround]

And yes a&e if it continues as if yoh get a blocked bile duct you are in trouble. Any sign of jaaundice hospital now!

[neversleepagain]

The extreme pain you are describing sounds like gallstones. The pain is like nothing I have ever experienced, it would make me throw up, sweat and literally double up in pain. On two occasions I ended up in A&E on morphine drips. After an attack I would feel week and shaky for a couple of days and extremely afraid of the next attack. I finally had my gall bladder removed 6 weeks after giving birth to my twins and that was a walk in the park compared to the evil that is gallstones!

For me the pain was like a stabbing sensation that would start under my ribs on the right hand side and travel around to my upper back and right shoulder blade. The only pain medication that made a difference was Tramadol.

I would ask insist your GP for a referral.

[l4k]

Me again. Saw oohs gp last night as pain was really bad and I felt terrible. I don't know how I wasn't sick. If I'm sick I'm in serious trouble as I am steroid dependant. ( secondary addisons) and will probably have an adrenal crisis and end up in hospital on a drip.
Gp said gastritis and stomach infection and gave me antibiotics. Told me to eat more but haven't been able to as I feel so sick. Told me no more codine so the pain is bad now with just parecetemol. Can't take the antibiotics without food so not started yet. Feel worse than ever.

[LEMmingaround]

oh, you poor thing - my mum has secondary addisons, are you doubling up on your hydrocortison dose? Hopefully the dr is right, but i would be insisting on a scan if you get this again, gallstones is agony that you don't have to live with - you can manage without your gall bladder. Can you ask for some anti-emetics, they gave it to me when i had gallstones, i puked in the GP's sink

[Bunnytheeggrobat]

TBH if you're still feeling really unwell I'd go back to be seen again - with unexplained severe abdominal pain I don 'to think it is unreasonable to present to A&E. Apart from gastritis there are other conditions to be excluded including pancreatitis - for which you 'd need blood tests. Hope you feel better soon

[GoingToBedfordshire]

I would go to a and e. Was in a similar position with ongoing abdominal pain. Saw gp on day 2, he diagnosed ulcer and booked me in for bloods and scan later in the week. Pain continued and on day 5, called surgery who suggested a and e. It was gallstones but they had blocked the bile duct, so I developed pancreatitis.

Please get seen again, hope you feel better soon.

[l4k]

Thank you all.
I actually feel a bit better in the pain and nausea department and have managed little bits to eat.
Tmi coming but the pain started to lesson after I had diarrhoea which was very pale, like a beige colour. Would that signify gallstones?
I'm still so weak.
And yes, thanks for asking, I am doubling my hydrocortisone

[Sandthorn]

Pale stools (and dark urine) were what finally got me diagnosed with gallstones: blocked bile duct. Keep a note of all your symptoms and when they appear. Keep pressure on your doctor for diagnosis. Don't be afraid to A&E if the pain escalates, or if you're frightened by your symptoms.

[Bunnytheeggrobat]

Agree with above - could be a sign of blocked bile duct. Think you need to be seen.

[GoingToBedfordshire]

How are you feeling OP?

[l4k]

It's nice of you to ask, goingto.
Saw gp again tues, have been referred for abdo scan on Monday Also , have blood test next week.
Still trying to build back up to normal eating, only managing small amounts.
Still really weak and unable to do much. I'm so behind on housework and washing, etc , but have just not got any energy. Still dizzy too, but temp normal now , I think.

I just never want to feel that pain again.

[GoingToBedfordshire]

So sorry to hear you are still feeling rotten, as I said I was in a similar situation. Don't know about you, but I felt the GP thought I was exaggerating. I would say that even though the scan and bloods are booked, do go to a and e if you continue to be in so much pain.

I hope that you get a diagnosis and some treatment soon - can you rope in some help at home in the meantime?

[l4k]

The dc are all having to do a bit to help and dh is fantastic when he's here but works a lot. But no one else can even see all the jobs that need doing!!!
And I was told by the gp on tues to go to hospital if it gets that bad again.
The pain has more or less settled now. I really want to know what caused it.
The first gp definately thought I was exaggerating but the last one was good.

[GoingToBedfordshire]

Ah, as long as they're doing the bare minimum, it'll have to do. Feel better soon and hope you get some answers from your scan.