Possible stomach ulcer?

[Stupidhead]

I had a few (lot) of beers last night on an empty stomach. I had a little mucas sick (sorry tmi) and there was a couple of red streaks in it. I googled as I've had red in my vomit before and ulcers came up on the computer.

I get indigestion a lot, am desperately tired most of the time, can never eat a full meal and feel queasy/sick most days which passes.

Any info from you lovely ladies? I've made an appointment tomorrow just in case.

I've just posted a similar thread and also suffering due to overindulgence a few weekends ago. Googling is dangerous- I got stuff up like stomach cancer etc! It could be an ulcer from what I've read but also could just be gastritis which is inflammation of the stomach lining. I'm going to see the doc tomorrow- I posted mainly to see if there is anything I can take/do myself to help clear it up.

Let me know how you get on. I'm hating feeling like this as I need to start eating more to put on some weight and at the moment I'm eating half of what I usually do...All I'm doing at the moment is avoiding acidic things -so you should avoid things like tomatoes/tomato based sauces, spicy things, overly fatty things, caffiene or strong coffee and alcohol.

I'm so glad I'm not alone! Even tea is setting me off today and like you I need to keep weight on. Oh and I was reading about painkillers, especially NSAIDs (ibruprofen etc) which we should definitely avoid.

It's driving me mad, I had one glass of cider at MILs the other week and had raging heartburn from that! I'm just expecting a lecture on drinking and my diet I've got the full set, IBS and lactose intolerant so there's a lot I avoid anyway. Otherwise I'm perfect - just the bits from my ribs to my bum

oh yes Ibruprofen- read about that too. Yeah I'm worried the doc is going to think I'm an alcoholic! I've got IBS too- it flares up on and off, have also been on lactose free stuff in the past, now I seem to be ok with dairy but do avoid it if I'm having a bad attack. Know what you mean- my stomach/guts are my weakness physically otherwise I'm fine- it's frustrating!

I LOVE coffee so I'm struggling with that atm. I have just had tea the last few days and like you say, stiill feel some burning after but not too bad, felt better this morning so had a coffee, all fine. Then I had a smoothie thinking It'd be healthy -just banana, peanut butter and rice milk- oh and protein powder and I felt really sick for about 2 hours after. :-(

Let me know what your doc says. I'm worried I've done some serious damage and its hard enough trying to keep the IBS under control let alone having to deal with this too- argh!

I will! My appointment is at 8:50 so I'll be back here shortly after. Are you going tomorrow too?

It's just so frustrating! I also managed coffee as it seems 'thicker' than tea if that makes sense? But one cup lasted all morning. I'm on water now, how very rock and roll!

Right, she put me on a course of Omeprazole for 28 days, blood test and stool (eww) test Thursday and if they come back positive then an endoscopy (sp?) when I go back in 3-4 weeks.

She felt my stomach, bit ouchy in parts and said it's either an ulcer or irritated gastric lining.

Good luck with yours!

I got a course of Omeprazole as well but he told me to just take it for a week. And he felt my stomach and said I might have an inflamed oesophagus near the stomach...and that was it! No tests or anything. I didn't have blood in my vomit though so maybe it's not as severe as yours. I think the blood test is to see if it's caused by H. Pylori bacteria- have you heard about that?

Sounds like your doc is being very thorough so I hope the pills help and they don't find anything that needs further treatment. Just taken my first pill and he said I should feel much better in 48 hours already so fingers crossed they start working soon.

Ulcers aren't caused by drinking but drinking will irritate ulcers iyswim. Ulcers are either caused by h pylori or nsaids. They need to be watched as they can turn very nasty.
Hope the ppi helps, I'm on it for life and off to do my annual endoscopy and h pylori tests in a few weeks.

Blood teats can rule out stomach ulcer as it is a bacteria.

You got to steer clear of tomatoes, citric stuff, pastries, anything greasy really, spicy stuff, alcohol, the list goes on and on.

Try some probiotic capsules from the health food shop, they really help me. I have reflux oesophagitus and lactose intolerance and IBS so am either burping, parping or rushing to the loo with the squits.

I have been following a low carb, high protein diet recently (whilst doing stupid amounts of exercise, concentrating lots on abs) and I do feel a hell of a lot better in terms of my acid reflux.

Yes she mentioned heli- what's it! And the stool test would test for it, she asked about black tarry stools which I had last week but had eaten a massive medium fillet steak the night before

She also mentioned the FODMAP diet which has helped 80-90% of IBS sufferers, don't know if that could help any of you? I'm kind of not wanting to change my diet drastically due to finances and having to feed a house full of growing men and I do eat healthily. She also reassured me that self medicating regularly with own brand Immodium (I know all the shops that stock own brand versions!!!) is fine, phew!

Madamecastafiore that's interesting, I was on a low carb high protein diet before I fell ill and was going to start doing weight lifting to bulk up a bit/put on some weight but now a lot of the stuff I was eating makes me feel sick- smoothies, cottage cheese, bowls of yogurt. So now I'm back to eating bread and carbs

stupidhead I know about the fodmap diet but like you I don't really want to have a hugely restrictive diet with 3 kids to feed- as it is DH is on a weight loss diet and is being all difficult with what he eats

I'm taking probiotics too- I take them on and off (when I remember) so figured it can't hurt to take them again at the moment.

If the Omeprazole doesn't work I'll be bugging my doc about tests. That's what I hate about going to the doc, it can take forever by the time you've gone back numerous times trying different things- esp if they're reluctant to do any tests first time round (tight bastards)

I'm doing low fat too so maybe give that a try?

No cheese, butter etc.

Oh Madame! No cheese???! I really can't afford to lose weight. I'm a 10/12 now and happy but a couple of years ago I was a 6, mainly through stress, I'm 5'7" and actually look healthier at this weight. I'd worry the restricted diet would work but i'd end up tiny again.

Blood teats can rule out stomach ulcer as it is a bacteria.

Not entirely. Most ulcers are caused by a bacteria - h pylori - which is tested for via bloods, a biopsy via endoscopy, stool test or, easiest and apparently most reliable of all, a breath test. But not all ulcers are caused by a bacteria - some are caused by nsaids, and not even necessarily over use or extended usage.

Once you have been treated for most ulcers, using antiobiotics for the bacteria caused ones, and they have healed, you can go back to a normal diet if you don't have other issues. However you can get the bacteria again as they know it is contagious, but not 100% sure how contagious or how it spreads.

Oh Lordy these Omeprazole are going right through me

We've called them my Oompah Lumpah tablets and much hilarity ensued last night with 'Oompah Lumpah didgery doo, I've got a rumble in your guts for you'. But that was a clean version. Blood done and poo delivered...couldn't decide whether it'd be the worse day to get my bag stolen or the best day.

I'll probably phone up on Monday for results - and nip out for more loo roll...

stupidhead hows it going? Is the Omeprazole helping? It's been just over a week and I felt great on them- but decided not to take a pill today and my stomach has started that horrid gurgling/bubbling again.

have you had the results back yet? I wish my GP had just done tests for me outright as I can see this being long and drawn out- me going back and saying it's still not ok, then he'll finally do some tests...