Bad stomach- any ideas?

[PoorlyTum]

Have name changed as am feeling a bit daft and tearful.

OK- long story short..before Christmas I had a bout of thrush, cleared up with a canesten pill and cream.

At around the same time I started to get stomach gripes every now and then. By gripes I mean a general soreness in the upper abdomen, not the intestines. No sickness or diarrhea. This has now gone on for almost 3 mths. It's not actually debilitating, as I said, it's just sore. I've been down the Gaviscon route, there is also a lot of stomach wind involved (burpy wind though, not intestinal wind) and a sort of permanent bloating.

The GP has given me PPIs to take for 2 weeks and says she thinks it's gastritis. (which I take to be a general medical term for griping belly!) Have now done 1 week of them, tomorrow am due to start another week at a lower dose, but haven't noticed any difference. Yesterday I felt quite good, today it's been particularly gripey. Sometimes the soreness is slightly to the left, sometimes slightly to the right, but more usually just the general stomach area.Sometimes it ever so slightly goes into my back...(kind of how I imagine babies feel when they need to be burped, like air is passing through me and making me sore)

It doesn't seem to matter what I eat- although eating something does make it feel a bit better. When I wake up in the morning, I'm fine, after a cup of coffee and breakfast it starts to hurt.

I think that's it. Of course I've been googling all the nasty things it could be hence feeling daft and tearful.

Thanks for listening.

could possibly be Irritable Bowel syndrome?? I find peppermint tea/capsules excellent at relieving bloating otherwise just steep a handful of fresh mint in boiling wate and drink. I have a dietician friend who swears by Yakult for her bloating.

Possibly gall stones? Does it feel like you've swallowed a brick and it's stuck just below your ribs? Try and see if a low fat diet has any effect.

Thanks, both, I have wondered about both of these things- as the antacid PPI things are definitely doing nothing to help...

It does sometimes feel like I've got something stuck..... (bizarrely, have also been going braless as I find it a bit more comfortable without the underwiring pressing on where it's sore...does that fit with gallstones I wonder? (have no idea where gallbladder is)My Mum had gallstones, I wonder if they run in families....am trying low wheat at the moment, but while it's not debilitating as such, it's making me flippin depressed...(and am supposed to be going back to work after long maternity next week, which is all I need....)

I'll go and get pep tea and yakulty things today as well...

you need to go to the doctor and get tested for this

Loopy- thanks for the link- yes, I suppose it could be that too...blimey all these things I've never heard of!

Gall stones do run in families. I'm waiting to have my gall bladder removed at the moment, as my gall stones are driving me mad. The pain is usually an inch or two below the bra strap, and feels as though something is stuck in there. I also have lots of acid, bloating and gas. See your GP, you'd need referring for an ultra sound to diagnose.

Thanks Tipsy, I think I'll go back to her tomorrow and see. I was going to wait to finish the PPIs but tbh, a mint tic tac does OK for the acid....it's more the sore pain (which is definitely on the right today)

Oh my god..poorly tum. have exactly the same thing!!!
It's been driving me mad...thought it may be ibs.
Its been going on for few months as well. I normally am lucky enough to have dead flat belly but as soon as I have eaten it bloats up...but its that constant niggly ache in the back and under right ribs.
Have scared myself on google as well.
Other than this I feel 100%..bit burpy/noisy upper abdomen and bit consitpated.
Yes the swallowed brick rings bell. Like a knot that I want to stretch out.
Eating same food..etc etc.
My husband just had his gallbladder out due to a large stone stuck and really horrendous attacks.
Can you have mild...nearly permanent symptoms??

Eastergirl- sorry you're in pain too, but pleased not to be alone with madwoman googling!
I read another thread on gallstones and as it seemed to imply the pain was much more severe than mine, I discounted it...but mine is slowly getting worse, by the day this week....
Do you feel OK when you first get up and then it starts?

yes..its not agony...just there most of the time.
It seems to disappear when I am moving around though or when i go running.
Doesn't wake me up at night or anything like that.
Funny..my hasn't been half as bad today...but Monday and Tuesday it was really aching and after eating really bloated.
what about you?

Yes, mine is definitely better if I'm standing up or moving round- it's when I'm sitting bent, like now over the puter, I've got this sore spot kind of just under my bottom right ribcage...

Mine goes off at night- doesn't wake me or anything either....and when I first wake up I can't feel anything, as soon as I touch the coffee (in fact, last couple of days I haven't had any) it starts to gurgle and slop around, I feel slightly queasy like I need a good burp and the soreness starts...

yep...totally the same.
Not really burpy..but more than normally and lots of gurgling.
Went for run this morning and managed a poo(soz TMI!) but aven't been for 3 days and it's bit better.
Still got that sore spot...bit stingy.

Google.....NOT!!! Thats what started me with health anxiety...it should not be allowed for unproffesional people. I sweare the stress from worrying about our health will kill us all in the end!!!

Do you think yours is getting worse or just the same with better and worse days??

Well, I've been throwing up all day today (migraine related though, not stomach!) so I've a heck of a lot less acid today than normal as it's all been evicted!

I do think it's better some days than others...

Totally agree re google.....I now google symptoms, rather than nasty named diseases, makes it a bit better!!!!

Spoke to my Mum last night, she had her gallstones out about 5 yrs ago, but hers were non symptomatic....my step-dad apparently had this h-pylori thing (v similar symptoms) and he had no symptoms either,so I'm going to go and ask Dr to test for both....

From what I can gather, gallstones differ between people.
With mine, a definite signal for an attack is feeling like I have to unfasten my bra, but the pain radiates from between the ribs, under the breastbone.
And when they first started years ago, I did get a lot of burpy wind and I think low-level stomach pain.
I was given herbal drops by my rather alternative doctor, can't remember the name but the colloquial name is 'stonebreaker.'
I still get the odd attack but only about once a year (usually over Christmas when I'm stressed.)

Poor tum...let me know how it goes at doctors...you are brave.
I'm going to go next week if he doesn't go.
Was stressed at weekend and it seemed worse. Today, it's hardly there...slight niggle in back...although...sorry TMI...felt bunged up and very bloated last night...had one of those activea yogurts and a laxitive and am certainly not bloated or bunged up this morning.
Have you been letting it go on for ages because it's not that bad and you feel fine...obviously apart from migrane? Cos thats why I have...and being scared of doctor!!!

Eastergirl- yes, because it's never a crashing pain anywhere, just a semi-permanent niggley thing.

I was fine more or less all day yesterday, today v gripey though...Tbh, the symptoms change as well- like last week, it was more sore stomachy, today it feels more intestinal.

I was also stressing on Sunday, (am starting new teaching job today arrrgh!) and bursting into tears all over dp who thinks I've gone mental...

Will definitely go on Friday which is when I finish this course of pariet that the doc said would sort me out.

Am flippin fed up, I know that...

yes..mine the same. One minute feels like a blockage...then backache...then a burning...but none of it that bad. I keep hoping thats a good thing? I took 2 co codmol last night and it did go...but back later that evening...took hot water bottle to bed...slept like baby.
Fine this morning...although felt bit bunged up again..probably tablets and it's ok...just like an ache on the side now.
Not really burpy..or windy....it definetly gets worse when stressed and I get palpations..not sure if thats cos I worry about it or the its because of the ache. I don't think so as I hardly had them at all before and over xmas. I spent most of last year without the ache and had hideous palpatations!

Right, I've been back to the doc....she pooh poohed my helicobacter suggestion, poked around under my ribs and thinks it's an inflamed gallbladder (more so when I told her that on waking, I don't feel anything, but that the soreness and burpy-ness come on when I eat....) So I have to have a scan to see if there's stones, or inflammation, or nothing, in which case a gastroscopy. (don't want that at all...)

In the meantime I have to eat little and often she says, and less fatty foods. There are a few gallbladder threads on here, so am going to have a good read of them....

hi poorlytum. Can you keep a food diary and see if there is anything in particualr that triggers it? If it is your gallbladder then fat (especially dairy), coffee, wheat, red meats and spices are common triggers.

There is some good info on symptoms etc on this website

tbh, I've had niggling symptoms on and off for years, including pain under my ribcage on the right which I had attributed it to my frequent overindulgence of red wine and was my liver protesting . burping and flatulence are common symptoms but attacks can vary as the range of problems with the gallbladder goes from silt through to fine stones through to the rocks that I seem to be carrying around. some have pain that lasts a few hours and others (like me ) it can go on for days.

Poorly tum...well I'll be interested to see if thats what you have ...might give me courage to go to doctors....strangly...was hardly there yesterday or today. Only thing I've changed is no bread...I think.
Plus I have been eating little and often.
Drank tons of water...took tons of vitamins and another hot water bottle to bed again just to relax me and it feels fine.
I can't believe my DH has just had his gallbladder out and that I would have the same....just weird!!!

I already know that my morning coffee definitely triggers it....I'm totally unsociable for an hour after it....(in a burpy way) I'm going to have to give it up aren't I? (boo hoo)

Thanks for link Daisy- I'll have a look through after my (small) lunch.....

Lackadaisycal- that sounds like me...I too thought it was red wine/liver and freaked out as since last march have cut down to and average of 14 units a week sometimes having less and weeks of at a time...yet this ache thingy/niggly back thing started from September and been on off since then.
I had raised liver enzemes and assumed its the fact I was drinking too much...freaked out...sorted drinking out and then 6mths later got this ache thing.
Thinking back, liver enyemes up a bit after I had my daughter...2 and half yrs ago and I hadn't been drinking for over 10 mths.
Maybe this has been grumbling for a while???
Any ideas anyone?
Oh well at least I cut drinking down..got into nasty habit of drinking at least 3/4 bottle of red wine every night and bit more at weekends...so thats good.

I think I read somewhere that if the gallbladder is inflamed it can push onto the liver and send it a bit into overdrive, so often liver function tests come back a bit irregular, when it's really the gallbladder?

the A&E doc said to me that if you fit the five F's then you are at risk of gallbladder problems.

they are female, fertile, forties, fat and fair (as in skinned)

well...I'm glad I sorted drinking but I didn't go back for 3rd retest as I thought they would still think I was drinking alot(bless my husband...he said he would come too) Then I googled loads of awful stuff and gave myself health anxiety...luckily that has disappeared abit but since this ache has happened set me off again abit.
I have been to doctors with chest infections...which for me was pretty brave as I thought they would say why hadn't I been back for test!!! What a state to get in eh?