Doc thinks I may have this.
Nothing out of normal with general blood test. Waiting for results on latest testing for intestinal infection. Scheduled for ulrasound next week.
9 days of little sleep and not a whole lot of food is really beating me down.
Can anyone out there give me some idea of what my expectations should be?
Weeks, months or more to nurse my stomach back to somewhat normal? Manage it for life?
And, tips on ways to manage it or kick it?
Savor your health people.
what the hell, babump.
I had rather severe gastritis and the starts of an ulcer at the ripe old age of 18. I’ve tried every pill on the market and the only thing that has kept it at bay is managing my diet, little to no dairy has been the key. Managing my diet (which does not mean eating well) is just identifying the food items that create a sick feeling, noting them, and keeping them out. For several years after my initial bout I would have minor relapses mostly associated with a string of bad eating and enormous stress at work. I never felt 100% until I started acupuncture treatments with a Chinese medicine expert in Austin. Her combination of acupuncture and herbal remedies left me feeling new.
Wow, accupuncture. Interesting.
For a good three years I’ve avoided dairy, processed/hydrogenated food, no alcohol, nothing carbonated. No pills of any kind.
However, I was over eating. Maybe that did it. Healthy food, just lots of it, often right up to bed. I didn’t gain weight (training plenty) and it did not otherwise bother me, so figured it was cool.
I was pretty much in the same boat, but I was swimming a lot. The supporte horizontal position (similar to riding in the aerobars) coupled with a hiatal hernia allowed the gastric juices to erode the lower portion of my esophagus. It was due to this pain that I was even checked out to begin with.
What, exactly, are your symptoms? How did it start? Did you have fever, chills, aches and pains?
Thanks for taking an interest docfuel.
This got kinda long…
The night prior to the first bad night I really strapped on the feedbag, more than usual - steamed veggies and turkey, large bag of whole grain chips, bowl of plain salsa, some tofu, some fig newmans, bowl full of dry cereal with at least two large handfuls of raisins. Plenty of water.
I was not surprised when I woke a bit earlier than usual and had quite a few BMs throughout the morning, but they were normal.
Ate more conservatively that day. That night woke up ~2a.m. with very uncomfortable bloating, slight nausea. Tried for hours to burp it all out, seemed an unending supply. Nausea and discomfort (general area of stomach, no sharp pain spots) got worse, such that I welcomed vomitting. The vomitting was dry and violent but did bring up some nasty air eventually. Crawl into bed again around 6a.m. for a few hrs of half sleeping. Some hot/cold and chills around the vommitting.
Lesser discomfort when I woke. Did not want to eat but would get in some water, weak gatorade, maybe a little kashi cereal with soy milk and banana.
Repeat the whole ordeal for 7 days. Day 5 went to doc, prescribed donatal, takes blood. Back to doc on day 7. Blood tests show all things normal. Gives me Protonix 1x day. Allows me to sleep some but again wake during the night, bloated.
Back to the doc, takes blood to test for infection. Results not in yet. Says if not an infection I should get abdominal ultrasound and maybe a scope down the throat.
It’s now day 12. Currently taking Protonix 2x day and antibiotics. Have had a few nights of decent sleep. Eating plain chicken baked potato, banana and soy milk with cereal.
Feeling a bit light headed at times, occassional hot flash and elevated HR about 15-25 beats above usual.
3 hrs of belching last night, got it all out and got a few hrs of sleep.
I’ve had 4 months of unemployment and a knee injury that had me unable to bike, limited running and rather depressed. Maybe that’s a stress factor.
Is hard to speculate with your symptoms could be a number of things. I assume the US is of your gallbladder which could cause similar symptoms, however that pain is usually RUQ and worse after fatty meals which it doesn’t sound like you eat. I think being concerned about an ulcer is reasonable and the only good test in my opinion is a scope. The blood test isnt 100% for current infection but will tell you if you have been exposed. I would also be worried about inflammatory bowel dx, this can be evaluated with a scope or a contrast series of xrays. Or this could be bad Viral gastritis which can make dairy products problematic as this can induce lactose intolerance. If this continues have your doc send you to a good GI person. Good luck!
Has he checked your stool for Giardia, Helicobacter pylorii (the stool test is more sensitive and specific.). Many, if not most of the bacterial stool tests may be very helpful, now that you’re on antibiotics. (My pet peeve–what exactly is the antibiotic for?) Yersinia and Campylobacter tests may no longer be useful.
Are you haveing a lot of pain, or mostly nausea and some vomiting. Pancreatitis can cause recurrent vomiting and abdominal pain. Blood test and Ultrasound can help with that diagnosis as well a gall baldder disease.
You’re not pregnant, are you?
This much I know - I’m not pregnant.
36yr old male, 5’10" 140lbs for the record. 
Waiting on Hpylori test (blood) results. No blood in stool.
Never heard of Giardia.
Yeah, I hate antibiotics too. All meds as a matter of fact. No advil or the like at all for me. But, I’m grasping so I just went with his recommendations. I was in rough shape before the holiday weekend and he put me on them on the chance that there is an infection of some kind.
It’s not sharp pain at any point really. Just very very very uncomfortable, with some nausea, such that it wakes me and I realize I am pumped like a tire at 110, above and below my navel, but not really down at pelvis level.
When hrs of belching does not relieve it, or it even gets worse, I opt to induce what becomes violent dry heaving, with maybe some yellow gunk, that gets some more air out from down deep and some relief so I can sort of sleep. Then it’s a lesser stomach ache during the day with no desire to eat, until I go to bed dreading what might come around 2a.m.
The Protonix (pantaprozole sodium, stops acid production as I understand it) has helped, so I’ve had only minor version of the above the last 2 days/nights. At least I think it’s that and not the antibios that help.
Is ultrasound and a scope down my throat redundant?
In the mean time, try sleeping propped up. You may have a hiatal hernia which they won’t diagnose until you have a scope done.
sorry to be so slow.
Giardia is a parasite which can cause loose stools, abdominal pain, even nausea and malabsorption. Usually from contact travelling out of the country or ingesting water from some fresh water sources, including some lakes and streams. Incubation period is usually several weeks.
Are you having bowel movements? Could you have a partial obstruction? Remember Barry Gibb died of a volvulus, twisted bowel, from a congenital abnormalitty in the anatomy of his bowel.
The loose stool and sudden onset, I would conjecture, would be an unusual start to a hiatal hernia.
Can you lay out in detail, exactly how it started and howit has progresssed, including BM’s, which fods, if any make it worse or better, what other things seem to make it better or worse. Where is your pain and exactly does it feel like (not a diagnosis, please.) Are you having chills, fevers, other aches and pains. what color are your stools and urine. etc.
A little good news, I think.
Test results were positive for H pylori bacteria.
I’ll be finishing out the course of antibios (amoxicillin 100mg 2x day and clarithromycin 500mg 2x day).
With luck that will be the end of it. If not, it will be scope time. As I understand it, the H. pylori can cause ulcers or simlar longer term damage to the stomach lining.
Fingers crossed and knocking on wood.
I am not having pain, and I am having bowel movements. A slight ache at times and a little gurgling going on once in a while.
Hope I am right to be somewhat relieved. Is there anything I should be looking out for at this point?
Thanks very much docfuel for your thoughtful attention.
I hope that is what it is. The blood tests for H. Pylorii may indicate a past infection, which may have been mild or asymptomatic. If you are improving, keep on the same course. If not, get a stool parasite test and a Giardia antigen test.
Oh! yeah. I hope that Amox is 1000, not 100mg, twice daily.