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November 22, 2009
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Patient Discussions: Peptic Ulcer - Symptoms At Onset Of Disease

Peptic Ulcer - Symptoms At Onset Of Disease

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

The symptoms of peptic ulcer can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

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Related Article: Peptic Ulcer

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Comment from: Eric, 35-44 Male (Patient)

I was told I had a peptic ulcer. When I worked lifting, the pain made my work extremely difficult. The pain started in the back above my kidneys and radiated to the front on the sides of my ribcage. You would swear it was a heart attack coming on. Sometimes I felt it in my chest around my heart. When I ate, the pain would subside and then come back about 30 minutes later. I bought Zantac 75. Then it would be gone for three or four hours, but come back sooner. I then switched to Zantac 150. That worked a lot better. I found out after trial and error that taking it first thing in morning was better than taking it at lunch. Now, my work performance is back to normal. Published: April 08 ::

Comment from: 35-44 Female (Patient)

3 days ago I began to have stomach pain that radiated into my spine. I had this last fall and went to urgent care. They did an ultrasound and results were that my pancreas was fine and so was my gallbladder, they did find I had a hemangioma on my liver non-symptomatic, not related to the pain. I had a CT scan to confirm that it was benign. Here I am again with this pain, I am guessing it is an ulcer, so I've been taking Prevacid (my 3rd day). The pain has gotten better but my stomach is sore to touch or when I push on the lower right area. I'm thinking it's because that area is still sensitive, should it already be better? Today I'm feeling a little tired, it’s not like me to be tired in the morning, is this Prevacid? Yesterday I also took Maalox to help with the pain, but now I have diarrhea? Should I go to urgent care or wait to see my doctor next week? Is this consistent with ulcers? Published: April 06 ::

Comment from: 25-34 Female (Patient)

My first symptoms were nausea and sharp pain under my breast bone, particularly at night. The worst pain would wake me up and usually lasted for 30 minutes or less. I was diagnosed with three gastric ulcers through an upper endoscopy. I was prescribed Nexium for 90 days, and that did a great job of controlling my symptoms. I tried to stop the medication after that time period, but the nausea returned. I am back on Nexium for the time being, but I will probably try some OTC options soon because of the expense. Published: March 31 ::

Comment from: Mary, 45-54 Female (Patient)

My symptoms started with black tarry stools, weakness and light headedness, but no pain. I went to my doctor, who said that I needed to be admitted to a hospital as I had internal bleeding from an ulcer. I was admitted on the same day and stayed there for seven days of treatment. I needed a blood transfusion - 6 units - as by this time I was quite anemic with hemoglobin of 6.5, when the normal reading is 12. I was given omeprazole for the ulcer. The endoscopy showed I had a duodenal ulcer. The ulcer was negative for h. pylori, and was induced by NSAIDs namely Naproxen. This medication was stopped to prevent further damage, and I was advised not to take anti-inflammatory drugs at all. The onset of this illness was very sudden, and required fast medical help, otherwise I could have literally died from it. This was a very scary experience for me. Published: March 05 ::

Comment from: tomdabom007, 35-44 Male (Patient)

I have been dealing with these ulcer problems for several weeks now, and was just diagnosed by a doctor. Before that I didn't know what the problem was, just that something was very wrong. My symptoms: Any time I ate a meal, I would soon develop an aching feeling in the upper right quadrant of my abdomen, and/or a burning, gnawing pain right below my breastbone, frequently followed by vomiting. The pain would last for from 5 to 8 hours. I have experienced kidney stones in the past, and if I rate that pain as a 10 (on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being no pain) then this pain could get as bad as a 7 or an 8. Published: September 12 ::

Comment from: casper, 25-34 Male (Patient)

Two years ago I too had some sort of burning sensation in my stomach; I consulted a physician who prescribed antacid for almost two weeks. After that I didn’t have any sort of burning but the skin on both of my cheeks started drying up and turned itself into a sunburn like appearance. Immediately I consulted a dermatologist who prescribed some ointment. This never worked. At the same time my friends say that it’s a symptom of the ulcer. I am in a dilemma these days, so can any body help me out. Published: June 29 ::

Comment from: Flipper, 55-64 Female (Caregiver)

A few weeks ago I began feeling slight stomach pain, a dull ache, enough to make me aware and uncomfortable. I had never had any health issues before, this was totally out of character for me. I follow a very healthy lifestyle and eat veggies, fruits and only seafood. I began drinking excessive amounts of wine during the last few months. I did some research and determined that I might have created an ulcer due to this binge drinking. I have suspicions about the possibility of the H-Pylori (Helicobacter)and/or Vibrio parasite infection. I looked up stomach cancer and my symptoms are very similar to its diagnosis since I am burping after meals and never did this before. I'm very scared now and confused. Most cancers become fatal because early symptoms are usually ignored. Nexium and Zantak did not help the dull ache, in fact, when I discontinued them the ache went away, but I still burp and feel warmth in my stomach after I eat. I have been under stress as well. I stopped drinking completely and I suppose if this is an alcohol induced ulcer, it should heal in a few months. I guess if symptoms don't get better by then I will visit a gastroenterologist. Published: June 29 ::


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Peptic Ulcer

What is dyspepsia (indigestion)?

Dyspepsia is one of the most common ailments of the bowel (intestines), affecting an estimated 20% of persons in the United States. Perhaps only 10% of those affected actually seek medical attention for their dyspepsia. Dyspepsia is not a particularly good term for the ailment since it implies that there is "dyspepsia" or abnormal digestion of food, and this most probably is not the case. In fact, another common name for dyspepsia is indigestion, which, for the same reason, is no better than the term dyspepsia! Doctors frequently refer to the condition as non-ulcer dyspepsia.

Dyspepsia (indigestion) is best described as a functional disease. (Sometimes, it is called functional dyspepsia.) The concept of functional disease is particularly useful when discussing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The concept applies to the muscular organs of the gastrointestinal tract-esophagus, stomach, small intestine, gallbladder...

Read the Indigestion (Dyspepsia, Upset Stomach) article »










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