I think I have a duodenal ulcer

GLORIAmunchkin72 · Jan 24, 2006

You'll have to hang tough until you can get more tests done. In the meantime you can make a list of food that you can tolerate and stick to those. Good luck.

I'm a nurse but no GI expert. And I feel my MD is not taking me seriously. I have gnawing abdomen pain 2 hrs after I eat, nausea and some nasty reflux. I eat about every 2 hours because eating helps the pain for a little while. All my MD did was a CBC and CMP which came back normal. He gave me a script for Prevacid and said if that doesn't work, then he will schedule me for endoscopy when I follow up in 5 weeks. What if I can't wait 5 weeks? If I go to the ER, do you think they will go ahead and do an endoscopy or an H. pylori test? I just want some answers, and I don't think a CBC and CMP is exactly the best indicators for my condition. Do you think the ER could help me if I go ahead and go there? I would just like to go ahead and get the endoscopy done. OK I'm gonna go eat now.
Marlene

KimRN03 · Jan 24, 2006

Marlene~Unfortunately, the ED in my hospital will not do a consult in GI for anything but emergencies (Foriegn Body or GI Bleed). I would maybe give your doc a call and tell him the med is not working, order an H Pylori test and can he refer for an EGD. I know our GI suite is booking out into March. Hope you can get in sooner. Hope that helps!

Kim

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2006

Just try and be patient, and give the meds time to work. Stressing about it is only going to make things worse! Do a google search and try and find websites with reccommended diets for people with ulcers, and see if that helps too. Even if they did a scope, they wouldn't do anything about it if you had ulcers but give you meds. It's only when they start bleeding that you would have anything else done, I think. If you start to feel weak or if your stool is black or bloody, then go to the ER or your doc. But in the meantime, try and relax, eat well (and often), and let the meds do their job.

fergus51 · Jan 25, 2006

I just went through this type of thing and found out I didn't have an ulcer afterall (despite having H Pylori and I got the prevacid and then protonix). Give the meds a chance. Generally for ulcers, they just give antibiotics and prevacid anyways. If things get worse, you can always call your doctor sooner than 5 weeks.

There are a lot of links on the web to diets that help with ulcers.