Stomach Ulcer???

emiliewright

Hello All,
I am hoping this site can suffice as a doctor because I have no health insurance

Okay, a week or two ago, I started having that wierd hungryish, creaking, loud, gassy type feeling in my tummy and increased gas and bloating. I can eat something and it will feel okay for a bit but then just comes right back.
My co-worker gave me Zantac and that seemed to help for a short time but otherwise nothing is helping and it is miserable!!!!
Every bit of research I have done points to an ulcer, so I am thinking I am going to buy some prilosec and self diagnose and treat. But before I do that, i wanted some opinions, have any of you had an ulcer, know what sort of pain I am talking about, or have any suggestions?
THANK YOU!!!!

anubis609

Even with a semi-complete medical background, I couldn't even begin to diagnose anything, online of all places, without a physical assessment and listening with a stethoscope and palpating for pain. But from what it sounds like, if there's no pain associated with your gas and bloating, it might just be excess gas buildup. It would depend on what you're eating. I understand that you have no health insurance, but I wouldn't recommend asking for medical advice on a forum. Lol. Sorry, emilie. I don't recommend self-diagnosing either, but if you absolutely insist on it, I'd go to a medically based site for that. WebMD or something.

Other than that, if you can find a way to get some kind of consultation from a physician, that would be the best method for you to be absolutely sure. Self-diagnosing may cause more harm than good. But make an informed decision and I hope you feel better, however you choose to do so.

Temporalia

I would be careful before self medicamenting, I had a friend who had an ulcer and she did that and got herself into a lot of trouble, she was vomiting blood and had to have surgery to stop the bleeding in her stomach. She didn't do the appropriate treatment.

As for your symptoms, do you have any acid reflux? I have the same symptoms (I bloat to the point I have trouble breathing and have acid reflux). My doctor put me on Nexium, plus I have some more tests to run..it might be an intolerance or something around that. Nexium has helped me a lot with acid reflux.

emperorsdream

It sucks that you don't have health insurance, but you can't skip a doctor on this one. Are there any free clinics in your area, or in a city that you can drive to? Stomach issues can be related to a wide variety of illnesses. Ulcers are caused by too much stomach acid and a bacterial infection (that may need treatment). That said, you can determine if you have too much or too little stomach acid with a simple home test: swallow a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and if the pain goes away you have too little stomach acid. If it increases, then you have too much acid. If you actually do have an ulcer, then Aloe Vera juice is good, lots of leafy dark green vegetables, cabbage juice, and eating soft foods, like banana, avocado, potatoes, yams, squash put in a blender or food processor to soften more. eat frequent well cooked meals. Drink a lot of water, especially when there is pain. Chew foods thoroughly, avoid caffeine, alcohol and pain killers.

Mostly, please find a way to go to the doctor. You've come this far to take care of your health...

sweebeesmom

Try the minute clinic at CVS, you can find coupons for it, shouldn't be too expensive. I just got diagnosed with a stomach ulcer yesterday and was put on karafate and prilosec. I had two episodes of sudden urges to vomit (spaced a couple weeks apart) and just gnawing weird stomach discomfort a couple hours after eating. It could be an ulcer, but it could also be gallstones. They'll probably want to test for H. Pylori, which is a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers which you'll need two weeks of antibiotics for.

Good luck!