... experiencing became excruciating and I was admitted into the hospital. I was put on Carafate and Protonix. A couple of weeks ago, I vomited massive amounts of blood and was admitted. I was told that there are three ulcers now. I received blood transfusions and IV Protonix that time and instruction to continue the Carafate and Protonix rx's. I do not seem to be getting better. I am in pain a lot of the time. All of the foods that are supposed to be "good for ulcer patients" cause me pain (bananas, apples, milk, etc.). I am living on Gatoraide and Ensure. I eat about one-half of a regular meal daily. I'm run down, sickly and need advice. This is my very first post to a board, ever, as I'm usually just a reader. So, forgive me if I haven't followed proper posting etiquette. Any help will be greatly appreciated
Stomach Ulcer - Hi. I was dx. with a duodenal ulcer in October after the daily pain I had been?
Question posted by LoHa on 27 Jan 2016
Last updated on 22 April 2020
Answers
Hi loha, i am having similar problems for which i am now needing stomach revision surgery to remove the damaged portion of my stomach. I am on (right now) nexium 2ce a day, dexelant 30mg 2ce a day, bentyl 3xs a day, and carafate (liquid or pill) 4xs a day. A lot i know. And though i still sometimes vomit blood its not nearly as much nor as bad. But i do highly suggest that u ask ur dr for a script 4 a GI cocktail (i normally get 3 or 4 at a time.) Its what the er gives to you. But as to keep up your energy while you are unable to eat as ive been down this road many times, i suggest that you visit a website called bariatricchoice.com. they offer awesone protein supplements that only need to be added to water (unlike those you buy in the stores) and come in several different flavors that actually taste good. They also only conatin protein. No sugars or anything like that. The protein will help keep your body from crashing (like a diabetic with insulin kinda) and keep u with energy. I highly recommend this route as u will also be able to stay hydrated. Right now thats all u need 2 b concerned about. If you have anymore questions please dont hesitate to ask as ive been dealing with ulcers since 07. But have been vomiting blood almost dying several times since dec14 having been hospitalized several times, seen countless drs, and am unable 2 count er visits 2 so many ers that i need both fingers and toes to count them!
Thank you snowgirl1638. I am actually replying to you so late because I just had another bout of vomiting for three days and today is day four, when I finally feel okay enough to check my email. I had very little blood this time so maybe it was just a stomach bug. They seem to be more brutal now that I have ulcers. I hope I don't progress to needing stomach revision surgery. I'm sorry to hear that you have been through all of that. I have had GI Cocktails in the past and they do give some prompt relief. I will check bariatricchoice.com out! I know that protein deficiency and dehydration are definitely what I'm struggling with. Even my skin looks saggier since all this started. Thank you so much for your insight. I hope that you are on the road to wellness now. Keep me posted!
These are almost the exact symptoms I have felt for the past year , except for bleeding , puking for 2+ days is torture + pouring sweat while freezing , I have 0 energy , live off ginger ale , sprite , & a coke cola or 2 a day ( I know please don't down me ) I've lost 35 lbs in just 2-3 months , look like a zombie & don't care also depression has set in , the 'Stay at home thing does not bother me , as I been staying home except for going to the Dr, 2 times a month since Oct 2019. I been on Sucralfate for over a week now ( 9 days now ) no real relief yet . Hope yr better now .
Hi LoHa, are you home or still in the hospital? I had ulcers in the late 1980's that wouldn't heal but they didn't bleed. Apparently there are various ways to treat ulcers and basically you have to do what helps you. As far as I now know most ulcers are caused by bacteria so usually an antibiotic is also used. They didn't know this in the 80's which is why my ulcers never healed. Carafate didn't help me and Protonix didn't exist yet. I was given the older drugs, Zantac and Pepcid along with Mylanta. Then in 1990 a new class of drugs came out. The 1st was Prilosec. That helped me but I still have to take it or pain comes back.
Btw I hope you are seeing a specialist known as a Gastroenterologist. Use Mylanta or Maalox but not within 2 hours of any pills you take.
Now who said to eat bananas, apples, and milk? No. Our digestive systems produce powerful acids to digest foods. When you have serious ulcers you don't want to cause any more acid than necessary. All dairy products cause a lot of acid. They once felt milk coats the stomach to protect it, but taking Mylanta 1/2 hr after a light meal is better. No dairy products for now. Another no no are raw fruits and vegetables. They need to be steamed until they fall apart in your mouth. Or better yet puree them. On a different food such as meats, you want them very rare. So no poultry for now. The more meat is cooked the more acid is needed to digest it. I was in so much pain I ate bread and baby foods for a month.
Prilosec is now an OTC med, but I find the OTC one doesn't help me, so I make my Doc give me a script.
One last word. One Doc told me that when Protonix is given as IV it works well. But he said it doesn't help many people as a pill. I'm 1 of them.
Bleeding ulcers are very serious LaHa. Please do what is necessary to get better. Once you find the right meds and you're eating the right foods, you should feel better in 2 weeks but it will take longer to completely heal.
Also, no alcohol, caffeine at all. It's in most sodas teas and there's even a little in decaf coffee. Not for you, not now. That's all I can remember right now. Get well.
Thank you Thor283. I am out of the hospital now. I am now seeing a Gastroenterologist and the plan is to repeat the EGD in a few weeks to make sure the ulcers are healing. I am H Pylori negative, based on the pathology reports from the EGD back in Oct. so I was able to avoid all those antibiotics. I just wish the ulcers had been cauterized to prevent any more bleeding. Instead, epinephrine was injected into them which is only a temporary patch. Thank you again for giving me some insight from a "veteran" ulcer sufferer.
I hope my advice helps. Bare in mind that what helps 1 patient doesn't always help us all. Carafate is such an old drug I'm actually surprised it's still in use. Did you look it up? It is supposed to dissolve and then somehow stick to the ulcers like an internal Band aide. The problem I had with it was that my stomach needed so much acid to dissolve it that it did more harm than good. If your pain increases after taking it call your doc and tell him. I know a lot about to cure many things but I'm not a doctor. I'm what's called a very educated layman. And since I've had numerous illnesses I have decent experience treating them.
If you need to feel free to send me a pm. I'll always answer.
I'd been suffering from stress related nausea 11 years which no-one believe; H. pylori negative. I had upcoming surgery late 2014 and was stressed to the limit about it. I complained to my doctor 3 weeks before that I had throw up quite a bit of blood one morning and he nodded and ushered me out of the office.
After the surgery they put me on blood thinners and 5 days later I started passing blood, lots of it; so off to endoscopy where they imaged 7 duodenal ulcers (the largest 1.2cm / 1/2 an inch) was bleeding freely so they banded all the ulcers and gave me three litres of plasma (one pint off a gallon) to restore blood volume and pressure. Now I take Pantprazole for the gastric reflux (less acidic)
Thor283, I am truly scared of Carafate, which is actually a safe drug. I am scared because of the timing of my four doses. You know... can't take within 2 hours of food or other meds, etc. etc. I am scared of (TMI Alert) getting bound up and ending up with an obstruction. I know that's already a risk with the ulcers being in the duodenum. I cheat and take it twice a day a lot of days. I still struggle with giving up sodas. I am not a coffee drinker but with so little nutrition these days, I depend on sodas for energy. I probably need to find something else to give me that boost. I work night-shifts and staying awake is becoming harder and harder. Again, I thank you for your feedback. I'm an RN but I work in a small, rural hospital. We do not even have Gastroenterologist in my facility. I have access to endless medical libraries, journals, etc. but there's nothing like talking to actual people who are going through the same things that you are. They always offer more clear cut info than the aforementioned. Thanks again!!
Wow Stephen! You are very lucky. Blood thinners + bleeding ulcers = disaster. I hope you are okay now!
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carafate, protonix, duodenal ulcer, stomach ulcer, pain, ulcer, stomach, blood, hospital
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