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What Causes Prolonged Stomach Upset?

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Posted on Wed, 15 Oct 2014
Question: Gastroenterologists, please help. I need a second opinion on my upset stomach going on for about a month now. My diet was really messed up for the past 2 months, and symptoms started showing when I had really bad food.
About a month ago: I started having low appetite and random food schedules. I was still having bad spicy food in irregular intervals.
About 2 weeks ago: First day, it was diarrhea and cramps in stomach in the early morning. I took two Imodium tablets (1 evening and 1 night) to control it, and diarrhea was stopped, but stomach started feeling really bad. I've been having only yogurt, rice and fruits since that day (with few other light foods rarely as exception).
After four days, I thought it is serious, and visited a gastroenterologist about this bad stomach, who checked me by listening to symptoms, pressing my stomach, and informed there is tenderness, might be an infection, and prescribed Arloc DSR (before breakfast and dinner), and Ciplox (after breakfast and dinner), and mentioned I will feel alright within a day, and will be well within a week - and then I should discontinue the antibiotics and take only Arloc for one more week.
Though there was no more diarrhea and motion was good (which wasn't frequent since I had too little food), I always had this bad feeling in my stomach. like something was wrong in there. It goes like this: every early morning, it pains a little and gives a cramp kind of feeling, and every time I take food, with just few spoons of it, stomach feels really really full. My weight decreased from 76 to 73 in the last month, and fell from 73 to 67 this month, and I'm terrified :(
Within 4 more days, I went back to my doctor on my continuing stomach problem, in addition to weakness and nauseous feeling. He asked me to stop antibiotics, and take 2 new tablets - one is Libra or something I can't read, and another is Ondem. He pressed my stomach and said I'm already much better, and these tablets instead of antibiotics. He then asked me to go for blood tests and ultrasound and come back next day.
Next day, blood tests, liver profile and ultrasound came out good, and Whole abdomen ultrasound showed everything good except grade 1 fatty liver changes. He said " Everything looks good, and it should be alright soon, but if it doesn't get fixed, come back by Monday and go for an endoscopy - it is interesting that you feel this way. May be your stress is an important factor. Be relaxed, it is all fine." That was yesterday.
Today - at around 3 in the morning, I started having that burnt or light painful kind of feeling in stomach, and I only had fruits in the night. This is not even just indigestion, as I had that kind of problem a year ago.
This is a big problem in my life now, and this causing me to really stress out. Though it is not searing pain, I cannot live with my stomach like this. I cannot get admitted in a hospital because the doctor does not consider this serious enough, I have already used too many sick leaves, and I think I'm running out of them now. I will provide you as much info as I can. Please help.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr.Raju.A.T (18 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Endoscopy will help

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for your query.

I am medical doctor, an associate in Department of Gastroentrology, working with an experienced medical gastroentrologist. I answer on his behalf.

You do have a serious problem but with simple cause and simple treatment. Need not worry.

The intestines work on a timely rythm. The movements are wavy and have a time table of their own and same applies to the acid and digestive juice production. Intestinal movements and juice production will be aggressive three times a day or depending on the food habits. If this gets disturbed , it sets up a chain reaction leading to passage of undigested food. This will make you weak as absorption will be less, this is evident by low urea, disturbed albumin levels in your blood and presents with all time stomach discomfort.

Since your problem is existent for long time, I believe this would have lead to gastritis and enteritis. An endoscopy can prove this.

I would like to know the report of the endoscopy before I advice on treatment.

Also, I do not think that the problem you have is due to anxiety and Librax would help you.

Waiting for your response,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr.Raju.A.T (1 hour later)
Thanks for the response. Your quick response on this question would help me decide few things:
1. A correction from my end - I might have been too biased in my original post due to my fear. After some thinking, I admit I do have excessive flatulence these weeks, and it could be something related to that.
2. The issue is, I am new to my firm, and having exhausted all my sick leaves, it would be easier for me to get the endoscopy done by next Saturday.
Having said that, health is more important than career for me, but do you think I must go for endoscopy today - ASAP, with my career at stake, or can you suggest some medication to me to relive my pain until I can get the tests done next Saturday?
I'd like to use your expertise here, to postpone the test if this is something known and not critical, and discomfort can be relieved.
(BTW, I tried oily food yesterday, and I have slight pain in the stomach since morning. Again, this is all just slight pain, that comes and goes.)n update - my endoscopy yesterday came perfectly normal and doctor said he couldn't diagnose something wrong.
Doctor didn't focus much on the new severe stomach ache I had yesterday, and prescribed Meftal Spa (which didn't control the pain too well until night). I thought it was due to constipation because it was really difficult to pass stools yesterday, though bowels were full, and also lot of gas. So I started taking that lactitose or some powder he prescribed, and started drinking lot of water.
I left to my hometown XXXXXXX yesterday to at least get proper food. I don't have that sort of pain anymore and I want to just continue with the medicine he prescribed, Arloc and librax before breakfast and dinner. I Will continue with these medicines for two days and if things go worse or appetite goes down (which is actually improving now) I will visit a doctor here and may go for CT scan. I hope it won't go there. Does this plan sound alright, or am I missing something important here?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr.Raju.A.T (47 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Yes, continue

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Sorry for the delayed response,

Yes, since the endoscopy has come normal I would suggest you not to worry and continue the medication your doctor has suggested you..

There would be no need for any addition.

Wish you good health.

regards,
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Dr.Raju.A.T

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 4901 Questions

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What Causes Prolonged Stomach Upset?

Brief Answer: Endoscopy will help Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for your query. I am medical doctor, an associate in Department of Gastroentrology, working with an experienced medical gastroentrologist. I answer on his behalf. You do have a serious problem but with simple cause and simple treatment. Need not worry. The intestines work on a timely rythm. The movements are wavy and have a time table of their own and same applies to the acid and digestive juice production. Intestinal movements and juice production will be aggressive three times a day or depending on the food habits. If this gets disturbed , it sets up a chain reaction leading to passage of undigested food. This will make you weak as absorption will be less, this is evident by low urea, disturbed albumin levels in your blood and presents with all time stomach discomfort. Since your problem is existent for long time, I believe this would have lead to gastritis and enteritis. An endoscopy can prove this. I would like to know the report of the endoscopy before I advice on treatment. Also, I do not think that the problem you have is due to anxiety and Librax would help you. Waiting for your response,