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What Do Sharp Pains In The Upper Abdomen Indicate?
Question: I get really sharp pain in my upper abdomen about half an hour after dinner. It gets worse when I walk, and continues until I vomit suddenly and without any nausea preceding (my stomach itself feels fine). I feel a lot of gurgling afterwards with moderate discomfort, and will start passing a little gas. I am also very fatigued.
These symptoms seem to resolve if I eat soft foods for two-three days; when I return to normal, healthy eating for a day or two, it starts all over again. It isn't apparently aggravated by specific foods, and there is no obvious tenderness. The most recent episode was last night. Today I feel very tired, but the intense pain has become mild and intermittent again.
These symptoms seem to resolve if I eat soft foods for two-three days; when I return to normal, healthy eating for a day or two, it starts all over again. It isn't apparently aggravated by specific foods, and there is no obvious tenderness. The most recent episode was last night. Today I feel very tired, but the intense pain has become mild and intermittent again.
Brief Answer:
Gastroscopy should be done.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Since when do you have this pain? Does it radiate to back? Do you have bloating, cramps before passing gas? Do you have any stool patter change like diarrhea and constipation? Any blood or mucus ins stool? Have you lost weight recently? Do you drink coffee?
Your symptoms can be caused by peptic ulcer located in the stomach. Especially if the pain is located in the upper middle abdomen and does not radiate to back. The pain should be dull. Nausea and lack of appetite can be present.
I suggest you to have proper diagnostic done. Without it will be hard to find correct solution. Gastroscopy is what you should have for sure. This test will tell if there are any ulcers and if there is H.Pylori infection.
As you are over 50, no matter what gastroscopy will reveal, colonoscopy is what you should have for sure. It is necessary to rule colon cancer out. Over 50 the risk of this cancer significantly rises.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Gastroscopy should be done.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Since when do you have this pain? Does it radiate to back? Do you have bloating, cramps before passing gas? Do you have any stool patter change like diarrhea and constipation? Any blood or mucus ins stool? Have you lost weight recently? Do you drink coffee?
Your symptoms can be caused by peptic ulcer located in the stomach. Especially if the pain is located in the upper middle abdomen and does not radiate to back. The pain should be dull. Nausea and lack of appetite can be present.
I suggest you to have proper diagnostic done. Without it will be hard to find correct solution. Gastroscopy is what you should have for sure. This test will tell if there are any ulcers and if there is H.Pylori infection.
As you are over 50, no matter what gastroscopy will reveal, colonoscopy is what you should have for sure. It is necessary to rule colon cancer out. Over 50 the risk of this cancer significantly rises.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I've had three episodes in about three weeks. There was a lot of bloating the first time, but not as much pain; the last two times very little bloating. The pain doesn't radiate to my back, but does press upwards if I lay flat. I have had both diarrhea and constipation as well as normal stools--it goes back and forth. No blood, a little mucus just once. No significant weight loss, and I don't drink coffee. I still have an appetite and get very hungry!! Again, there's no nausea, just a very sudden urge to vomit when the pain becomes intense, then the pain subsides relatively quickly.
The pain is sharp and spiky, like gas pain, and sort of ricochets all over until the vomiting and passing of stool. I was diagnosed with stomach and duodenal ulcers in October 2012, but that pain was not the same as this, and I never had the vomiting.
Additionally, I had anrx for augmentin for ten days, and this started a week after I completed that; I thought it may have caused this, but then why won't it resolve?
The pain is sharp and spiky, like gas pain, and sort of ricochets all over until the vomiting and passing of stool. I was diagnosed with stomach and duodenal ulcers in October 2012, but that pain was not the same as this, and I never had the vomiting.
Additionally, I had anrx for augmentin for ten days, and this started a week after I completed that; I thought it may have caused this, but then why won't it resolve?
Brief Answer:
Antibiotic can destroy good intestinal bacteria.
Detailed Answer:
Augmentin destroys good intestinal bacteria. This bacteria are present on the large intestine surface. When you take an antibiotic some of this bacteria are killed and there are free spots left on the intestine surface. This spots can be taken by bad bacteria which replace the good bacteria. Presence of bad bacteria can cause mild stool problems. But yours symptoms seem to be caused by something more serious.
As you have history of peptic ulcers, this should be checked for sure. Symptoms might be different depending of the ulcer location (stomach seems most probable right now). Duodenal ulcers can also cause some narrowing due to inflammation. Narrowing can give sudden vomiting without nausea.
And finally, partial bowels obstruction needs to be ruled out as well. Stool pattern change, bloating, vomiting all can be caused by this issue as well.
So here is what should be done:
- abdominal x-ray at first (to rule out an obstruction)
- gastroscopy as a second test
- and no matter what will gastroscopy show, colonoscopy
Regards.
Antibiotic can destroy good intestinal bacteria.
Detailed Answer:
Augmentin destroys good intestinal bacteria. This bacteria are present on the large intestine surface. When you take an antibiotic some of this bacteria are killed and there are free spots left on the intestine surface. This spots can be taken by bad bacteria which replace the good bacteria. Presence of bad bacteria can cause mild stool problems. But yours symptoms seem to be caused by something more serious.
As you have history of peptic ulcers, this should be checked for sure. Symptoms might be different depending of the ulcer location (stomach seems most probable right now). Duodenal ulcers can also cause some narrowing due to inflammation. Narrowing can give sudden vomiting without nausea.
And finally, partial bowels obstruction needs to be ruled out as well. Stool pattern change, bloating, vomiting all can be caused by this issue as well.
So here is what should be done:
- abdominal x-ray at first (to rule out an obstruction)
- gastroscopy as a second test
- and no matter what will gastroscopy show, colonoscopy
Regards.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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