I was put on pepcid 2 weeks ago fur burning stomach that radiated into back (pancreas and liver test came back normal and I have no gallbladder). It helped first day but 2nd and 3rd day not at all so doc put me on 20 mg omeprazole and burn continued so he upped ut to 2x a day and added sucralfate 4x a day. That seemed to do the trick for a week but the last two nights around 2 am I'm woken by wave of nausea that is followed by horrible burn in center stomach, radiates a little to back and heart rate increases. I take the sucralfate and get relief 1.5 hrs later. Is that typical for early treatment of ulcer? Is there break through burning like that or should I be switching meds ?
You will only know if you definitely have an ulcer by having an endoscopy. You may simply have acid reflux rather than an ulcer. I had severe acid reflux like you describe and was convinced I had an ulcer. An endoscopy ruled this out. I was diagnosed with a weak lower oesophageal sphincter. Maybe you have that . At the moment, your doctor has not formally diagnosed you with anything He is trying to reach a diagnosis by trying you out on various medications. Omeprazole can make you feel sick, increased heart rate could be your anxiety. Having no gallbladder can also cause complications such as bile acid malabsorption which causes diarrhoea. BAM is diagnosed via Sechat scan and can be treated, See your doctor again and ask if you need to switch medications for your heartburn or up your dose.Try milk for your heartburn and stay as calm as possible because anxiety can trigger acid reflux. My anxiety triggered my reflux.
HI Sarah ,
I am so sorry that you are going through this. Last May , I started with a terrible burning pain in my upper right quadrant where my gallbladder used to be and it would radiate to my back. Just like you. At first it was all day no matter what i ate , then it would happen 2 hours after i would eat and sometimes wake me up in early morning. I also was given the same medications as you are taking. Then i was given the sucralfate but i only took it 2x per day because it can interfere with my other medications i am taking. When i would take the sucralfate ( liquid ) it would cause the burning pain .I mentioned it to my gastro but they didnt know why that was happening. So we switched to the pills and i would dissolve them in alittle water and that seemed to work better. After about 2 weeks i was switched to protonix 40 mg once a day and then twice a day and i finally got some relief . My gastro really wasnt into the sucralfate because she said that it only lasts for about 30 min but she wasnt sure if what i had was bile reflux. But it took like 2 months before i could say that i could see an improvement . In between meals if the pain got too bad i would take gaviscon chewable or papaya enzymes and that helped. If you are having break through then they should switch to another PPI. You need to take the omeprazole 30 min before a meal to work correctly. By 3 months i finally was all well so i stopped the sucralfate and just stayed on the protonix 1x a day. Every once in a while it will start up again so i go back to the protonix 2x a day for about 2 weeks and then i am good . My gastro at one time thought it was spinchter of oddi . Its a condition that people that have when they have no gallbladder but her diagnosis was GERD . I can tell you that the burning pain and the back pain can be terrible. I hope by now you are feeling better . Please keep us posted .
Dear Sarah,
I hope your endoscopy report and H.pylori tests are normal, and you don’t have any gastric ulcers. This means you have hyperacidity (increased levels of stomach acid). The burning or the reflex that causes nausea is due to the stomach contents pushed towards your oesophagus. This is very common in people suffering from hyperacidity, and this happens due to the increased peristaltic movement. Let me explain to you what is a peristaltic movement, it is a movement that pushes food from mouth to stomach.
Sometimes, due to acidity, this peristaltic movement is reversed, and stomach contents are pushed towards the oesophagus. This causes that intense burning sensation.
If you explain your condition to the doctor, your doctor may prescribe domperidone. This drug may reduce the gastric reflux, by reducing the peristaltic movement. Your doctor may also prescribe mefenamic acid and dicyclomine if you have intense stomach pain.
Please take the medicines strictly as directed by your doctor. Omeprazole must be taken on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before food. If you are taking antacids, take it half an hour after food. Omeprazole is well absorbed in an acidic pH. Adding antacids reduces its efficacy. Studies show that proton pump inhibitors are ineffective in most people because they do not follow the guidelines.
Take food on proper time and do not skip meals. Drink lots of water and correct your sleeping habits.
Hope this helps.