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Im not sure if this is a common problem...but in May, I started having bad indigestion...burning feeling about an hour after I ate or drank. Doc never ran any test, but prescribed me Nexium..its a Purple & yellow pill. Any why I have been on the pills for 10 weeks. 70 pills...do ulcers hell? Is their anything else out there stronger than Nexium?? How long should it take to heel an ulcer?
I believe the current thinking is that ulcers are caused by a bacteria (H. Pylori something?). Unless your doctor is also treating you for that bacteria, an ulcer may not heal. Then again, you may only have GERD, not an ulcer. You might want to see a gastroenterologist (stomach specialist) and ask about this. And yes, I would think you would feel at least some improvement after 10 weeks. I take it you're not. Time to find another doc.
Nexium is commonly prescribed for GERD. If you have an ulcer you need a sample of your stomach lining biopsied to see if it's h.pylori or something else. I had to take 4 antibiotics for 2 weeks to cure h.pylori.
The quick and easy thing for a MD to do is to give you a drug to respond to your symptom, to see if it helps. Granted afterward you still do not know what the problem was, or how to address the problem but you have a script that addresses the pain.
I would also advise you see a specialist.
One method used to assess how severe an ulcer is, is to monitor how much blood you pass in your stool. My docs had me on slowly increasing levels of tums for many years, as long as I was only passing small levels of blood in my stool. The trigger that finally got them to send me to a specialist was by the increased level of blood I was passing.
If you are not passing any blood then it is likely not an ulcer.
I have an ulcer, ulcers are confirmed by running a camera down to take pictures of it. I have the pictures of mine.
Some ulcers are caused by H.Pylora, not all and not mine.
This GERD thing is this something that just gradually comes or all of a sudden? My stomach burning happened all of a sudden, when I researched the systems all I keep finding was Ulcer links...not the ones in your stomach, but the ones between the stomach and intestinal track area...normally the pain goes away after I eat or drink a lot of water, but 1 hour later its that burning pinching feeling. Im back on the Nexium now...still have no clue what it actually is.
GERD or Acid Reflux is when stomach acids come up from your stomach toward your throat. Possibly eroding your throat lining.
With an ulcer commonly you make too much acid. Without food to digest the acid turns to digesting your stomach lining or intestines. Eating bread may help for a few hours, as it provides something for the acids to digest.
Originally my docs gave me the option of surgically sealing a duct that normally carries acid to my stomach. However since H2 blockers have became so popular, I think this type of surgery has became obsolete. Medical professionals prefer you to simply be hooked on their drug.
Keep in mind that with the majority of stomach ulcers the true culprit is H. Pylori. Which is a common gut bacteria, which can cause ulcers. If you get tested, you may have this condition. It is treated with a soup of multiple anti-bacterial drugs.
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