Stomach Ulcer and Stomach Emptying

[Brad P]

Hi all

I have a bad stomach ulcer where I had a gastrojejunostomy in 2010. Symptoms started mid-May and ended up off work mid-June. I've lost weight and much blood where I needed a blood transfusion. June was a painful month where I could hardly eat solid food, mostly shakes. I had a scope done June 30 that confirmed it was a large ulcer and but isn't causing a blockage. My GI increased my PPI and it seemed to improve things but throughout all this my stomach seems slow to empty. A CT scan back in June showed no blockages or narrowings elsewhere in the bowel.

My question is can an ulcer slow down the stomach emptying process? Perhaps affect the nerves that make the stomach empty? Hours after eating I hear sloshing where my stomach is and in the evening I am distended/bloated around the naval. I saw my GI last week and unfortunately that day I seemed fine, no sloshing or bloating. 2 days later I consumed more that day with few ill effects but the past few days it's gone downhill again.

On a side now I've had some pain return and dark stool again, it had been improving and now I've taken steps backwards I hope it's just a minor set back. I can still eat some solid food.

This ulcer has been very frustrating

 

[ronroush7]

Hi. I am sorry for all you have gone through. I don't know the answers to your questions but I hope they can get you feeling good soon.

 

[MissLeopard83]

PPI medications can actually cause slow gastric emptying due to the low stomach acid levels. My GI put me on one when he thought I had a stomach ulcer (the upper GI endoscopy showed no evidence of one) but I had to d/c its use because I felt like I had a brick sitting in my stomach due to my food not digesting and it HURT. As soon as I stopped the medicine, it went away. PPI meds are usually prescribed for ulcers, but low stomach acid is one of the side effects. I think I have low levels anyway because I have GERD.

You might want to discuss your symptoms with your doctor and see what he/she says.

 

[ronroush7]

Yes. Talk with your doctor.

 

[FrozenGirl]

Agreed with talking to your doc. Additional tests may be warranted. Maybe a gastric emptying test ( to see how fast food is going through you) or an upper barium study to check for abnormalities in your stomach/esophagus.

 

[Brad P]

I saw my GI a few days ago and I mentioned it but she didn't really have much to say. She examined my abdominal area and at the time there was no sloshing or bloating, and everything felt pretty good. It's frustrating when that one time you want those symptoms things are fine but a day or two later the symptoms reappear.

I've been on PPIs for many years. Nexium certainly has not limited my ability to eat the past 6 years prior this ulcer. I've only been taking 2x a day for 2 weeks and had the slow emptying symptoms prior that.

I don't feel sick, no sensation of heartburn, no burping worth talking about. I'm having BMs almost daily. I can manage 3 medium meals a day and a snack or two. Just have the bloating/sloshing. I thought ulcers may interfere/interrupt the emptying process, perhaps affect the nerves or something.