Stomach Ulcers

[ttyon]

Hi, I'm new. I don't feel like making a thread in "Your Story" yet, just know that I'm male, 21, have Crohn's but was just diagnosed a month or two ago, and I have a specific question.

I know that Crohn's can affect anywhere in the GI tract. Does this include the stomach itself? I ask because when I had my endoscopy, they found an ulcer in my stomach, and based on what I had told the GI, he attributed it to years of taking Excedrin regularly (I often get headaches, and found that Excedrin knocked it out very fast). I feel really stupid now for doing that, but I'm just wondering if it could have been the Crohn's instead that caused it.

It really sucks because it feels like I have a twofer -- I can't always tell if the pains are coming from my stomach or another area, so I feel like I get a double dose of pain. I think if I knew what was causing what pain, at least I could know what to expect, as it seems the pains are sometimes different from each other.

 

[Guest]

hi Ttyon & welcome to the forum.

we have discussed this elsewhere on the forum.. the incidence of people with Crohns suffering from ulcers/acid indigestion etc...

certainly in my case, when my Crohns was at its worst (but it was only found in my colon), i was on medication for stomach ulcers because of the pain and heartburn i experienced along with the other symptoms. after surgery, these ulcer type symptoms abated, but i am left with a tendency to osophaghitis (sp?) if i don't look after my eating habits properly.

 

[Colt]

It could be separate coincidences or it could be crohn's disease. Crohn's certainly can cause stomach ulcers. That doesn't mean it causes every ulcer though. Lay off the NSAIDs. You're not supposed to take them if you have crohn's in the first place because they can trigger flares.

 

[ttyon]

I know. I haven't taken it since being diagnosed, thanks.

 

[D Bergy]

Could be from aspirin. Maybe if you used the enteric coated kind it would be better?

H-Pylori causes ulcers and Crohn's can cause it also. I had the H-Pylori with no ulcers but a lot of pain. I would think you would be in pain with reflux if it was H-Pylori.

Dan

 

[ttyon]

I'm really starting to think most of my worse pains are coming from the stomach ulcer, because it just doesn't feel... low enough to be in my bowels. I feel really dumb not being able to tell where it's coming from. I've been taking 20mg Aciphex, I might go up to 40mg after my doctor suggested it.

 

[teeny5]

I too take meds for heartburn and such. None of that started until the Crohn's came on. I think it is all intertwined.