Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Stomach problems

Hello everyone,

I need to ask a question of anyone who has had stomach or bowel problems. I have been having bad stomach problems since the start of January. My dr. thinks possibly an ulcer since I have been on meds for 2 yrs. straight. I have been off all medication except for prevacid for three months and am still having significant problems. I am not sure what to eat anymore because everything gives me pain or gas and bloating. The prevacid does not help with digestion at all. Starting today I decided to eat only one food per day and each day add another food and see if I can even find something to eat that doesn't bother me. So I am not sure if it is an ulcer, IBD, colitis or what?? I have not had stomach problems before this so am at a loss right now. The pain seems to be lower down in the large intestine but my dr. says sometimes it can be referred pain. You would think being on prevacid for 6 weeks would give some relief if it was an ulcer. Anyone have any ideas or input I would appreciate it enormously. The good news is my AS is non existant. I am almost wondering if it has moved inwards instead of agravating my joints and back. Any input from someone who may have experienced this before would be appreciated.


Debbie

aloha Deb,

i'm still on prevacid...after 3 years...down to one 15mg per day...i was on Tolectin for 27 years...knew
something was wrong for four months before starting the prevacid...after six weeks on prevacid,
my old medical braintrust switched me to Indocin...the bleeding was catasrophic bad...up to TWOx 30mg/per day.

weight went down to 142 lbs...ate very, very little (500-600 calories a day)...no appetite at all...I think
prevacid in turning down the acids, turns down digestion too...jmho.

good luck...keep at it...{ DON'T CHANGE MEDS }...horrible way to die.

still get a little burny, burny somedays...my deal with old pcp was that i could stop the prevacid in july.

best
aloha Ben

i remember trying to go to work one of those bad days, spent 45 minutes peeling a carrot, sat down and fainted...
not sure what i fed them that night.

Debbie i am sorry about your stomach difficulies! I have had good luck with over the counter ranitidine. my kidneys stopped me from taking NSAIDS 4 years ago but my stomach always did ok on these.It is a shame about the cox2 drugs ,I had hoped it would solve the stomach problems of my fellow arthritis sufferers.my first rheumy,who moved to another state was really big on the pink stuff ,pepto bismol,but of course it is kind of constipating.Good luck with the tum!
kev

Aloha Ben,

Sounds like you have had your fair share of tummy troubles. Must be tough working in the food business having stomach problems. So what were you able to eat and what did you eat to alleviate the discomfort? I am still not 100% sure it is an ulcer but chances are it is. I am having a barium drink on Friday so hopefully it will shed some light on my problem. If not it will rule out one problem. Yes I agree the prevacid slows down digestion as well. Makes for a lot of discomfort to say the least. Wow it has taken 3 years for you heal your ulcer. That is a long time. I will keep at it, but you know if it isn't one thing its another. Thanks Ben.


Debbie

Hi Kevin,

I do believe the Cox 2 drugs were no easier on my stomach than the others. I was on Bextra the longest. Gosh if it isn't AS, it's the side effects of the drugs you take for the AS. I knew that this could happen but I just didn't see it coming. I always took my medication with food so thought I was safe. Now if I can just get this under control I should be laughing. Well I do have some pepto bismol in my medicine cabinet so I may give it a try. Thanks Kev for the encouragement!


Debbie

Hi Deborah

I was on Bextra for 2 years. In June 2004, it couldn't control the AS pain anymore. In addition, I was having stomach pain. Dr. thought it was ulcer. I stop Bextra completely and take Nexium for 6 months before the pain is gone. Now, I'm still taking Nexium because I still have occational pain depends on what I eat.

Olivia

Hi Debbie,

Just because you have been without your medication for three months, it doesn't mean that your ulcers will go away during that time. Ulcers do NOT heal easily. I had stomach ulcers from 1962 to 1973 and during that time, even though I decided to stop taking meds, the ulcers got worse.

Surgery removed half my stomach and the ulcers in 1963 and by 1969, the ulcers came back as I was taking a dozen or two aspirin a day for AS pain. So, back to the operating table and half of my existing stomach was removed. By 1973, ulcers had again appeared in my small remaining stomach and I went to a specialist who recommended surgery again but this time, he also wanted to do a vagotomy (sever the nerve that controls the dumping of acid to the stomach).

This time, the ulcer didn't come back. The downside was that my stomach was now only 12 percent of my original stomach and my weight went down considerably. The specialist did tell me that I must have been getting far too much acid going to the stomach and without the vagotomy, I would have ended up with almost no stomach.

I really don't need the acid now. I eat my food with a variety of enzymes and my weight is coming back but, very slowly. And I have had no ulcers for many years now.

Hope your Doctor can find out why this problem is still with you.

George

deborah,

hiya like you I suffer from gut issues, lower down is the main problem up high this is usually diet and worse meds.....

In me COX2 are as bad as the older COX1.

the only way I now to get real answers is endoscopic examination, looking for ulcers or the signs of inflammation. Meanwhile diet and habits may need to be modified.

Alot of my upper GI tract action happens at night and so making rules like no eating after X.XX pm no coffee after.....do n;t drink after

no snacks and avoiding the food which may trigger an attack can help a heap.

The other things are tests for the bacteria involved in peptic ulcer the pylori ones etc, which may be present it is simple and anti-biotics ususally clear it up. It;s a breath test!

Hope this helps!

david

aloha, Deb

i had a long conversation with rheumy#4 about ulcers...he was quite upfront about 'celebrex ulcers';
saying that the cox2 nsaid had bad statistics...the tests/trials from which the drugcompanies extrapolated
their 'safer on the tummy' data were all based on an exposure of six months( at most) to the drugs.
in my year 2002...111,000 folks were hospitalized for nsaid ulcers; 10,500 of them died.
in 2003................165,00 " ; 15,000 of them died.

and when you think you got 'em licked, it's like old george says; they have a propensity for coming back.

good luck and take care of yourself.
all the best
aloha Ben

Hi Deborah,

I have ulcers from my medication (Diclofenac Sodium - Voltarol), and I have to take Epromedizole (I think that's how u spell it) It coats my stomach and puts a protecive "blister" over the ulcers.

I had been without pills (Up until last week) for 3 months and still had to take the ulcer medication to stop the nausea and bowel pain.

Do you get severe heart-burn as this could also be Reflux Disease, where the stomach gets weak from pills and the valve that keeps the acid in doesn't work and sends gastric juices shooting up your gullet, very unpleasant and can cause your symptoms. The pills I take also remedy this.

Hope you feel better soon,

Steve