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Allen
12-06-2023, 11:40
This is to inform others so bare with me. It could happen to you.

Monday afternoon I experienced some mild stomach pain exactly like you would expect from eating an un-ripe piece of fruit as I did with a banana. The mild pain lasted 3-4 hours and went away. I thought nothing of it. Also, Monday day I had a normal and regular bowel movement (I'm getting there). Monday night I had to go again. This time my bowels were "loose", still a common occurrence. I found afterward that the toilet bowel was filled with blood, mostly dark clotted blood which would indicate blood from the stomach and not anywhere downstream of the stomach. These identical BM's kept occurring throughout the late night and early Tues morning. By the time I went for my 4th visit I had become dizzy, nauseated, and was burning up with a hot sweat (not chills) due to the loss of blood. I had several occurrences after this too.

After this happened several times I estimated my blood loss at around 2 quarts. While this sounds far fetched my reading up on it somewhat confirmed it. I tried to look up how fast your body could make new blood but as you have blood leaking into your stomach it more than likely can't keep up. Going to the bathroom is only a measure of how much you're losing, not the rate it's pouring into your stomach. Frequency matters too. I had so much coming "in" that I never felt hungry since I was always full of blood. I read where the stomach tear can be like 1/4" to 2" so there can be a lot of variance.

Per articles read: An average human body weighting 180# contains 10.5 pints blood (1 1/2 gallons). I weight a little more than this so my blood level would be slightly higher. When you lose around 30% of your blood you start to become dizzy and nauseated (no mention of the fever/chills). If you make it to a 40% loss you will no doubt pass out and your organs will start to shut down. At that point blood would need to be given to you with no guarantee's of complete recovery. Beyond that you become worm food.

I write this to say beware, it could happen to you or anyone and I'm NOT out of the woods myself but the bathroom visits have reduced way down. I still can't walk far due to being dizzy when I stand. This happened to one of my sister-in-laws too. I am taking Prilosec OTC and Tums to reduce my stomach acid so healing can begin and it is working (?).

Bottom line:
You can get an ulcer w/o any warning.
You can lose a lot of blood fast and w/o a lot of discomfort till things get really bad.
You probably won't know you have an ulcer till you use the bathroom and one may not be available. Once this happens you will have to become a toilet hugger if there is a lot of flow.
With a large opening there's nothing you can do about how much blood you're losing and a visit to the ER would require stiches if you were to make it on time.

A lot of people get these on a less severe level. I've never had one before that I know of but in my case "when it rains it pours".

S.A. Boggs
12-06-2023, 12:05
Same symptoms that I had, mine was stage 4 colon-rectal liver cancer. Only a Dr/tests can advise otherwise.
Sam

bruce
12-06-2023, 12:59
My brother had dark blood in the toilet. He thought he'd be okay. Finally went to doctor. Test. Xrays, etc. Colon exam. Three times. Nothing. Finally found the source. Cancer in his throat. Lived four weeks and two days. Don't fool around trying to self-diagnose. Get to a doctor sooner than later. No good way to delay. He left a wife and two small children. Thank God he had a pension from his department. He'd been when them a little over 20 years. 48 years old. Sincerely. bruce.

Art
12-06-2023, 02:09
S.A.Boggs and bruce have very good advice. See a doctor. Even if you don't have cancer the results can be lethal. One of my best friends collapsed in the shower when he was still in his late 20s. His wife heard him fall, saw him and called 911. He had nearly bled to death from an ulcer, spent several weeks in the hospital. He said his only symptom was weakness but thought nothing of it. One of the most dangerous things you can tell yourself in a situation like this is "maybe it'll go away."

dogtag
12-06-2023, 03:12
Glad you're on the mend.

lyman
12-06-2023, 03:41
knew a Gent that had similar, a slow bleeder ulcer,

he always look off in color, and was sluggish as in tired,

docs finally found it and took care of it,

kj47
12-07-2023, 05:11
I hope you have a full recovery>

oscars
12-07-2023, 08:16
Over 80% of ulcers are caused by Heliocobacter pylori. Common diagnosis is by breath test followed by heavy antibiotic treatment for one to two weeks. Proton pump inhibitors are also given for two to four weeks. See a Doc to get this treatment cycle!

Allen
12-10-2023, 05:16
Update:

First off: I appreciate the kind words, suggestions, and comments.

Second: I would have updated sooner but had a setback yesterday. It appears everything stopped as quick as it started otherwise I wouldn't be here typing now.

W/O a bunch of unwanted detail like I stated in my op everything seems to be recovering. Do I think the Prilosec OTC made a difference? No, and certainly not that quick as it is time release, but perhaps my condition started because I had stopped taking it about 3 months ago. I have been taking this stuff for decades due to chronic heartburn (why I just happen to have it on hand). After giving up foods with gluten the heartburn went away and I stopped with the anti acids. Now I'm thinking my system may still be as acidic as before and the gluten may have been giving me an early indication of needing help. So, for now, back to regular dosage.

Strange

Art
12-10-2023, 06:55
So glad you're on the mend.

Acidity is definialey one of the symptoms of gluten intolerance. Some of the meds I'm on now cause stomach acidity and Alka Seltzer has become my friend.

lyman
12-11-2023, 07:43
Update:

First off: I appreciate the kind words, suggestions, and comments.

Second: I would have updated sooner but had a setback yesterday. It appears everything stopped as quick as it started otherwise I wouldn't be here typing now.

W/O a bunch of unwanted detail like I stated in my op everything seems to be recovering. Do I think the Prilosec OTC made a difference? No, and certainly not that quick as it is time release, but perhaps my condition started because I had stopped taking it about 3 months ago. I have been taking this stuff for decades due to chronic heartburn (why I just happen to have it on hand). After giving up foods with gluten the heartburn went away and I stopped with the anti acids. Now I'm thinking my system may still be as acidic as before and the gluten may have been giving me an early indication of needing help. So, for now, back to regular dosage.

Strange

go see a doc, re the Gluten

wife is Celiac/GF intolerant,

most with that condition also have something esle going on too, she has Sjogren's (SHOW-grins),

she was on a medication that was prescribed by her endocrine doc, (she had part of her thyroid removed a few years ago) to help with and prevent osteoporis and it was giving her severe heartburn,

while I doubt you have the osteo problem, the heartburn was a side effect, and you may have a similar side effect from something esle

Allen
12-11-2023, 08:18
go see a doc, re the Gluten

wife is Celiac/GF intolerant,

most with that condition also have something esle going on too, she has Sjogren's (SHOW-grins),

she was on a medication that was prescribed by her endocrine doc, (she had part of her thyroid removed a few years ago) to help with and prevent osteoporis and it was giving her severe heartburn,

while I doubt you have the osteo problem, the heartburn was a side effect, and you may have a similar side effect from something esle

Actually I do have some osteo problems. Years ago I had problems, went to a GP doc in great pain. He prescribed ibuprofen (only). After 2 weeks the inflammation had resided some from taking the IBP but while in a lot of pain I went to a orthopedic surgeon doc I knew. He did x-rays and I was sent to the local hospital to have an MRI done. It turned out I had a pinched nerve due to calcium buildup in the C3 and C4 vertebra's (lower neck). He recommended me to a surgeon buddy of his for surgery. This last guy, who may have been a good doc, had the bedside manners of a outhouse rat. If you don't have confidence in someone you don't want to trust them with something like this. Meanwhile, a number of my co-workers had the same surgery. ALL of them ended up still in pain. Still having the same problems except worse. Some of them ended up walking around like Frankenstein while one ended up going out on permanent disability.

Currently, a former classmate of mine has been bed ridden for the past year from having this surgery. While the operation itself may have gone OK (who knows?) air got into his system during the surgery and now he is having blood clots as a result. He has been paralyzed for a year now. Death is his only and best reward now.

I decided to not have anything done and I know now I made the right decision. My only aftermath is a slight numbness in my right index (trigger) finger and like you said, maybe this along with the acid and gluten played a part. Thyroid was recently checked as OK.

So I do go to doctors but it is because of doctors that I am reluctant to go to doctors.

Mark in Ottawa
12-11-2023, 03:08
Thank you for the briefing.

Back in the 1950's my father died as a side effect of surgery to deal with a dudenal ulcer. In those days, it was thought that ulcers were caused by stress. Many years later it was determined that they are caused by bacteria and in most cases are treated with two antibiotics. Too late for my father unfortunately.

Your case seems extreme. I had no idea that ulcers could cause a tear in the stomach

Glad to hear that you are mending

Allen
12-11-2023, 04:36
I had no idea that ulcers could cause a tear in the stomach

Glad to hear that you are mending

Thanks Mark.

Some of what I posted is what I have been reading which states the tear is caused by acid burning through the stomach lining. Doctors normally prescribe antibiotics along with antiacid relief. Both of which I'm taking. I assumed the antibiotics were in case food and other stuff in the stomach existed through the opening into the body but what you listed may be the real reason.

- - - Updated - - -


Acidity is definialey one of the symptoms of gluten intolerance. Some of the meds I'm on now cause stomach acidity and Alka Seltzer has become my friend.

Tums is OK too though relief is temporary. In a tight a pinch of baking soda in a glass of water works too.