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Stomach ulcer
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Just to keep you updated:-
The blood test for H Pylori came back negative.
The symptoms seem to have cleared up now... I was told to continue the course of Omeprazole for 2 months, then if the symptoms returned, I should be referred to a Gastroenterologist.
Oh yeh, and i turned 28 while this discussion has been going on0 -
A very low-carbohydrate diet improves gastroesophageal reflux and its symptoms. may interest other readers of this thread.My weight loss following Doktor Dahlqvist' Dietary Program
Start 23rd Jan 2008 14st 9lbs Current 10st 12lbs0 -
JoeyG wrote:The symptoms seem to have cleared up now... I was told to continue the course of Omeprazole for 2 months, then if the symptoms returned, I should be referred to a Gastroenterologist.
Excellent - a GP that thinks outside flow diagrams!
Glad to hear things are better - if I'd have known you were now 28.. well... hmmm...April Grocery Challenge £81/£1200 -
Errr... no the GP followed appropriate NICE advice.
Clearly a case of Crohns wasn't it DrFluffy?
An endoscopy here would really have been helpful wouldn't it - £500 waste to the NHS, a waste of the OP's day, undue discomfort for the OP, risk of perforation... all for the diagnosis of a probably peptic ulcer.
Lets put this case as an EMQ for you:
A 27 year old male attends your GP practice complaining of dyspeptic symptoms. What is your initial management after lifestyle advice?
1) Refer to Gastro team for endoscopy
2) Do nothing
3) Trial of PPI followed by helicobacter testing if symptoms persist
4) Give him some ibuprofen0 -
It's good to see two medically-trained people having a 'discussion' here. Whilst they may not agree, their reasoned arguments at least counteract (to some extent) the pseudo-science that is so prevalent on the health forum.
I hope to see more of this 'healthy' debate!0 -
Paul_Varjak wrote:It's good to see two medically-trained people having a 'discussion' here. Whilst they may not agree, their reasoned arguments at least counteract (to some extent) the pseudo-science that is so prevalent on the health forum.
I hope to see more of this 'healthy' debate!Are U getting enough Vitamin D in your life!?0 -
mr_rush wrote:Errr... no the GP followed appropriate NICE advice.
Clearly a case of Crohns wasn't it DrFluffy?
An endoscopy here would really have been helpful wouldn't it - £500 waste to the NHS, a waste of the OP's day, undue discomfort for the OP, risk of perforation... all for the diagnosis of a probably peptic ulcer.
Lets put this case as an EMQ for you:
A 27 year old male attends your GP practice complaining of dyspeptic symptoms. What is your initial management after lifestyle advice?
1) Refer to Gastro team for endoscopy
2) Do nothing
3) Trial of PPI followed by helicobacter testing if symptoms persist
4) Give him some ibuprofen
Thinking about only the most 'likely' issue is the difference between a Nurse Practitioner and operating from a predefined protocol (at best you might miss 5% of diagnoses, at worse you might kill 5% of people, as they are not covered by whatever protocol/flow diagram is being followed), and being a doctor, and having full facts and a more wider ranging knowledge...
If you go back to the beginning - the conversation was about what start to think about IF THE TEST WAS FOR H.PYLORI WAS NEGATIVE...April Grocery Challenge £81/£1200 -
'Hmmm - Not offering medical advice, but I would push to see a gastroenterologist. All a blood test will show is if you have had H.pylori in the past, not that you currently have it (but of course you may). A breath test, a CLO test or a stool test are the only ways of assessing current infection.
'
where on earth have you put about asking for gastro referral if helicobacter testing is negative?0 -
This seems to have caused a very complicated debate which I'm going to ignore since I didn't really understand most of it
My experience was that I was diagnosed with an ulcer when I was doing my uni finals (around 1992). I took various tablets etc to cope with symptoms. Avoiding acidic foods helped. As did not drinking alcohol before eating (and ideally not much at all!). Stress definitely didn't help. When I was really in pain I'd just pretty much eat cereals which I seemed to tolerate okay.
A couple of years ago I finally got tested for heliobacter and it turned out I had it. I took the antibiotics and thankfully apart from a touch of indigestion when I've overindulged I am feeling great. I had ten years of pain, stress and discomfort for the sake of taking some antibiotics. I had asked for a test at my docs when I first heard about heliobacter but never succeeded in actually getting it! In fact when I did get the test and phoned for the results they told me they were negative. Six months later I got a letter asking why I hadn't been in to have the heliobater treated - they'd given me the wrong info on the phone. Just to warn you about this.
And another warning, if you do take the antibiotics eventually, by the last day of taking them I felt very very depressed and bleak. Very luckily someone had warned me that they could affect you in funny ways and DH was able to remind me of this and I managed to get off work for the day - knowing about it was a lifesaver.
I hope you get it sorted out. My ulcer made me miserable and having it treated gave me a new lease on life!!0
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