Depressed and dont know what is happening.

My GI problems all started with an ER visit because I found that I could no longer eat in large quantities without feeling sick. I went into the ER complaining of nausea and "hunger" pains. Originally they thought I had a gallbladder problem. I was supposed to make an appointment to get an ultrasound but I decided to leave the ER early because I did not want to wait 7 hours over night before I could be seen by an ultrasound. Fast forward two days later,I went right back to the ER. Got my ultrasound and gallbladder ended up looking good. My problems still persisted so I was taken in for observation. Almost immediately a GI specialist walked in and got me ready to have an endoscopy(I think thats what its called,they put a tube down my mouth and looked around. It turned out that I have about 4 small duodenal ulcers with the largest being 4mm, they took a biopsy and put me on Protonix,Carafate,and Zofran for nausea.The doctor asked me about NSAID use and I said I only used them sporadically.Usually duodenal ulcers are either caused by NSAIDs or H Pylori.I was taken back for observation overnight.The next day I got discharged at around 2pm, I lied and said I felt better so I could finally go home to get the rest I needed. 3 days later and I am feeling much better with the meds I am on.

Now here is where things get tricky. I got my biopsy result today,I came out negative for H pylori which really saddened me because now I have absolutely no idea what caused the ulcers. I was told over the phone that it was not crohns and it was not cancer. Now I know that Chrons patients can have clean biopsies and still have crohns.

I am now losing alot of sleep because I am worried about what may have caused the ulcers. I was almost sure it was crohns since about a week ago but maybe it is just my paranoia. If it isnt the bacteria and it isnt NSAIDS then what could have possibly caused the seemingly random duodenal ulcers? Please help me out guys,I am absolutely desperate to find out whats wrong with me. I feel way better than last week but I keep getting thoughts of how the ulcers even got there to begin with. In a patient with duodenal crohn's do the PPI still get rid of the ulcer? How does a person with crohns even respond to PPI? Please guys I am absolutely desperate and I don't know what to think.

Any advice will be GREATLY appreciated from the bottom of my heart.

straydog said...
Hello Badstomach & welcome to Healing Well. Based on what you were told on the phone you have ulcers, you do not have crohns disease, I did not see that mentioned. You need to call the drs office & tell them you will come by to pick up a copy of the biopsy results. Get that & come back here & let us know what it says. There are other medications than what you were asked about that can cause the ulcers. The things they asked you about are usually 2 big culprits. Also, you can ask your dr to do a stool test too.

The medication you were prescribed is appropriate for the ulcers & should take care of them. I was on the same last year for an ulcer & it worked great. I was lucky that after a month on the meds I did not need to be extended for another month.

I highly suggest that you get the anxiety level down as that will not help you at all. Work with your dr. If you are still thinking you have crohns, you can ask for a colonoscopy, that is the gold standard test for diagnosing it.

Take care.

Thank you so much for replying to me,your post made me feel a bit better

Anyways,here are the biopsy results:


Document info Result type: Histo-Cyto Report Result status: authenticated Report released: Jul 05, 2017, 09:14 a.m. Specimen collected: Jul 03, 2017, 01:57 p.m. Encounter Histology-Cytology Report Patient:

Preoperative diagnosis: Epigastric pain Clinical data: Postoperative diagnosis: Gastritis, duodenal ulcers, hiatal hernia, GE junction stricture Special instructions: Specimen source: A. Gastric bx, B. GE junction, C. Upper esophageal bx A. In formalin labeled "gastric bx": 4, 0.2–0.5 cm tissue piece(s). Totally submitted, 1 block. B. In formalin labeled "GE junction bx": 2 0.3-0.5 cm tissue piece(s). Totally submitted, 1 block. C. In formalin labeled "upper esophageal bx": 2, 0.4-0.5 cm tissue piece(s). Totally submitted, 1 block. AMR

M.D. A. STOMACH, MUCOSAL BIOPSY: GASTRIC ANTRAL AND BODY TYPE MUCOSA WITH NO SIGNIFICANT HISTOPATHOLOGIC ABNORMALITY. B. GASTROESOPHAGEAL JUNCTION, MUCOSAL BIOPSY: SQUAMOGLANDULAR MUCOSA WITH MODERATE REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS. NEGATIVE FOR GOBLET CELL METAPLASIA. C. UPPER ESOPHAGUS, MUCOSAL BIOPSY: SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM WITH NO SIGNIFICANT HISTOPATHOLOGIC ABNORMALITY. A., B., C. Microscopic examined.

beave said...
The biopsies you show are from the stomach and esophagus - and they show normal stomach, lower espophagus inflammation, and normal upper esophagus. That is consistent with acid reflux disease (GERD).

Why didn't they take any biopsies of the duodenum, at or near the ulcers?

Do you have any symptoms related to bowel movements, ie, diarrhea, blood in stool, excessive mucus, et?

Do you have any fevers? Joint pains?

It's very unlikely this is Crohn's disease. 4mm ulcers are tiny and could be from a number of things. In some people even occasional use of NSAIDs is enough to cause such ulcers.

No fevers,closest I got was 99. No joint pains I feel pretty good,I could do intense physical labor if I had to. If I look hard I can see a tiny dot of blood from time to time on my stools but I do have hemorrhoids. I have seen a really hard to see white thing that looks like mucus on my stool but like I said it rarely happens. I feel good right now besides the ulcers,I am scared I will forget about this and in 10 years I am going to be having alot worse symptoms in other parts of my digestive tract.

Badstomach, your endo biopsy gives the dx of GERD not crohns. Again, if you are convinced you may have crohns ask for a colonoscopy. Work with your GI for treatment of GERD.

Take care.

Labradorite said...
Hi Badstomach, I agree with those above, work with your GI and if you are really concerned get a colonoscopy. An ulcer frequently exist all on its own,causes the symptoms you mentioned and is not part of a larger disease.

I really hope thats the case because I have been feeling so anxious about this for weeks with no resolution. My ulcers still hurt but I have a hard time understanding how ulcers can magically happen. Same thing with Chron's how can you be perfectly normal for your whole life and then "magically" have an autoimmune disease.

Update:Still haven't seen GI because they take their dandy time. I am having to push EXTREMELY hard to go to the bathroom. The stool isn't bad in size but it is yellowish. I am still consistently constipated. Sorry for going into gross detail,but does anyone know what could be possibly going on??

Went to a different GI than the one that saw me in the ER.

He wants to do his own endoscopy. Really seems like these doctors are wasting my time,why can't they just cut to the chase? Maybe,I am just getting a bit too emotional over my health issues. I also have the option of having the colonoscopy done at the same time but the doctor says that he would rather see if the ulcers got better before going onto the colonoscopy.

Update:

I thought I had made an appointment for a endoscopy,turns out doctor made another apointment to CHITCHAT not even a doctor, a SPECIALIST. I went berserk. Some of these doctors are some real pricks(pardon my french). I have been constipated with yellow stool,feeling sick for a month and all these doctors do is joke around and waste time.

The specialist even said "CHRONS IS NO BIG DEAL! THERE IS TREATMENT DONT WORRY!!! It took every ounce of self composure to not beat the living crap out of him. Who the hell does does this doctor think he is lying to me? Like I am too stupid to not understand what Chron's is. I know exactly what it is,Ive known about it for years actually from other people.Some of these doctors are some of the most socially inept people I have ever met.

These guys literally need a child with chron's or chron's themselves to even begin to realize the magnitude of the problem and the toll it takes on a person emotionally.This is a terrible disease and I have doctors acting like it's nothing more than a common cold. It really pisses me off to be honest. I have been patient enough,tell me what's wrong with me or run some test,don't just sit there looking at me like a ****ing idiot smiling.

Sorry for my rant healing well,I am not doing good psychologically. Not that it's the doctors fault my body is failing me,but there is no need for the BS. If I am f$#$ than tell me so,don't tell me chron's is no big deal. Some of these doctors show zero empathy at all,they can't even fake empathy like a narcissist or a sociopath. Instead they just sit there with their goofy smile telling you Chron's is no big deal. Man I am upset.....

@straydog I went in for the meet and greet visit with the new GI. We scheduled an appointment for an endoscopy(or so I thought) turned out he thought I wanted another meet and greet the next week. I was absolutely livid. Why would I schedule a meet&greet for the second time,let alone with a specialist.

The fact that these doctors say chron's is no big deal. That pisses me off beyond my limits. I have holes in my digestive system and these guys make it seem like it isn't a big deal. I don't know if that is what they tell ignorant patients to keep them going/happy but to me it's an insult to my intelligence.

Some people with Chron's have bloody diarrhea 12 times in ONE DAY. If chron's isn't a serious illness then I don't know what is to these doctors. Like I said,too many doctors have no empathy at all......

The second specialist I haven't let him do an endoscopy yet. He says if the endoscopy shows my ulcers are getting better with PPI than it isn't Crohn's. I don't get mad at the doctor ever,so i dont know what is in my notes.

Nobody has the right to tell you how you are supposed to feel about your disease. I am not DX'd yet,but even if I don't have it I don't know why a specialist would think it's not that bad. Some of these specialist honestly show no EMPATHY at all,and it isn't the first time I have encountered this.

I am angry at the world for doing this to me,how can Chron's be a minor disease? Then they started saying cures where going to come out. I saw a flyer at the specialist office for something called a MAP bacteria experimental trail.

They don't even know what causes chron's. Some say it is an Auto immune disease,others say it is bacteria. How are we close to finding a cure if there is a literal split in how doctors view the disease. I don't want to offend anyone here but IMO this disease is not anything mild even if you have "Mild" chron's.

I also feel like there won't be a cure because on average drug companies profit 50k USD per patient with Chron's. If they find a cure that money would dry up.They say they can't cure hairloss but that the cure is coming,same thing. They would rather sell rogaine,pills,and transplants than find a cure because they make more money that way.

Why do doctors have to lie about the severity of things?Cancer patients get told the same lie "You are in remission,you are cured!" knowing darn well that the patient isn't cured from anything. Remission just means you are temporarily healthy but your body has already shown it can and will produce cancer so at any moment you can relapse and be sick again.


Ive read pages on pages on google about Chrons. I understand lying to the patient is usually the best way to go since most people would rather believe a lie than find out about the awful truth.For me personally,I find it disrespectful and unnecessary.

Now I don't know if this makes gastro symptoms worse,but i get really PISSED off and about 15 minutes later I feel stomach pain immediately.

Glad to hear they healed! It sounds like you are in good shape then! it sounds like that confirms the GERD diagnosis.

Post Edited (Labradorite) : 7/26/2017 11:41:24 AM (GMT-6)

Did you tell him about your concern about Crohns disease and your issues with constipation? If so, thorough doctors will take that extra step to be completely confident in their diagnosis and to see if there is anything that would warrant further investigation. I have had many tests to rule out various conditions like this. What did the doctor say. Some doctors wont go into too much detail right after a procedure if they think you are too groggy and they leave further discussions for follow up visits. Did you schedule a follow up?
I know you want reassurance and answers but from my experience it takes patience. There are no simple tests for most conditions and no 100% guarantees on anything.

CAT scans came back from the barium test and they showed no intestinal blockage. Is there still a possibility I MAY have chrons? Any other test I should to be completely safe?