Small Duodenum Ulcers

I guess I am looking for a starting point. I came looking for a site like this because it seemed like every ucler site I found was dead set on dedicating 100% of their information to explain a bacteria causes most ulcers.

Well here is my situation.


I have had had a gnawing pain in my stomach area for a few years. I also had a weird headache and feeling of malaise. No Heartburn. I went to every kind of doctor I could find. My description to doctors lead most of them to tell me it is anxiety and spent a couple of years on anti anxiety meds and anti-depression, and other things doctors wanted to try.

I had gained 100lbs, felt like crap all day every day. the anxiety drugs can make you feel good, but I still had the gnawing pain and weird headaches. The only way to relieve the gnawing pain was eating. I didn't even really notice why I was eating at first. Doctors thought my weight gain was again anxiety and depression. After a while I started putting two and two together and told someone(a nurse friend) that the pain went away when I ate. She told told me ulcers can cause weight gain and headaches. Interesting I thought, I always thought ulcers made you skinny and never considered an ulcer a cause in headaches. 5 years ago I had an appendectomy I was beginning to honesty think the surgeon left a cottonball or something in my abdomen.

After talking to the nurse I called a gastro doctor(I had already seen another one who thought it was anxiety). I asked straight up for a gastro scope. Turns out I have many small duodenal ulcers. On the scope they look like a rash not a big sore. Also he did a biopsy and I dont have the ulcer causing bacteria.

So fast forward 6 months. I have been on Dexilant and nexium(not at the same time) and they sometimes sometimes don't. If I dont eat 6 big meaqls a day I have to chug maalox a bottle a day. So I figured this wasnt working.

I then started to drink alkaline water and my condition improved slightly, but I still had to either eat or chug maalox for the pain to go away(for a few hours max). Also eating healthy food didnt help as much as greasy burgers and other crap. I dint know why.

Now I have gotten some slippery elm bark pills. I take 4, 3 times a day ...they are listed as 370mg per pill. I also have some Aloe Vera juice I am drinking 2 oz a couple of times a day. I have been doing this for 4 days and I already have been able to keep off the maalox, and i dont wake up with the need to eat or hit the maalox before even showering. So I am optimistic but want to make sure i do this right. I am also backing off the alkaline water since starting the S. Elm and Aloe vera.



I guess what I am looking for is ....

Am I on the right track?

Do my symptoms make sense?(I am still skeptical after a couple of years of every doctor I talked to being wrong).

I would like to get all the info on my condition and how to treat it that I can.

I want to make sure I know the right questions to ask. Please let me know if I need to be asking questions I have not thought of.

I apologize, I have been researching but it seems very few people have non-bacteria caused ulcers and I have found no info on many small ulcers.

Thank You

I have no reflux at all. I realize I do not have GERD and apologize as this is the closest section I could find to my condition.

I am addressing the weight, its tough when I have to eat to avoid stomach pain. Kind of a catch 22. I have a gnawing pain in my stomach temporarily soothed by a big meal or maalox.

Doctor precribed Nexium and when told it wasnt working, I was prescribed dexilant. When I told the doctor that it wasn't working, I was told to "keep on it"

If anyone know of an ulcer board, my internet research skills seem to be falling short.

Just an update.

Slippery Elm tablets have been great for 3+ weeks now. I still have a little pain if I go more then 4 hours without a little food. But its much better, no acid blockers, less then 5 sips of maalox in 3 weeks(where I used to chug almost a bottle a day), just slippery elm.