I understand brother. What I recommended nutritionally may actually give you some temporary relief, although I’m not completely sure, keep in mind, we are proceeding without an official Dx. We have got to slow down that weight loss though. And the lack of energy is likely more the effect of low-calorie intake rather than anemia. We won’t know without a CBC honestly.
Did the antacids help?
I absolutely understand the hesitancy to take OTC meds, I’m certainly not a doctor or an RN and I’m not admonishing to something, especially if it causes anxiety. But if you got some relief, and were able to tolerate eating…
I know you don’t want to take OTCs. If you’ll indulge me with a little more advice-giving, you could try Prilosec or Zantac if the pain gets too bad. Prilosec keeps your stomach from overproducing acid. Zantac works differently, it’s a histamine H2 antagonist that blocks the pathways by which acid is produced. The half-life of these medications is 4-6 hours so they are gone pretty quick. If the pain gets too severe before you get into see a doc, they might be worth a try. Just letting you know what is out there.
There is some talk out there about turmeric and curcumin, but the efficacy of these is dubious and could actually make the condition worse by causing overproduction of acid downstream.
That ‘burning’ and then the ‘pain’ is also a classic sign of an ulcer. What we have to do is manage acid production in the stomach. Hence the very small food portions, and the protein at every meal. Protein and fiber together tend to buffer the acid transiently. Small portions mean your chief cells won’t be sending in the battalion when they only need a fire team.
Based on what you told me, I doubt this is an h-pylori thing. I think it’s logical to assume that it’s drug-related. The stomach has a powerful ability to heal itself but to do that you need protein. If the weight loss gets too severe they may recommend parenteral feeding to restore energy homeostasis. That means you’ll get feed through an IV for a little while, and a guy like me will be figuring the macros in accordance with the nutrition Rx.
Not trying to scare you here, but you’ve been dealing with this for a while. The ulcerations can get so severe that they block the passage of chime to the proximal small intestine. It can also breach the stomach and begin affecting nearby organs, like the pancreas. I think you are a while from having to worry about that, but it’s still an issue that needs some immediate medical attention.
Beyond that, exercise, good sleep, low stress, are all things I’d recommend if you came into the office. If you like to read, there is a great book written by a neuroendocrinologist named Robert Sapolsky titled “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers”. It’s all about the cumulative effects of stress and how it negatively impacts our physiology.
Hope some of this helps you, brother. Again, I fully understand and respect your position on this. I just wanted you to have options if you need them. :+1:t4:
As always, I’m here for any questions you may have.