Question:
Stomach Ache, HELP!

My stomach is hurting, badly. The pain is just under my rib cage and feels kinda like my tummy is being blown up. I'm not burping anything unusual and I'm not throwing up, no gas... it just hurts! Today I have had a protein shake, a protein bar, a bananna, a handful of sunflower seeds, then after the pain set in I ate three pretzels and later three strips of bacon. I did drink a car-cup sized coffee with flavored creamer in it, I don't drink coffee usually, could this have upset my stomach? I have also been under a lot of stress lately, what do ulcers feel like? This is the second time I have had this pain, is it typical? I'm four months post op. Thanks bunches for your help!    — DonnaCarol (posted on February 1, 2002)

February 1, 2002
For me, an ulcer in my pre-op normal stomach was right between the ribs, dead center. It felt as if I had been kicked by a mule there, dull ache, but sort of breathless, too. There was burping, feeling hungry & sometimes burning. Food made it feel better, but only briefly, because that made the acid flare up MORE (same with the milk I craved when under attack). NOW, post-op, pain is in the same area, same mule foot BUT instead of burning & hunger, I felt nausea. Marginal ulcer hits the stoma, so I only had nausea about 15-20 min after I ate. Water tasted like metal. The only ulcers I've had as a post-op have been the marginal sort, easily healed with the right meds, esp if diagnosed early on. I have not had a "normal" ulcer in my postie pouch.
   — vitalady

February 2, 2002
Coffee will sometimes make my stomach hurt really bad.
   — Jane L.

February 2, 2002
I get that exact pain whenever I eat anything with sorbitol or surgar in it. I think its my bodies way of "dumping". Maybe the flavored creamer had something in it that did'nt agree with you. When that has happened to me I just try and sip water eventually it goes away! Good luck to you. Vicki Mize
   — vmize

February 2, 2002
Thank you all for your response! I don't think I want to drink any coffee anytime soon, and I will definately mention ulcers to my doc. The pain finally quit right before I went to bed, I had had it about 6 hours. Thanks again!
   — DonnaCarol