Question:
burning pain in middle of abdomin and all the way to the back.

I'm having an upper GI done tomorrow to find out whats going on, but I was curious if anyone else has this same pain...Its a burning pain in my stomache which I thought was an ulcer, but then protonex didn't help and then it started getting worse and was burning to where I was kneeled over in pain and it pierces all the way to my back. And so its also back pain right in the center with the pain in my stomach. Does this make sense? My doctor thought it was an ulcer at first, but now she thinks its a kinked bowel, I'm one year post op.    — Monette L. (posted on December 24, 2003)

December 24, 2003
It sounds like an ulcer and although protonex may not have worked, perhaps other ulcer medications may. Do you get the burning on an empty stomach or when you eat? I had a kinked bowel, and had to have emergency surgery to correct, but there was no burning. Just throwing up anything that I tried to drink or eat and of course severe pouch pain. Do you have your gallbladder still? Hopefully the upper GI will help...
   — Cindy R.

December 24, 2003
Sounds like an ulcer to me. 6 months of medications didn't help mine. Also, an upper GI didn't show the ulcer I had. I had to have a scope to show mine. I've developed another, and again the upper GI does not show it.
   — RebeccaP

December 24, 2003
It's great you are having this checked out and not just taking our word for it. I too vote for an ulcer. I "think" I have one. And believe me, this pain is worse than a gallbladder attack! OMG! My pain is intermettant and almost always starts when I "just lie down" for bed. It is like someone punched me in the gut and I'm numb... then the pain goes through and around to my back. I can't stand straight and the pain is so bad that breathing hurts and talking is almost impossible. It would last for 3-4 hours. I'd go to the ER after 3 hours of pain. By the time they'd monkey fart and piddle away the time there... the pain was gone. So I quit going to the ER as I'd never get any help anyway after two hours of waiting to see a doctor there. Anyway, my regular doc (not surgeon) put me on Nexium. When these pains start I take one and the pain ends in a couple minutes. So I'm thinking ulcer. Glad you are having this checked out. I'd rather take Nexium than be scoped. Yet if I had an ulcer, they said they'd put me on Nexium anyway! ;)
   — Danmark

December 24, 2003
How does water taste? Some other hints of marginal ulcer (and you'd need a scope, not UGI) would be water tasting metallic; really hurts when you press on the pouch area (high, between ribs, below breasts; nausea after eating. Only Prilosec worked for me, and it took a whopping big dose of it (4 X 40mg) to stop the ache & nausea. But then, I had real ulcers for years before WLS.
   — vitalady

December 24, 2003
Those are the same symptoms I had with my gallbladder. It would start up in the middle of my stomach and work its way into my back. I, too, doubled up in pain anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes crying (I'm not a wuss about pain). I had ultrasounds done and nothing showed up. But after having the intermittent pain for over a year, even having it happen a couple of times at work and had to lay down in the floor in pain, I finally had an attack that lasted about 3 hours. Went to the ER and had to have my gallbladder removed the next morning. Good luck, hope they can find what it is and you will get some relief before long.
   — lharbison

December 26, 2003
I have the same problem I think. The pain is unbearable. In fact I just got out of the hospital for the problem. They ever really did say what it was but treated me with Iv Zantac.. which is a ulcer medication & no pain meds other than tylenol..Since I do not have a gallbladder I am assuming it was an ulcer.. Pain can double you over & I even got dry heaves & weakness with it & I am over a year out from the bypass. I wish you luck in finding a cause for you pain. Take care.. Anne
   — Anne T.