What can I do for my abdomen pain?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been in the ER twice in the last two weeks for abdominal pain. The pain is just below my rib cage in the middle of the stomach. It only happens about 2 hours after I eat and lasts for about 6 hours or until the pain medicines they give me. The pain has come like labor pain for hours. They prescribed me Prozantac and Zantac and sent me home. I had to stop eating solid foods for five days. When I eat vegetables or soft food, it mildly made me uncomfortable. I think I may have an ulcer in my intestines. What can I do?

Answer 1

Hi,

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This kind of pain is mostly due to acid reflux or gall bladder issues like stones in the gall bladder called as cholelithiasis. It can also be due to hiatus hernia associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).So, for the evaluation of gall bladder issues you should get an ultrasound of the abdomen, which will rule out any cholelithiasis or pancreatitis. If your ultrasound is normal, then you would require treatment for acid reflux.Since you must already be taking treatment for reflux as your problem is chronic, I would advise you to get an upper GI endoscopy done as that would rule out the reflux and the hiatus hernia if any. In acid reflux disease, a combination of Omeprazole and Domperidone helps greatly. You should take soft and bland diet as spicy food aggravates acidity. In case of acute pain, I suggest antiflatulent syrup like Digene or Gelusil. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with him or her and take the medicine with consent.

For further information consult a medical gastroenterologist online.