Can PPIs for alcohol use cause gut issues?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am 22-year-old female. I started facing pain in my navel area which was sharp for a few days after alcohol consumption. I drink once a week only for the past four months. So this pain extended to symptoms of gastritis like burping after meals and fullness in the chest while lying down after meals immediately, no bowel issues though. Rarely I do get pain all over the abdomen but mostly cramp-like pain in the middle after I consume dairy products. At times I would also get pain near my appendix but just for a few seconds. So I was put on antibiotics without endoscopy suspecting H. pylori for 2 weeks. It has been a week since the course ended but I still have burping and fullness symptoms. Initially, I did not have regurgitation but after I stopped the Sompraz HP kit course I feel the liquid foods like curds or juice sometimes flowing backward towards my mouth while burping. The abdomen pain has stopped now. I am concerned about the following issues.

Did I develop GERD, is it just temporary acid reflux, as I do not have to burn in chest or throat pain?
Can drinking slightly more alcohol around 10 to 15 times in 4 to 5 months loosen the LES muscles permanently to cause GERD?
Is it SIBO? How to get tested for SIBO without invasive procedures?
Do I have a leaky gut, how do I get tested?
Is it chronic gastritis?
Can you please tell me what the severity of regurgitation is in GERD patients? Is it the big chunk of food that comes back to mouth or is it just liquid leaking backwards?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

I would like to know the following:

Do you think I am suffering from irritable bowel syndrome since I have spasmodic gut contractions? Spasmodic gut contractions occur once a week or so, but not frequently. Urgency in bowel movements is also absent. Does it still suggest IBS?
Did you imply I might have chronic gastritis because of a few weeks of alcohol consumption?
I have already taken two weeks of PPI should I still take Pantoprazole for two more weeks? If I do not take will it progress to chronic?
Since I have taken too many medicines I hope to reduce the tablets unless it is necessary.
Why would stomach upset last so long?
Will the Sompraz hp kit help eradicate the bacteria in the intestines?

Kindly suggest.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

1) IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is a diagnosis of exclusion, you need a detailed workup before labeling IBS.

2) PPI (proton pump inhibitors) are for your symptoms, if improved, they can be gradually reduced to zero. In another case, it can be taken for two to four weeks.

3) Simple gut contractions, or even normal bowel contracts can be because of any reason. however, IBS patients may have increased or decreased contractions.

4) Symptoms will be persistent when the problem is persistent.

5) Not all bacteria in the gut need to be eliminated, useful gut flora should be saved.

There are high chances for you to have gastritis.

I hope this helped you.

Thank you.