Gastroscopy Done - Biopsies Taken - Gastric Ulcers Found

[toomuchagony]

Hi Folks

So okay, figured I was due to give ya an update on my progress here... and I have a question on what was found during my gastroscopy.

Firstly, I'm doing really good ever since Thurs. April 17th (I marked it on my calendar as the difference from the day prior was miraculous, and I knew I had finally turned the corner towards HEALING at last I awoke that morning without what has been my "usual GAS" for the past 4 months, and thru the day it was reduced so that I did NOT have to eat my typical daily "30 Rolaids PLUS 1 zantac 75, and 3 peppermint caps & 3 Phayzme simethicone caps" , and only needed to take the zantac & Phayzyme and about 10 Rolaids that day. AND my D stopped completely and has NOT returned now for a week! So in general I'm thinking that I have actually finally succeeded in ridding my environment of hidden gluten and am actually (at least til my next CC honestly GLUTEN-FREE here!

Meanwhile in the "medical dept"... things are slow going due to our crappy health care sysytem in BC, I have had to do a lot of "waiting" through this diagnostic testing process which has made me slightly more cynical of the medical system and it's delivery, BUT none the less, I did have my bloodwork tests done, in March they were "Negative, Iga 2 <20", however I was gluten free for 4 days prior to testing so who knows eh. I also had a "Breath Test for Helicobactor Pylori" which was a negative result at same time. Now I've finally gotten a Gastroscopy done as well on Tuesday, a'course now I have to WAIT another 3 weeks to actually learn the full results of biopsies that were taken, though I did learn (not from Dr but by asking a nurse myself what was found out before leaving!) I do have "Gastric (stomach) Ulcers", which he also took biopsies from and apparently is checking those for both the H. Pylori Bacteria Infection (which my "Breath Test" in March was negative for and Stomach Cancer as being the "cause" of the gastric ulcers. From my own perspective today, I just can't imagine I would be feeling so much better every day if in fact I was currently dying of Stomach Cancer eh (prognosis & speed not good) so I really doubt that is a cause. Perhaps the bacteria breath test was a false negative, that I'd maybe go for.

So anyhoo, now this has me wondering here... Is it possible my digestive system being so compromised by Celiac for months AND my life being extremely STRESSFUL during the same period of time would or could have contributed to either, "causing ulcers" OR "permitting H. Pylori to overproduce" and cause ulcers. I'm myself not at all convinced that "Gastric Ulcers" were the "entire problem" or the cause of my 4 month long bout of D. Typically from what I've read on them one tends to "vomit" (and I have not and do not have that symptom at all), and no where did I read that D was a usual symptom of ulcers. In the case of H. Pylori Infection certainly that can/does cause D as a symptom as well, BUT then I have to ask eh... "would an H. Pylori infection react POSITIVELY from the gluten-free diet"??? It would seem obvious that my having gastric ulcers would certainly exaserbate my "intestinal healing" if I am suffering prior or already from celiac damage. BUT from view in side of this poor old body, truly the one thing that made a difference to my being sick, consistently and progressively day by day, was/is "NOT eating gluten"! So I sure would appreciate hearing folks thoughts on all this.

AND also btw... one other important (to me) thing... for da past 20 or more years I've had a "itchy rash" which is on my feet, it flares and abates, it has always been diagnosed as "exzema/dermatitis" etc and I have been prescribed "creams" which do nothing at all to either relieve or cure my rash, it does as it does. Well gee go figure huh... since I have become gluten-free - my rash is at least 80% HEALED a first for decades! So hmmm eh, I have a feeling it is a mild form of HD that is on my feet... my Dr says no.

Anyhoo... love to hear what ya'll thinks eh

[nora-n]

The rash could be DH, of course.

I think I have read on the forums that one can have ulcers from gluten.

nora

[toomuchagony]

The rash could be DH, of course.

I think I have read on the forums that one can have ulcers from gluten.

nora

Hi nora... thanks for yer reply

(and thanks fer not giving me a well deserved chibe for transposing the acronym "DH" in my post eh

All I know fer sure about my poor feet is they're remarkably better since I stopped gluten. Guess it could be "coincidence" (though I don't believe in them personally I believe in God), however the fact is that apart from my departure from gluten I have done absolutely NOTHING to "treat" my foot rash, and yet it is "changing". Also, this improvement began to occur nearly immediately after I began gluten free efforts, (though I was a few weeks at least still likely having major CC issues so it was slow then) it definetly however had a distinctly noticeable "raging flare up" in a direct and immediate response to the one particularly bad instance of me glutening myself by licking an envelope. It raged bad a week & half, now today (I think gluten free) they are once again demonstrating a significant "healing" and importantly (for me) are NOT ITCHING at all... so DH or no, my feet seem to like my current diet eh!

Regards my query about the "gastric ulcers" and Celiac... I went to the "online medical encyclopedia" at the "College Of Family Physicians Of Canada" website today and used it to research gastric ulcers, and I noted two things from doing so... firstly, once again there is NO mention what so ever of "D" being one of the "symptoms" of gastric or peptic ulcers, and I most certainly had D occuring spuratically in January and then DAILY ongoing non-stop D from Feb 11 (my birthday wouldn't ya know eh right through until just this past Thursday, April 17th, so a "run" (no pun intended huh) of 66 full days straight. Also, I think notably, one of the chief symptoms of gastric type ulcers is "vomiting", I have never once through all of this done so. My primary symptoms all along have been SEVERE weight loss / GAS / Bloating / CRAMPS / Back Ache / Brain Fog / and D!D!D!D! And ALL of which now since da 17th (prior to my gastric ulcer even being found on my Apr 22nd GI scope) (and a'course since I went gluten free) are absolutely and significantly improved, and in the case of my D it has abated for a whole week now!

The second thing I noted at that website I will quote to ya here directly from the page:

"For some people, physical stress (such as being sick for a long time) may help cause ulcers."

So it seems to me that fairly answers my question of whether or not my "Celiac sickness" & "Stress" may be a "cause" of my gastric ulcers. Anyhoo... shall have to see what the results are in 3 wks to know more from biopsies. Naturally I'll post an update to this thread when I get them.

[ptkds]

When my youngest dd was 14 months old, she had stomach ulcers. She also tested negative for the H. pylori bacteria. Her gastro told me it was probably from Celiac disease and to remove gluten. We did, and she has done great since! So, I do believe that gluten can cause ulcers in a Celiac, because a 14 month old baby can't be stressed enough to cause ulcers.