Is this just Gastritis or could something more serious be going on??

I am a 45 year old male.  Non smoker.  6 feet tall.  220 lbs.  The only family history of cancer was my father who passed away from renal cell cancer.

For the past 2 months I have been having stomach pain and discomfort after eating.  Pain usually starts within an hour after eating and lasts for an hour or two.  Worse after eating a heavy meal and worse an night.  Pain is middle to upper left.  Not really a burning pain but more of a gnawing pain along with a bloated fullness feeling.  Also have been experiencing occasional diarrhea which is very loose and yellow.  

I have had a colonoscopy which was totally clear.  I have had a stomach endoscope which showed no ulcer or bacteria but did show inflammation which the nurse told my wife was pretty severe.  Gastro dr. prescribe Nexium for 2 weeks which provided little relieve.  I am now on Carafate. 4 doses a day.  Have been taking this for a week with some relief.  Still have some pain after eating but pain at night is much better.

Also went to see my internal medicine dr for another opinion and he ordered a abdominal CT scan and a gallbladder scan to test the gallbladder function along with some blood tests. I think he ordered the tests just to ease my fears. CT scan and gallbladder tests were both normal.  Blood tests were also normal but not sure what they were for.  This dr knows that I suffer from health anxiety so he put me on Lexapro to help calm me down.  

In the past week I have noticed some vague itching and that my stools are sometimes lighter in color.  Not sure if I would describe them as pale but they are sometimes a lighter color brown or tan than normal but when I have diarrhea it is very yellow.  What exactly are "pale stools"?  The itching is kind of random but is more noticeable on my head, shoulder and back area.  I have also been having some back pain around the middle of my back and into the shoulder blades.  This just began yesterday.  Of course, all of these symptoms began after I did some reading on pancreatic cancer from which my father-in-law passed away from this summer.  

I have lost about 10 pounds over these 2 months but have changed my eating habits.  I used to drink 6-8 Cokes every day and eat late night snacks.  I have stopped both of these habits which I guess could contribute to the weight loss.  

My concern is if this is just gastritis why is lasting so long and is so painful at times?  I have to admit I am very concerned about pancreatic cancer.  Could my anxiety and worrying be making the gastritis worse?  Wouldn't the CT scan have picked up
pancreatic tumors or problems?  Are there other tests or concerns that I should discuss with my drs?  Thanks.

worriedcpa

[Kevin Pho, MD]

To answer your questions:
1) You may want to be tested for H Pylori.  This is a bacteria that is associated with gastritis.  If present, multiple antibiotics are needed to eradicate the bacteria.  You can also consider a 24-hr pH study to definitively rule out GERD, which may exacerbate the symptoms.

2) The CT scan may see some pancreatic masses.  Further evaluate of the pancreas with an MRI as well as an endoscopic ultrasound can be considered if a pancreatic tumor is suspected.  

Pale or "clay-colored" stools may be indicative of a biliary duct obstruction.  Normally, an ultrasound can be done to evaluate this.  Blood tests to evaluate the serum bilirubin can also be indicative of a duct blockage.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com

[finch18]

I'm 19 and had noticed blood in my stools, mucus, constant abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. My doctor scheduled me for a colonoscopy and it looked normal, but they took a biopsy to look for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Well, it came back negative for Crohn's as well. I am going in for some more tests in a few months. In the mean time, the pain still persists. He prescribed Librax for me, which has made a world of difference. Since I've been on Librax, I've only had diarrhea and mucus in my stool once. The pain is still there after I eat, but to a lesser extent--definitely a major improvement since being on Librax.

I haven't seen many people on here say that they're doctors have prescribed Librax. I would recommend asking your doctor about it--it really helped me.

[disel]

Iam a 45 year old male.Have had none cardio chest pain for 2 years.Have had ,stess test ,ekg`s ,x rays ,upper gi,lower bowel follow through ,stomach scope, barium enemma ,h. polori ,ebt scan ,blood work and all negitive. GI Doc.said "acidic and gastritis".Ive been on nexiun ,previcid,losec, sulcrafate.New doc put me on Librax(Chlordiazepoxide Hcl/clidinium Brom.)several times.Has worked the best so far with the least side effects.good luck

[nickodemus]

listen your in a tuff position,doctors are not the answer anymore,we need something else to replace them something that has the ability to diagnose problems,my friend sufferd untill he died with abdominal pain,he went to many doctors from a to z and not one of them could find the problem,and each doctor had a different opinion about his symptoms,one doctor told him his abdominal pain comes from wearing his pants to tight can you imagine that an educated man with many years of school,what a joke some doctors say it was crohns some say it was gastritis some say ulcers some say it was reflux and on and on.my friend once told me that the only thing that helped him was the pain medication.i am sorry to say that the medical field is a over rated business sure if its a simple problem that jumps out at them with the tests your in luck,but if they are unable to see anything you might as well plant your feet firmly and get ready for a life long world of pain,and suffering

[sonia7]

A related discussion, severe abdominal pailn was started.