Stomach acid

Several years ago I started having constant pain in the center of my stomach just below my rib cage and a feeling of fullness.  The doctor did not perform any test, but put me on Prevacid.  The problem went away, so I assumed I had GERD.  

Over the last couple of years the pain has returned.  It is now as bad as before the medication, with the med.  On the rare occassions I have let myself run out of meds, the pain is very intense.  I have not felt the least bit hungry in at least 6 months.  I assumed this was just the GERD getting worse.

In the last couple of months I have been noticing a lot of undigested food in my stool.  When I researched this problem, I found the most likely cause to be a lack of stomach acid.

How could I have two contradictory conditions?

I have not experienced any weight loss.  I do suffer severe fatigue and occasional weekness.  I have had a CBC and a Metabolic profile done and they are all normal except my glucose runs a bit low.

Thank you for any help you can provide.
Teresa

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Further workup of this condition can be considered with a variety of upper GI tests.  You can start with an upper GI series or upper endoscopy (the latter being the more comprehensive test).  This can look for GERD, inflammation of the upper digestive tract, or an ulcer.  

If negative, more specialized testing can be considered with a gastric emptying scan (looking for gastroparesis) or a 24-hr pH study (the definitive test for GERD).  

Regarding the undigested food, you can consider various malabsorption syndromes - which can be evaluated with stool tests, and blood tests for celiac disease.

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.
kevinmd_b

[wassupwassabi]

You can sometimes get heartburn if you don't have enough stomach acid (acid fumes from undigested food?)  A lot of people take a tbsp of apple cider vinegar with meals as a heartburn remedy.  You can google "apple cider vinegar and heartburn" if you're looking for more info about it.  Might be worth a try...just be sure to dilute it with a few oz of water before you drink it!

[NickyIsHere123]

You might want to give food enzymes a shot. Also, you may want to have your gallbladder checked out. Sometimes the gallbladder will stop functioning properly and cause your stomach to produce more acid than it usually does. This is usually after a lot of saturated fat has been eaten. The fat has to be broke down , otherwise, it will come out in your potty.
I would first start with an evaluation of your food.
Good Lucky

[yoshi]

apple cider vinegar is bad for the enamel of your teeth,there are other ways to raise the stomach acid -orange juice,pineapple juice,CRANBERRY JUICE or just eat a red delicious apple.