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Medical advice with stomach ulcer

Hi,

I keep having spells where the back of my head goes numb, my heart races, neck gets tight, tightness in chest, shortness of breath, occasionally accompanied by the chills too.
This has been going on for roughly 4 weeks now. I seem more likely to have an episode when I am sitting down for a prolonged period of time.

My appetite has left me. 4 weeks ago I went to the ER, thought I was having a heart attack, they couldn't find anything wrong to explain it. Did ECG = normal, did test for blood clot = neg, took urine sample too, x-rays of chest. X-rays of chest "weren't exactly normal, lungs were slightly inflamed, but not bad enough to cause heart attack like symptoms"

I was put on 300 mg of Zantac, it didn't seem to help, had a checkup one week later, went of zantac, couldn't find anything wrong.

Had another apointment a week or two later, when pressure was put on my stomach, there was pain, had been burping non stop since ER visit too. It was decided that I probably had an inflamed stomach lining or an ulcer. While there they took blood to test for electrolytes, lyme disease, and thyroid function, I haven't heard the lab results from that so I assume normal. Was put on a prescription prilosec, and to give it 3 weeks.

The burping has gotten better, and I am not having as many spells of heart attack like symptoms, but it has been a week and I am still randomly having my head go numb, my heart races, and it just feels like I am going to die if I don't catch my breath, after 10 minutes to an hour or so things return to being more "normal" but I still feel like I am sick and can't put my finger on what is wrong. No energy, weak, and just down feeling.

Could these symptoms be caused by a stomach ulcer? Which is what my GP's best guess is to what is wrong with me? Should I still be having symptoms after a week on prilosec? Should I be patient about waiting the 3 weeks, or should I be calling my doctor back up for another appointment?

I am 30 years old, male, blood pressure is always prehypertensive (well all over the board really) fine one minute, high a minute later, top number fine bottom high, then bottom fine top high, then both high, then both fine, IDK what to make of my blood pressure readings. My doc says that it is because I hate being at the doctors office.
I am 5'11" and was 186lbs 4 weeks ago when this started, but I am down to 179lbs, I just don't seem to have my usual appetite. Three doc's have listened to my heart, and say that it sounds fine, and the ECG and X-ray, and other test at ER gave no indication of heart problems even though it felt like my heart was fluttering to me.
Should I be asking to wear a heart monitor for a while?

Please advise, I don't usual go to the doctors, for much, when I do they say I am healthy. It has been a few years but my cholesterol was excellent last time I had it checked. I typically drink 1 coffee and 2 12oz sodas a day, and drink 1 to 2 beers a day. Since these episodes started I have cut all caffeine and alcohol, I don't eat much for sugar either.

Thanks for any thoughts that you can provide! There is a history of stomach problems on both my father and mothers side, my grandfather claims that it is just an ulcer too, and that he gets the same symptoms. Maybe I am just overreacting, but there is a history of heart problems as well, and even my local doctors think it sounds weird, one tried to tell me it was just nerves/panic attack, but that was before we found that my stomach hurts when you push on it, also I have never had a panic attack, or asthma, or really much of any health problems to speak of.

THANKS
4 Responses
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Avatar universal
I am glad that I am not alone with the numb feeling in the back of my head with my Ulcer, it is a most disconcerting feeling to me and my doctor doesn't have an explanation as to why my head would be going numb.
So far, I have been on 300mg of Zantac for 1 week, it did not nothing.

Then I was put on a prescription Prilosec, Omeprezol 40 I believe, I have taken that for 3 weeks, it definitely helped, I definitely saw improvement, but not nearly as much as we were hoping for.

Upon my last doctor visit, we swapped up my medication to Pantoprazole 40 to see if my body responds any better to that medication. We are also scheduling me up for an upper GI series of X-rays with barium contrast in order to check for a Hiatal Hernia, and to more aggressively procide with my treatment because this is bothering me so much.

I keep worrying that it is my heart or something, but the doctors seem pretty convinced that it is my stomach, and that it is most likely an ulcer. Though we are on week 6 now, so this getting long in the tooth.

I hope that you improve, and please let me know how things go for you, and what your doctor is doing to treat you. My doctor feels some of it might be stress and anxiety over having something wrong with me.

Thanks for posting,
Randy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am now having the similar problem. i am now taking medicine for ulcer for past 2 days.but still i feel numbness in back of my head sometimes .Please share me if your medication for ulcer cured the issue or did you get any other treatment.Thanks in advance
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My doctor took some blood to test for thyroid function, but that is the only test on my endocrine system that has been done to my knowledge. Maybe I should look into having the adrenal glands checked, thanks I had not thought of that. I assume just a blood test?

Thanks
Randy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Have you had any testing done on your endocrine system?  Some endocrine system disorders can create symptoms similar to panic attacks.  The adrenal glands specifically can cause these symptoms when they are not functioning properly.  Adrenal malfunction can also cause fatigue, and over time affect the digestive system.  
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