Is this normal....? Or did I do something really, really bad?

[bluewind95]

Well... this all started a while ago, so might as well start with that...

Like 8 months ago, I took a rather high dose of ibuprofen. I mention this because it's about the time the rest of the symptoms started. It was... anything from 3600-4800 mg in 24 hours... and probably quite a bit more than that if we go back to 48 hours. The doses were spaced-out in between each other. Except for the last one. Now, in that one, I woke up like 2 hours or less after I'd gone to sleep (just after taking 1200  mg of ibuprofen), in a lot of pain (menstrual cramps). Not consciously registering the time, I took another 1200 mg of ibuprofen. I then went back to sleep until some time later (I don't know how long), I woke up with the most horrible nausea and quite a bit of pain on my stomach. I pretty much threw up everything that was in my stomach and, it felt like, even more. For about 2 or 3 weeks after that, I could hardly keep any food down. And then, it seemed everything had gone back to normal.

Except it didn't. I began to notice a distinct lack of digestion whenever I ate anything that was oily/fatty. Especially if it had meat. I would take these over-the-counter (at least here!) pills with pancreatin and I'd be fine. I started to avoid these foods and thought it was all fine.

... Again, no, it wasn't. Not only did those foods begin to make me feel even worse if I ate them, I also started to have trouble digesting ANYTHING. Now, it takes me 3-4 hours to digest so much as a sandwich. 6-8 hours to digest, unaided, an oily/fatty meat thing. Anything in between for anything else. I get extremely nauseous (enough to consider throwing up, though I hate that and have avoided it so far) about an hour after eating anything. And I can feel it in my stomach, undigested. This is a daily thing.

Stools have been normal in everything except color (compared to pre-feeling-unwell). They've been, mostly, a pale, yellowish brown, sometimes more pale than others. My skin looks normal to me. I have noticed, though, somewhat of a yellowish tint on the very edges of my eyes. This is normal, perhaps? I have felt no pain that could be tied to this.

I feel worse and worse. It used to be that I had good days. Now I don't. I'm nauseous and fatigued most, if not all, of the day.

Since, after 8 months, I have not noticed an improvement of symptoms but quite the contrary... I'm wondering whether I have anything to really worry about or if it's something that will eventually go away on its own. And if it's something I should perhaps worry about... what exactly is it and how do I go about finding out for sure? I don't know what tests would be needed and healthcare here sadly doesn't allow me to just walk into an ER and have them run all sorts of tests to find out, unless I want to spend the rest of my life in debt...

So... help in at least pin-pointing which tests would be necessary (maybe it's nothing serious and nothing really IS necessary) would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

[bluewind95]

I'm truly sorry I have not updated in a while. I've had a rough time. Thank you all for your replies.

Anyways...

Doctornee:
Wow... I didn't think that it could be the stomach mucosa after so long. I've been taking yogurt with lactobacilus while I get a chance to go to the doctor since I read your reply. Are there any tests I should get done before I go to the doctor? Also, maybe I should mention that I have Neurocardiogenic Syncope, and I've only very recently learned that it's a form of dysautonomia and that it *may* be tied to digestion issues? Symptoms have been... pretty bad, actually, even the digestion ones lately.

Could there be a connection, perhaps? Or are these two separate issues?

erkhad:
No, not enough to cause me any concern.

capegirl:
Wow. That sounds like a bad system there as well. I feel for you too. It's good you're better.

[capegirlnoshoes]

Hi bluewind,
I don't have anything really important to add after doctornee-medical's amazing post, but I'd just like to say that last year I took waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much Ibuprofen, waaaaaaaaaaay more than you took.  But I'd like to assure you that they fixed the problem easy peasy.  My symptoms were like yours except much worse and with other stuff from other drugs and I didn't know how well I was digesting certain foods 'cause I couldn't eat anything at all, I was just vomiting everything until there was nothing and then I vomitted blood.  They said what doctornee-medical said, pumped some stuff into me, kept me in for 6 days, then prescribed a special diet for a while, and out I went.  
I really feel for you living in a place with such a healthcare system.  The New Zealand healthcare system is TERRIBLE in some ways (i.e. 'oh so you tried to kill yourself?  well I don't see why you need to see a psychiatrist.  You just need to stop being immature') but certain things are COVERED.  I only had to pay $50 (probably around $30 US) for the ambulance ride.  

[ehrkad]

just wondering along with all of these feelings have you any pain at all in your abdomen area that radiates into your back at all?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
You have probably damaged the mucosa of the stomach and intestine with the high dose of Ibuprofen. You need to take a full course of antacid and proton pump inhibitor such as Omeprazole (empty stomach in the morning). Lactobacillus preparations and probiotics may help also. Avoid fuzzy drinks, hot spicy food, coffee, tea, alcohol and smoking. You need to consult a gastroenterologist (a specialist who looks after the diseases of our digestive system).
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!