more bland foods for possible gastric ulcer?
August 14, 2016 1:43 PM Subscribe
What can I eat besides oatmeal and bananas while waiting for healing?
After days of horrible nausea (waves, hot flashes), but no diarrhea or vomiting, I visited the an urgent care Dr. who suspects a gastric ulcer. He put me on Prilosec (double for 1st week), Maalox after every meal and prescribed Zofran for the nausea. He checked for blood in stool (negative), ordered a blood test which came up with high bilirubin (2.4 mg/dL) so ordered an abdominal ultrasound which came up OK other than small liver cysts (I'm 48, I guess this is is normal) that look benign.
He said we'd try this & only if it isn't effective, test for H. Pylori. I have an appt. with my primary care doc next week to push for that test now.
The Zofran is great, lasting more than the 8 hour interval it's prescribed for, but 15 hours after a dose, nausea returned, so it's still doing something-- whatever is going on with me, still is.
Questions
1) suggestions for foods other than oatmeal & bananas that are easy to digest? I tried a turkey sandwich for dinner yesterday, but I think the ginger ale I tried with it contributed to indigestion 1/2 way through.
2) how to avoid constipation on this diet? I didn't have it 3 days ago, but do now. I had cut out coffee, but tried some today, alternating with sips of water and bites of oatmeal and while on the Zofran, I'm not feeling like I want to die.
3) other ideas about underlying cause?
After days of horrible nausea (waves, hot flashes), but no diarrhea or vomiting, I visited the an urgent care Dr. who suspects a gastric ulcer. He put me on Prilosec (double for 1st week), Maalox after every meal and prescribed Zofran for the nausea. He checked for blood in stool (negative), ordered a blood test which came up with high bilirubin (2.4 mg/dL) so ordered an abdominal ultrasound which came up OK other than small liver cysts (I'm 48, I guess this is is normal) that look benign.
He said we'd try this & only if it isn't effective, test for H. Pylori. I have an appt. with my primary care doc next week to push for that test now.
The Zofran is great, lasting more than the 8 hour interval it's prescribed for, but 15 hours after a dose, nausea returned, so it's still doing something-- whatever is going on with me, still is.
Questions
1) suggestions for foods other than oatmeal & bananas that are easy to digest? I tried a turkey sandwich for dinner yesterday, but I think the ginger ale I tried with it contributed to indigestion 1/2 way through.
2) how to avoid constipation on this diet? I didn't have it 3 days ago, but do now. I had cut out coffee, but tried some today, alternating with sips of water and bites of oatmeal and while on the Zofran, I'm not feeling like I want to die.
3) other ideas about underlying cause?
Do you ever take NSAID pain relievers like Advil or Motrin? NSAIDs and H. pylori are the most common cause of peptic ulcer disease, if this is indeed that.
posted by telegraph at 2:15 PM on August 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by telegraph at 2:15 PM on August 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Chronic lifelong nausea and stomach pain sufferer here! It's the zofran that's constipating you. Drink lots of water. Make sure you're on the lowest dose that helps you to try to avoid it as much as possible. Also you can try the dissolving tablets (if you're not on them) and see if there's any difference. Though I found the taste of them awful so have gum nearby after because drinking water with the dissolving ones can increase headaches. ( For me the constipation sometimes kicks up my stomach acid so I try to take it only when I have to.)
For me, the stuff that's nice on my stomach includes: Breads (gluten free for me), eggs, lunchmeat, sandwiches with mayo and mustard, rice, quinoa, soups, apple sauce, and lentil soups (Amy's makes a good one that's not spicy or too seasoned) if you can handle beans - some people can't.
I have to avoid - Caffeine, coffee, soda, alcohol, onions (unless they're cooked down in soups) garlic, and when my stomach is acting up I also avoid greasy foods, burgers, steak, raw tomatoes and raw fruit.
ETA: The key with stomach things is small meals consistently throughout the day. Like every two hours. So you keep something in your stomach but don't overload it.
Also when my stomach problems got really bad it was my gallbladder. Ultrasound and HIDA were normal but my gallbladder wasn't. Greasy foods made it worse but anything I ate made me sick.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:36 PM on August 14, 2016
For me, the stuff that's nice on my stomach includes: Breads (gluten free for me), eggs, lunchmeat, sandwiches with mayo and mustard, rice, quinoa, soups, apple sauce, and lentil soups (Amy's makes a good one that's not spicy or too seasoned) if you can handle beans - some people can't.
I have to avoid - Caffeine, coffee, soda, alcohol, onions (unless they're cooked down in soups) garlic, and when my stomach is acting up I also avoid greasy foods, burgers, steak, raw tomatoes and raw fruit.
ETA: The key with stomach things is small meals consistently throughout the day. Like every two hours. So you keep something in your stomach but don't overload it.
Also when my stomach problems got really bad it was my gallbladder. Ultrasound and HIDA were normal but my gallbladder wasn't. Greasy foods made it worse but anything I ate made me sick.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:36 PM on August 14, 2016
Best answer: Some people have all manner of digestive disturbances from bananas. They're not necessarily your go-to ideal source of bland food.
Prunes or prune juice and applesauce (for fiber and pectin). Potatoes, sweet and regular, parsnips, carrots, cauliflower. Poached chicken, chicken sausage if you can find one that doesn't have cheese, turkey sausage, meatloaf or meatballs (basically, aim mostly for ground or forced meat, little to no seasoning). Poached, roasted, or unbreaded pan-fried fish. If there's no question of nut issues, smooth nut butters including tahini. Dark leafy greens, which you can puree for a few days if you're finding the roughage a little hard on your stomach.
For the most part, gastric ulcers aren't treated with diet. All you really need to do is avoid the lowest-hanging fruit of acid triggers - dairy, super-gnarly-grainy foods that require a lot of work from the digestive tract, alcohol, coffee, soda, grapefruit and orange juice, and much sugar.
Eat food, real food, but not so much oatmeal and bananas because that's basically Intro to Bathroom Problems and harder on your stomach than things without sugar like plain white fish or sweet potato with a drizzle of olive oil. And things will be better on the other side that way.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:02 PM on August 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Prunes or prune juice and applesauce (for fiber and pectin). Potatoes, sweet and regular, parsnips, carrots, cauliflower. Poached chicken, chicken sausage if you can find one that doesn't have cheese, turkey sausage, meatloaf or meatballs (basically, aim mostly for ground or forced meat, little to no seasoning). Poached, roasted, or unbreaded pan-fried fish. If there's no question of nut issues, smooth nut butters including tahini. Dark leafy greens, which you can puree for a few days if you're finding the roughage a little hard on your stomach.
For the most part, gastric ulcers aren't treated with diet. All you really need to do is avoid the lowest-hanging fruit of acid triggers - dairy, super-gnarly-grainy foods that require a lot of work from the digestive tract, alcohol, coffee, soda, grapefruit and orange juice, and much sugar.
Eat food, real food, but not so much oatmeal and bananas because that's basically Intro to Bathroom Problems and harder on your stomach than things without sugar like plain white fish or sweet potato with a drizzle of olive oil. And things will be better on the other side that way.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:02 PM on August 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
High sugar foods (like applesauce or even an apple, or fruit juice of any kind) tend to give me problems. Bananas and oatmeal are usually OK. Try eating a lot more vegetables and a lot less everything else (meat, carbs).
posted by stoneandstar at 3:18 PM on August 14, 2016
posted by stoneandstar at 3:18 PM on August 14, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions! The Dr. did say to eat "starchy", but I didn't really get it until the help here.
I am taking the sublingual (dissolving) version of zofran. Yep, taste sure is awful, but nothing compared to the nausea.
> NSAIDs and H. pylori are the most common cause of peptic ulcer
I don't use ibuprofen much, but did take a couple tablets in the week before this started. I think the Dr. fixated on it.
> gastric ulcers aren't treated with diet
Prilosec and maalox are the treatment. The diet is just to avoid nausea/indigestion triggers, while (with these suggestions) also not causing constipation.
posted by morganw at 4:54 PM on August 14, 2016
I am taking the sublingual (dissolving) version of zofran. Yep, taste sure is awful, but nothing compared to the nausea.
> NSAIDs and H. pylori are the most common cause of peptic ulcer
I don't use ibuprofen much, but did take a couple tablets in the week before this started. I think the Dr. fixated on it.
> gastric ulcers aren't treated with diet
Prilosec and maalox are the treatment. The diet is just to avoid nausea/indigestion triggers, while (with these suggestions) also not causing constipation.
posted by morganw at 4:54 PM on August 14, 2016
Constipation: Daily: 1tbsp. psyllium seed powder mixed well in 8 oz. whichever natural juice you can handle. Be sure to drink plenty water afterwards - will sort you right out, guaranteed.
posted by lometogo at 5:52 PM on August 14, 2016
posted by lometogo at 5:52 PM on August 14, 2016
If they aren't talking about doing an h.pylori test, you should lean on the doctor about it at the next check-in. Because Prilosec and Maalox will not fix that, but could mask the symptoms until you're in serious enough trouble that it becomes an actual life disruption.
My grandmother ended up in the ICU for three days because her asshole doctor was convinced from the jump that her problem was minor and her own fault for being too stupid to follow his directions and he couldn't be bothered - even with her amazing insurance - to do the test. We could have avoided that entire ordeal with a routine test and 10-day course of antibiotics.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:05 AM on August 15, 2016
My grandmother ended up in the ICU for three days because her asshole doctor was convinced from the jump that her problem was minor and her own fault for being too stupid to follow his directions and he couldn't be bothered - even with her amazing insurance - to do the test. We could have avoided that entire ordeal with a routine test and 10-day course of antibiotics.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:05 AM on August 15, 2016
Ask your doctor if there is any problem taking a bulk laxative (Citrucel or Metamucil). It's a great way to move things along (but you won't get any of the ill effects of a "real" laxative). Psyllium husk powder from the natural foods store is the same thing, but IMO it tastes disgusting and the pills have the same effect.
posted by radioamy at 3:18 PM on August 15, 2016
posted by radioamy at 3:18 PM on August 15, 2016
Response by poster: Saw my primary care doc who ordered the h.pylori test & it was negative. Chicken soup, applesauce, prunes, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes saved my sanity-- thanks all!
posted by morganw at 9:48 PM on September 2, 2016
posted by morganw at 9:48 PM on September 2, 2016
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I would avoid bananas. You could make a low salt bone or beef broth to sup throughout the day, mixed with water or low salt or no salt low acid vegetable broth. How often have you been told you can eat?
posted by parmanparman at 1:56 PM on August 14, 2016