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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Diahrrea/Severe Gastritis. What May Be Causing It? Could She Have A Stomach Virus ?

Hello, my mother has been taking Omeprazole and many antiacids to control her severe gastritis for years, but now she has been having diahrrea starting from two weeks ago and it is killing her. Please, what can she do to stop the diahrrea and what may be causing it? Could she have a stomach virus ? Does it last longer than 2 weeks ? Perhaps it is caused by the medication she is taking? Please help! I need answers. She is growing weaker everyday. We ve been to several doctors who have said she has gastritis and give us mild antiacids and the like to control the flow of acid in her stomach, but that hasn t stopped the diahrrea! If someone can help, please answer, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Tue, 18 Oct 2011
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  User's Response
's  Response
HAVE THESE DR'S DONE A COLONOSCOPY? I WOULD RECCOMEND DEMANDING ONE OF THOSE...ESPECIALLY IF THE PT IS OVER 50 ONE NEEDS TO BE DONE ANYWAY....IF IT HAS BEEN SEVERE FOR 2 WKS IT MAY BE TIME TO TAKE HER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, LONG TERM DIARRHEA CAN CAUSE SEVERE DEHYDRATION AND ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCES, WHICH CAN AFFECT OTHER AREAS OF YOUR BODY, ESPECIALLY YOUR HEART...TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL!!!
  User's Response
RicardoPomalaza's  Response
She is over 50 and has had an endoscopy done, but NOT a colonoscopy. We've taken her to the emergency room and they have done ultrasound and cat scan tests and have found nothing wrong with her. Blood work also shows fine. I don't know whether to believe them or not because she keeps getting worse and worse. We're in search of a good doctor around our area in Elizabeth, NJ to help us with her problem. Should we ask him for a colonoscopy? How does it differ from an endoscopy? So far she's been drinking a lot from a liquid/saline solution to help with the dehydration but we need answers fast!! She has stomach pains AND burning, both at the same time. None of the medications prescribed seem to help. We don't know what to do anymore. We just can't keep going to the emergency room every week.
  User's Response
kasandra0708's  Response
the scope of an endoscopy only goes so far...a colonoscopy checks out the other end so t speak and there are any number of things that could be happening down that way...where exactly in the abdomen is the pain? and sorry to be so candid but what does the diarrhea look like? its hard to say without knowing what her lab work looks like but bloodwork is usually a pretty good indicator if something serious is going on, it could just be a virus, but 2 wks is an awefully long time for that to continue....i would still demand a colonoscopy be done she would need one anyway even if she were perfectly fine just for screening purposes...it cant hurt...
Anesthesiologist Dr. Shivakumar. M. C.'s  Response
Hi Ricardo,
As your mother is taking antacids for prolonged period which will reduce acid reduction and facilate intestinal infection with organism like salmonella, get your mother investigated with widal test or blood culture for typhoid bacilli, if she is taking analgesic reduce it
Take care
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General & Family Physician Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta's  Response
Hello.Welcome.This can't be viral diarrhea as your problem is already for more than two weeks.Antacids can't produce this problem.You must keep her well hydrated and consult a Gastroenterologist.She would be requiring gastroscopy and colonoscopy with biopsy for the diagnosis.Good luck.
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Diahrrea/Severe Gastritis. What May Be Causing It? Could She Have A Stomach Virus ?

HAVE THESE DR'S DONE A COLONOSCOPY? I WOULD RECCOMEND DEMANDING ONE OF THOSE...ESPECIALLY IF THE PT IS OVER 50 ONE NEEDS TO BE DONE ANYWAY....IF IT HAS BEEN SEVERE FOR 2 WKS IT MAY BE TIME TO TAKE HER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, LONG TERM DIARRHEA CAN CAUSE SEVERE DEHYDRATION AND ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCES, WHICH CAN AFFECT OTHER AREAS OF YOUR BODY, ESPECIALLY YOUR HEART...TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL!!!