What can cause a Bleeding Gastric Ulcer if it is not bacteria or NSAIDS?
My father recently underwent emergency endoscopic cauterization of a penny size ulcer, that had eaten into his artery. He had 3 other ulcers that were not bleeding. He tested negative for the bacteria that causes ulcers and he does not take NSAIDs often. No one can tell us why he might have such aggressive ulcers. He did go to the dentist office the day before for a tooth ache, and mentioned that the shot they had given him felt like it sank down into his stomach. He also takes about 20 health supplements and vitamins a day. Can either of those have caused this?
Comments
Stress, cancer, too many acidic foods, alcohol, perhaps the various types of supplements/vitamins he is taking. A good health history would be important in determining the cause.
It could be just the kind of things he eats. I don’t know if he drinks alcohol or not, but that can be a cause in it, also. Hope he gets alot better. Stomach problems hurt alot. I’ve had alot myself. I have a very small ulcer, too. I try to watch the kinds of foods I eat that won’t irritate it so much. It’s really hard to turn down food you really love to eat because of it.
Ulcers do not develop overnight so it is doubtful that the injection from the dentist would have cause them. The two most common causes of ulcers, as you’ve mentioned, are Helicobacter pylori (the bacteria) and NSAIDs medications (including aspirin, ibuprofen, naprosyn & others). Acetamenophen, the ingredient in Tylenol, is the only over the counter pain medicine which is not an NSAID. Other common causes of ulcers include smoking & caffeine. Physical, not emotional, stress can also cause ulcers. Rarely, ulcers can be caused by cancer, but this will be ruled out, or in, soon as your doctor had already biopsied the ulcer tissue during the endoscopy. Very rarely, multiple ulcers are caused by a condition called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, or gastrinoma. Your doctor can also rule this out, if suspected.
Leave a Comment