I hate being organic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I still have what I no longer think is the 'stomach flu'.

On the plus side, I have deduced part of what it all is.

I have an ulcer going throught the abdominal area (from left side to right).

It's a recurring pain that happens between meals and temporarily improves if I eat a ton of antacids or drink Maalox (though the pain is always present to some small degree. :-( ).

I don't have the more serious symptoms as of yet (namely internal bleeding).

Apart from making the antacid industry a hell of a lot richer (though I'm buying the generic no-name stuff as a proverbial _|_ to the name brands), what can I do to speed healing? (I do know that dairy products, yogurt aside, are out of the question. :-( )

Oh yeah. what the heck happened to the _|_ ('the finger') smilie anyway?!?!?!

most ulcers have been found to be caused by bacteria and respond to treatment. ask your doc.

It's true that ulcers can be treated with antibiotics, since they're actually caused by bacteria--something we didn't used to know.

Also, if left untreated, ulcers can hemorrhage. You don't want to start vomiting blood uncontrollably, do you? It happened to my mother, and also to a friend of mine.

Has a doctor diagnosed this as an ulcer? Symptoms are consistent with that, anyway. It is known now that ulcers are caused (in people who are susceptible for unknown reasons) by Helicobacterium pylori, so antibiotics are prescribed. Most ulcers never really heal unless the infection is elminated.

If it's just gastritis (inflammation) then clear liquids are the usual treatment.

But if it persists, you're gonna have to see a doctor, d00d.

It was at a different office location who hadn't received my paperwork yet. Not that that should make any difference.

At the time, stomach flu seemed to be the diagnosis. The textbook symptoms I now see to be an ulcer weren't really clear as I was concentrating on a, um, other particularly gross symptom which I still have... I just love that Gatorade...

I'll likely call back on Monday. I shouldn't continue to have (the other) symptoms...

At least, if it keeps giving you problems. It's not exceptionally common, but some people who have H. Pylori ulcers eventually develop stomach cancer. I lost my father to that about eight years ago, now. Not trying to scare you -- I think it's pretty rare -- but it definitely ain't something to play with.

first thing tomorrow morning.

That is my favorite word ..ORGANIC! It means Health to me and ergo a Good Time!!

Good Luck in your healing process!

he probably hates it

A course of very specific antibiotics can target the H. Pilori and eliminate the problem.

If there is no H. Pilori in your system, you quite honestly are extremely unlikely to have an ulcer (unless you've been snacking on Drano or lye or some other caustic chemical agent). If you have H. Pilori you still may not have an ulcer yet, but your likelihood is increased simply by it's presence.

Get thee to a competent physician. I am not a physician and I do not play one on tv.