Naproxen and ulcer

[CandleCat]

Has anyone ever developed a stomach ulcer from taking naproxen for too long? Just wondering how long it takes for it to heal with PPI medication

[thughes8]

Hello,

I ended up in hospital with x3 stomach ulcers last summer (2020), needed a blood transfusion and IV PPI for a week. Had a follow up endoscopy x3 months later and the ulcers had virtually healed, it can take a good few months for your body to recover from them. I now avoid naproxen altogether! Sending lots of love xx

[CandleCat in reply to thughes8]

Hello, thank you for your message.Glad you hear you’re almost healed !

3 ulcers sounds tough. How did it get diagnosed?

Also what were your symptoms?

I haven’t had any tests done but the doctors believe it’s an ulcer. I’m just worried as I’ve been on PPIs for over 3 weeks, twice a day and felt it was improving and now the symptoms have returned 😞 just wondering how this could happen as I’m still on the meds, or if there’s something else going on! Xxx

[thughes8 in reply to CandleCat]

My case was quite severe I think, it sounds like they’ve caught yours quickly, although it is rubbish that you’re feeling bad again!

For me, I woke up one morning vomiting blood, but it was like coffee granules, called 111 and they sent an ambulance out. They took my bloods at the hospital and my levels were low, the next morning they took bloods again and they’d dropped even further (indicating internal bleeding) so they did an emergency blood transfusion and sent me for an endoscopy which diagnosed the ulcers, they injected them and clipped them, I then had to stay in hospital for 6 days to be monitored whilst on the IV PPI.

I’m terms of symptoms before, looking back it was nausea and painful trapped wind. But I didn’t think anything of it as my endo can cause nausea and gas pain, and I’d had a ruptured cysts a few weeks prior. The severe side effects of the ulcer came on very quickly, probably over a 12 hour period - worsening nausea, pain and then the vomiting.

I would say if you still aren’t feeling well and you are worried speak to your GP again. I was on anti sickness tablets, iron tablets and movicol whilst taking the PPI tablets after discharge from hospital for a good 2 months. It did take my body a while to feel like itself again, so do give yourself time, ulcers aren’t an easy ride. But also you know your body best so if something doesn’t feel right don’t feel afraid to question it to the GP. We go through so much with endometriosis without anything else causing us havoc! xxx

[Macdunc29]

If you are taking naproxen long term you MUST be on a stomach liner aswell such as lansoprazole. If not it can destroy your stomach lining

[Crazycatladyjones]

May I ask how many MG neproxen you take and how often?I have been prescribed it but gp said I didnt need anything for stomach as i shud only take it over a few days at most.