| Re: Bleeding Ulcer
how did you get the diagnosis ... really the only way that it can be made with any certainty is to have and upper endoscopy(assuming it's either gastric/duodenal/maybe esophageal ulcer) .. bleeding colonic ulcers are a totally different story
not only that, with the mention of bleeding, you now lay claim to the diagnosis of complicated ulcer
so with complicated ulcers/peptic ulcer disease, I can imagine that you've been started on a proton pump inhibitor like prilosec(to decrease stomach acid secretion, they by the way also decrease ulcer bleeding) and probably will be kept on one for a while ... it's not a bad thing; although stayed tuned as long term data is collected -- PPI's have been associated with increased rates of osteoporosis and PNA's
I imagine you've also been tested for H.pylori, just to make sure you dont' need antibiotics, and depending on what the biopsies of your ulcer showed and what your risk factors are, you may have repeat endoscopy in the future
i can also imagine that your gastro-enterologist recommended avoiding NSAIDs(like ibuprofen/aleve etc ..) so you don't have a risk of rebleed 2o/2 meds, also likely going to have to cut down on the alcohol and cigarettes ... dietary recommendations are also made like cutting down on caffeine(but the data's not great) also to cut down on spicy foods(again data's not great .. in fact some data says peppers may protect against some types of ulcers) .. stress is another factors which is thought to contribute, how much, is difficult to say, but heck maybe that's reason to ask for a doctor's note to cut down on homework and for more time on tests/papers(ha ha .....)
overall though, PUD even with a complicated ulcer shouldn't have too much effect on your life as a 19 y.o F, assuming that your symptoms can be controlled with meds; it's not that uncommon
best of luck
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