Gastrointestinal bleeding is dangerous . . . ask me how I know

[AverageOldGuy]

WARNING: This comment describes a nasty medical condition.

So -- last Monday about 3:00 AM I waked up with mild stomach upset. Got up to go to bathroom and damn near fainted -- room started spinning, never been that dizzy. Crawled back in bed, lay there, head stopped spinning, managed to get back to sleep.

About 8:30 had a normal bowel movement, however I was dizzy, had to move slowly, hold onto furniture, lie down as soon as I was through moving around. Did not eat breakfast.

Dizziness got worse as morning progressed.

Suddenly, at noon, I was hit with explosive diarrhea -- stool was black and unbelievably stinky. As I tried to stand up off the toilet, I fell into the floor from dizziness, briefly passed out, waked up on the floor.

I'm an EMT with local rescue squad, managed to call wife, have her bring my radio -- called dispatcher, told them to dispatch my squad with a paramedic crew. Medics arrived, BP was low -- 102/60, pulse elevated from my normal, O2 good, dizzy, in and out of consciousness, sweating, pale. Off we went to the ER.

I know the ER doc -- she took one look at me, ordered blood draw and CT scan of stomach and intestines. Blood test showed hemoglobin level at 9.8, above 14.0 is normal, 7 or below gets transfusion(s). She told me I had a GI bleed, was in critical condition and she was sending me from our little rural hospital to big city medical center.

Took hours to get transport, arrived at med center six hours later, hemoglobin down to 8.2. Doc did endoscopy, found two small bleeding ulcers, cauterized them. Came home from hospital late Thursday after a big lesson in GI bleeds.

As an EMT I should have known this, but, a bleed in the stomach or intestines can kill you. If you are bleeding from a cut, you see it, you know you are bleeding and you get help. If you are bleeding internally, you can bleed and bleed for days and not know a thing about it until it's damn near too late. Most obvious symptoms are sudden onset of dizziness that will not go away, and, black, tarry stool. Blood makes the stool black, but, it may take a few days for the blood to work its way through your intestines, by which time you have lost a lot of blood.

The low hemoglobin count is the result of bleeding. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to the body, especially to the brain, and as hemoglobin disappears because of bleeding, less and less oxygen gets to the brain, hence the dizziness and fainting.

I did not need transfusion but came close. Kept me in the hospital 4 days, drew blood every six hours to check hemoglobin level, when it stabilized (7.8), they discharged me. Now the problem is that hemoglobin cells have a 120-day lifespan, so it will take weeks to regenerate hemoglobin back to the normal level, thus, I'm looking at a few weeks of being light-headed, not able to stand and walk except for short distances.

What caused the ulcers? I take a common pain reliever for back pain. I did not pay attention to the warnings on the label, the pain reliever ate away my stomach lining, leaving the ulcers.

And the lesson is:
(1) Read and follow label on pain relievers. Do not take them without water and something to eat.
(2) Everyone of us has bowel movements but we don't pay attention to them. Dizziness accompanied by black stool means you are in trouble -- call 911 NOW.

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[cachukis]

2. Not an average day. Good telling. Glad you can.

[debm55]

3. AverageOldGuy, thank you for you post. Alot of people think they are in trouble if they see red in

their stools, but it's when the stools are black that is the problem. I am so glad the doctors took care of you. Are you feeling better or are you on bed rest ? I have to admit I don't read the papers that come with my meds. Thank you so much for giving us a heads up.
And best of luck in your recovery.

[captain queeg]

4. I know all of this based on personal experience.

A few years ago I was passing out and friend took me to the ER. It’s a city hospital, the kind of place where you can wait hours in the ER. My friend rolled me in with a wheelchair. When we got in a couple nurses were right there and took me right back. I guess they took one look at me and decided to dispense with all the paper work and get me in. Ended up getting 2 units of whole blood so I guess it had been going on for awhile and now I know the symptoms to watch for, as you mentioned. But that’s from slow blood leakage (dark tarry stool) but one thing they told me is if you are ever passing bloody, red stool to get to the ER immediately.

[nolabear]

5. How often were you taking that common pain reliever?

First, damn. I’m so sorry! Heal fast.

So I ask because I know that pain reliever, and am advised not to take it because I’m on a blood thinner and there’s worry about that exact thing. But I also have painful arthritis and other pain issues and I’ve had to take it now and then when I wanted to be mobile. It’s spooky to have conditions whose meds clash.

On the OTHER hand, I recently began taking Wegovy in the hope of dropping some weight for knee replacement and damned if the pain didn’t almost go completely away (knees still crunchy but constant pain is gone). I’ve never been so shocked. I found out it’s a strong anti inflammatory, better in some than others, and I hit the jackpot. I feel better than I have in two years!

Again, I’m really sorry about that bleed. It’s been a worry of mine. Hope you find a good alternative.

[AverageOldGuy]

12. My pain reliever

Over-the-counter Sodium Naproxone (Aleve as well as store brands) 220 mg.

I was taking one tablet twice a day and four at a time when my back ached so badly I could not stand it. I have spinal stenosis and when I do a lot of yard work or similar exertion my back really hurts, so I would pop 4.


One tablet twice a day, four occasionally for back pain.

Been doing that for about 18 months.

[captain queeg]

21. That one really messes up my stomach.

I’m not supposed to take any NSAID because of that effect but Tylenol doesn't do anything for my back pain. So I do take ibuprofen sometimes, but have to be careful. I’ve been on Prilosec for a long time

[nolabear]

22. Whooee! You must have been in awful pain.

I’m sorry! My history has been mostly ibuprofen, but same gastrointestinal fears. How’re you doing?

[CTyankee]

23. Aleve did nothing for my back pain due to spinal arthritis. Ibuprofin is great and always helps.

I get off my feet and lie horizontally twice a day for about 45 minutes to an hour each. I don't like lying down so much but it's the only thing that helps.

[Ms. Toad]

25. I'd just revise your advice to never take Sodium Naproxen

That stuff is nasty and dangerous.

I've been eating NSAIDS (the general category which includes Sodium Naproxen) since I was 4. I have had migraines which it takes 3 aspirin (before the rest of them became OTC) or 2 ibuprofen to touch . . . if I get them early. I've got a cast iron GI system.

But - after a back injury I was put on Sodium Naproxen. It created ulcers throughout my entire GI system (mouth to anus). I had noticed the mouth and anus ulcers - and then developed classic internal ulcer signs and had to stop taking Sodium Naproxen.

I can still take other NSAIDs frequently and in large quantities (at least as to ulcers - ibuprofen now elevates my blood pressure). It is only Sodium Naproxen which causes this systemic ulceration.

[LoisB]

6. Scary. I hope you are much better.

[AwakeAtLast]

7. Almost lost my Mom 6 years ago this way

Every single thing you described happened to her, including how she got the ulcers. She was in the hospital for 6 days, 3 of those in and out of consciousness.

She is now 80 and never regained her energy or appetite. Luckily I now live next door to help out.

Glad you are on the mend!

[Wicked Blue]

8. I'm glad you're okay after that

[Hekate]

9. I am so glad you are all right now

[Karadeniz]

10. I'm happy to learn that you'll be okay and now know what to do to keep yourself off the bathroom

floor! Take care !!

[IbogaProject]

11. Whew

Glad to hear that you're ok. It's also good to learn about the warning signs. Take care during your recuperation.

[pnwmom]

13. So glad you survived this. This is all excellent advice. Thank you!

[FakeNoose]

14. Wow, this was a close call

I'm so glad you got the help you needed. Your ER doctor did you a solid favor too.

Here's hoping for a quick recovery.

[Hamlette]

15. Thanks for posting, sounds remarkably like what I am experiencing.

Sat. morning, got up to go to the bathroom, dizzy, went down, nasty knock on my heard.

Doc saw me Monday, tons of tests including brain and lung scan and stress test. Endoscopy set for Wednesday. Leaving town in two weeks for Africa so my doc has been fairly aggressive and while my hemoglobin was 10 he's doing a transfusion for a quicker recovery (we hope).

Happened once before and it was bacterial ulcers, took a round of special antibiotics and felt pretty good within a couple of weeks.

If you start eating ice or dirt, oddly enough, your iron may be down and you should have it checked.

[moniss]

16. Traveling for a living

for many years has exposed me several times to food poisoning. Most cases were just gastro-intestinal distress, vomiting, cramping etc. that would go on for several hours and then I would get better. But I never had illness from chicken. I'm telling everybody that it was unlike anything in my life. A few months back I had bought a bucket of chicken from a local chicken deep-frying place. I've bought chicken there for decades without a problem. But now the original owners are gone and I don't know who owns it now and calls the shots on quality and cleaning.

Nothing tasted or smelled off about the chicken. A few hours after I ate the chicken I began to feel distress and went rapidly into fever, cramping, diarrhea etc. Strangely enough I didn't start having vomiting until a few hours after it all started. I thought it would pass like all the other times. I ended up on the couch close to the bathroom for 4 days. Weak as could be, horrible on and off cramping, fever, chills, shaking and exhaustion. Like in and out of short fits of sleep interrupted by horrible cramps and shaking. But no bloody stool. I know I should have gone to the emergency room but the cramps would last for about a half hour and then suddenly end and I would think it might be over. So I would lay there all covered in sweat, chills and shaking coming and going and then back to sleep. No further problems after 4 days but I had nothing much to eat during that time other than soda crackers and I drank liquids as I could. God bless my cran-raspberry juice.

I was fortunate that it didn't go to further problems. Like the OP said the GI problems can escalate quickly and despite being proud of being a tough old b*astard I would have also been a stupid one if I had let some bad food be the reason for my funeral.

[Larissa]

17. What a hair-raising experience

As I read your narrative I was afraid that you would fall knocking yourself out. Thank God you're okay.

[littlemissmartypants]

18. I'm so glad you survived! What a scary experience!

One of my half sisters almost died for the same reason but with an additional complication. She was found on the floor by her boyfriend, unconscious and as he phrased it "bleeding from both ends." At first he thought someone had bashed her in the head there was so much blood around her face.

I worked at the hospital where she was admitted an the chief Gastroenterology physician was a colleague and a friend of mine. (Also, very handsome but I digress.) He did her assessment which revealed that she had ulcers through her stomach, small intestines at her duodenum and her esophagus. She was also diagnosed with Plummer-Vinson syndrome.*

She drank lots of alcohol, took lots of acetaminophen and handfuls of supplements. Unfortunately she didn't eat much. She was only consuming smoothies but that was an organically evolved default diet. She had been reduced to using smoothies for nourishment due to the severely invasive Plummer-Vinson syndrome which presented with severe esophageal webbing.

She almost died. I'm glad I was able to be engaged in her care. I recommended that she get esophageal dilitation which was performed by the handsome Gastroenterologist. When she came to he was standing over her and I was by her side. When she saw his face she asked me if we were in heaven. He blushed and we all had a good laugh.

She is now a shell of her former self. Tortured daily by the demons that result from long term substance abuse, drugs and alcohol. I will never forget the sound of her pulling up in my driveway, the St. Paulie Girl beer bottles rolling around, hitting each other on the floorboard behind her where she discarded them as she drove. She got several DUI citations and lost her driver's license so she moved to another state and got a different one. I'll never understand how she pulled that off.

I have wanted a sister all my life, even as I have three half-sisters those friendships never materialized.

You're so fortunate to have the love and attention of a spouse. I'm glad you made it! I was wondering what happened to you! Please take care of yourself.


❤️pants

*https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plummer%E2%80%93Vinson_syndrome

[CTyankee]

24. Alcoholism is so horrible. I lost a sister in law I loved to it. She was beloved by everyone

including me. I have dedicated my latest book to her and to my mother's beloved memory. I am in touch with one of her daughters and will see her next Thanksgiving. What a loss this wonderful woman was and how much did she love her life!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

19. Thanks for the info

I take an 81mg aspirin every day -- after breakfast, with a 12 oz glass of water -- because of a stent installed in 2019.

[hunter]

20. My stomach went wrong taking prescribed Celebrex.

Before that I'd take ibuprofen, never more than the label instructions.

Now I can't take any NSAID.

I miss 'em.

That sounds like a scary experience.

[littlemissmartypants]

27. I had a bad reaction to Celebrex, too.

I wash washing my face after taking it for about three days and I noticed that my wash cloth was bloody. I had developed pinpoint bleeding on my face and oddly on my thighs. It was like my blood was slowly seeping out. It was a really weird experience.

Usually pinpoint bleeding is under the skin but not in my case. Even the doctor was surprised. It hadn't been on the market very long and I immediately stopped taking it. I was back to normal in a few days. It made me wonder if that was happening on the outside what was happening inside. It was scary. No more NSAIDS for me!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

26. glad you are ok. sounds like a scary few days