Symptoms of Peptic Ulcer

General information about symptoms of Peptic Ulcer: The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible symptoms of Peptic Ulcer. This symptom information has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of symptoms of Peptic Ulcer. Furthermore, symptoms of Peptic Ulcer may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of symptoms and whether they are indeed symptoms of Peptic Ulcer.

List of symptoms of Peptic Ulcer: The list of symptoms mentioned in various sources for Peptic Ulcer includes:

Abdominal discomfort - this is the primary symptom; usually chronic and ongoing; the discomfort has particular characteristic patterns:
- Abdominal pain after a meal - usually 2-3 hours later
- Abdominal pain on empty stomach
- Abdominal pain relieved by food
- Abdominal pain relieved by antacids
Weight loss
Poor appetite
Bloating
Belching
Nausea
Vomiting
Gastrointestinal bleeding - a very serious symptom requiring immediate medical attention; caused by a bleeding ulcers, its symptoms may include:

Symptoms of Peptic Ulcer: Abdominal discomfort is the most common symptom. This discomfort usually

is a dull, gnawing ache.
comes and goes for several days or weeks.
occurs 2 to 3 hours after a meal.
occurs in the middle of the night (when the stomach is empty).
is relieved by food.
is relieved by antacid medications.

Other symptoms include

weight loss
poor appetite
bloating
burping
nausea
vomiting

Some people experience only very mild symptoms, or none at all.

Emergency Symptoms

If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away:

sharp, sudden, persistent stomach pain
bloody or black stools
bloody vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds

They could be signs of a serious problem, such as

perforation--when the ulcer burrows through the stomach or duodenal wall.
bleeding--when acid or the ulcer breaks a blood vessel.
obstruction--when the ulcer blocks the path of food trying to leave the stomach.

The most common ulcer symptom is gnawing or burning pain in the abdomen between the breastbone and the belly button. The pain often occurs when the stomach is empty, between meals and in the early morning hours, but it can occur at any other time. It may last from minutes to hours and may be relieved by eating food or taking antacids. Less common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite. Sometimes ulcers bleed. If bleeding continues for a long time, it may lead to anemia with weakness and fatigue. If bleeding is heavy, blood may appear in vomit or bowel movements, which may appear dark red or black. ²

More symptoms of Peptic Ulcer: In addition to the above information, to get a full picture of the possible symptoms of this condition and its related conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by complications of Peptic Ulcer, underlying causes of Peptic Ulcer, associated conditions for Peptic Ulcer, risk factors for Peptic Ulcer, or other related conditions.

Medical articles on symptoms: These general reference articles may be of interest:

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from H_ pylori and Peptic Ulcer: NIDDK
2. excerpt from Helicobacter pylori Infections (H. pylori) general: DBMD

Last revision: June 10, 2003

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