I have had pain in my upper abdomen for a long time but just thought of it as an ulcer or something. It has gotten worse over time. The pain covers an area about the size of my fist and it is right at the top part of my stomach. I have had gallbladder surgery. I have felt nauseous for several months and have been tired almost all the time. I have been having a dark runny stool. I feel full if I eat and have had a decrease in appetite. I have not talked to my wife about this as I have not really gave it much thought other then maybe I was just getting older. The feelings have gotten worse over the last few months and have started to take a toll on me. Should I talk to my doctor, or should I be in a hurry to do this? I am 38 years old and male. I have chewed for most of my life and recently stopped. The thing that makes me wonder is that I had swallowed for years of chewing. I donÕt want my wife to worry over this if it isn’t something big. Any ideas on what might be the cause? If this is something that I might need to be checking what should I be asking? Thank you very much

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Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

I recommend that you see the doctor ASAP. Do not delay seeing the doctor, as these are serious symptoms. Your doctor will determine which investigations need to be done, but it sounds like you will need to have a gastroscopy done. Gastroscopy is a procedure in which a thin fibre-optic instrument is passed through the mouth and the stomach is examined, and biopsies (samples) are taken from the stomach lining. You also need a basic abdomen lab work done, including liver and pancreas enzymes as well as possibly an ultrasound or MRI/CT of the abdomen