Dyspepsia; Uncomfortable fullness after meals

Changing the way you eat may relieve your symptoms.

• Allow enough time for meals.
• Chew food carefully and completely.
• Avoid arguments during meals.
• Avoid excitement or exercise right after a meal.
• A calm environment and rest may help relieve stress-related indigestion.

Avoid aspirin and other NSAIDs. If you must take them, do so on a full stomach.

Antacids may relieve indigestion.

Medications you can buy without a prescription, such as ranitidine (Zantac) and omeprazole (Prilosec OTC) can relieve symptoms. Your doctor may also prescribe these medicines in higher doses or for longer periods of time.

Seek immediate medical help if your symptoms include jaw pain, chest pain, back pain, profuse sweating, anxiety, or a feeling of impending doom. These are possible heart attack symptoms.

Call your health care provider if:

• Indigestion symptoms change noticeably
• Symptoms last longer than a few days
• You have unexplained weight loss
• You have sudden, severe abdominal pain
• You have trouble swallowing
• You have yellow coloring of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• You vomit blood or pass blood in the stool

Your doctor will perform a physical examination, paying special attention to the stomach area and digestive tract. You will be asked questions about your symptoms, including:

• Does the discomfort begin or get worse after eating certain foods?
• Does it begin or get worse after drinking alcoholic or carbonated drinks?
• Do you eat quickly?
• Have you been overeating?
• Have you changed your diet?
• Have you had any spicy, high-fiber, or fatty foods?
• Do you drink a lot of caffeinated beverages (tea, soda, coffee)?
• What medications are you taking?
• Have you changed medications recently?
• What other symptoms do you have? For example, stomach pain or vomiting.

The following tests may be performed:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• Blood tests (depending on the suspected cause)
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD )
• Upper GI and small bowel series

Images

Review Date: 02/04/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)