Complications

Despite the availability of effective ulcer medications, some patients still suffer complications related to their ulcers. Hemorrhage, perforation of the lining of the stomach or intestine (and, in some cases, penetration of other organs), and obstruction of the narrow channel where the stomach meets the duodenum, or small intestine, (gastric outlet obstruction) are the major complications associated with peptic ulcer disease.

Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibroids Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control See the top six websites for information about peptic ulcers More about digestive health Brain Tumor-Related Clinical Trials Information U.S. News's Health & Wellness Support Networks Email this page Print this section

These complications can be very serious, and their symptoms require immediate attention. They include black, tarry stools; vomit that is bloody or looks as if it has coffee grounds in it; extreme abdominal pain; vomiting of undigested or partially digested food; diminished appetite, and weight loss.

This section contains more information on:

• Hemorrhage
• Perforation of the stomach or duodenal lining
• Penetration of other organs
• Gastric outlet obstruction