I just thought I'd add that it sounds like stomach ulcers to me, but I honestly don't know. Below is some information on symptoms of ulcers and complications that occur.
SYMPTOMS
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The symptoms of gastric ulcers include feelings of indigestion and heartburn, weight loss, and repeated cases of bleeding in the stomach. Ulcer pain is sometimes described as gnawing, dull, aching, or similar to hunger pangs. Patients may experience nausea or appetite loss. In many cases, ulcer pain comes and goes over long periods of time.
The primary symptoms of duodenal ulcers include heartburn, stomach pain, weight gain, and a burning feeling at the back of the throat. A patient is most likely to feel discomfort two to four hours after meals.
About 20 percent of all people with peptic ulcers experience no symptoms. This form of the condition is called painless or silent ulcers. Between 10 to 20 percent of all peptic ulcer patients develop complications at some time in their illness. All of these complications can be very serious. In many cases, complications appear without any other signs of an ulcer. Some common complications include:
Hemorrhage. Bleeding is the most common complication of ulcers. If bleeding continues, a patient may become anemic. Anemia (see anemias entry) is a condition that develops when a person does not have enough red blood cells. It can lead to extreme tiredness, weight loss, and, in the worst cases, death. About 6 to 10 percent of all patients with a bleeding ulcer die of the problem.
Perforation. A perforation is a hole in the wall of the stomach or intestine. The hole allows stomach fluids to leak out into the abdominal cavity. These fluids are very acidic and can cause serious damage to body tissues. The signs of perforation include severe pain, fever, and tenderness of the abdomen. About 5 percent of patients with a perforated ulcer die of the condition.
Penetration. Penetration occurs when an ulcer spreads to some organ adjacent to the digestive system. It may affect the liver or pancreas, for example. Signs of penetration include severe pain that spreads to the lower back.
Obstruction. Over time, ulcers can form scar tissue. In some cases, this scar tissue can block the opening between the stomach and the duodenum. Food is not able to move all the way through the digestive system. The most common symptom of an obstruction is vomiting. The vomiting is caused by undigested food expelled from the stomach. Obstruction occurs in about 2 percent of all ulcer patients.
http://www.faqs.org/health/Sick-V4/Ulcers.html