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Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: tumors that make the stomach make too much acid, the ulcers, diarrhea and heartburn they cause, who gets it, the tests, and treatment
For anyone with stomach ulcers that keep coming back, or diarrhea that comes with heartburn or ulcers, for anyone the doctor has told “it could be Zollinger-Ellison,” for anyone with MEN1 in the family, and for the people who help them. It passes on, by name, what the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says about Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: what it is and the signs; who gets it, the cause, and the complications; how doctors find it and the tumors behind it; and treatment with medicines and surgery. It builds the questions to ask and prints a card. Nothing is saved.
Right now
- Vomiting blood, black or bloody stool, sudden sharp belly pain that does not go away, chest pain, trouble breathing, or passing out? NIDDK says to see a doctor right away for signs like these. Call 911 (ours).
- Vomiting that will not stop, pain when swallowing, or feeling weak or faint? NIDDK says to see a doctor right away. Get care today (ours).
- At the end of your rope, or having thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988, any hour, free (ours).
More help
- The stomach on this site: Peptic ulcers · Heartburn and GERD · GI bleeding · Belly and stomach: find the right page.
- Around it: MEN1 · Upper GI endoscopy · ERCP · Caring for someone.
- For you: My medicines · Low-cost health care · Get ready for your appointment. In an emergency: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 22, 2026 on NIDDK’s (NIH) page Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, every section, last reviewed in August 2021. Ours: the 911 and 988 lines; when to get help the same day or soon; asking before you stop or change a medicine, above all before the tests; asking about vitamin B12 checks; keeping the results on one page; the questions to ask; the card; the links to our other pages; and the order of the steps. What we left out: its clinical trials section, its references, its pictures, and the other pages it links to, which we did not read. Nothing you tick or type here is saved or sent.