Confused about digestive issues-looking for opinions

Digestive health
1

Hi Everyone;

​I am a 34 year old woman who has had on-going digestive issues for sometime and I've just sort of ignored them and lived with discomfort for more than a decade now. I had my gallbladder removed five years and thought that would be the solution but really, nothing has changed.

​My issues consist of generally the following:

- regular, daily nausea - sometimes food related, sometimes not

- stomach and lower abdominal pain on and off

​- alternate between constipation and diarhhea

​- feeling of having to "bear down" sometimes to relieve the abdominal pain

​- feeling of undigested food in my throat 

-feeling that my food just "sits" in my stomach and doesn't digest

​- reflux at night

​- general fatigue- feeling like I'm either just getting or just getting over the

  stomach flu

​- frequent headaches

​I do admit that I take a lot of Advil - maybe five times a week- so I don't know if Ive burned a hole through my stomach or have an ulcer or have something like IBS.... I'm very confused.

For example, I was at a local science center with my daughter today and we had a piece of pizza for lunch. Usually, this wouldn't make any of my above symptoms worse or any more uncomfortable than usual, but today, withing 15 minutes, I had I had to use the bathroom - I'll say- urgently and it was very foul (sorry).  

​It's all mild to moderate and doesn't stop me from living, but it does make my daily life uncomfortable.

​Any advise, ideas, similar stories?

Thanks!!

 

2

Hello sounds like a combination of things. My daughter has IBS and the majority of your symptoms sound like what she deals with.

Also the Advil that often is definitely not good.you could have a stomach ulcer also I have that and a couple of your symptoms sound like what I go through. You should talk to your doctor and go see a gastro doctor. Maybe get an EGD and Colonoscopy to rule out anything more serious.

Good luck and I hope for a speedy solution to your health issues.

3

It may be IBS. Stomach surgery can trigger it.  Speak to your doctor.

4

It sounds like gastroparesis, same symptoms as my wife.

5

Hello Rebecca, your problem sounds almost itentical to mine and I also psoted a blog that was titled Tired of Daily Feeling Sick and Doctors Have No Clue. I am like Hana9074132 and been through tests, different medications and all with no staisfaction. I went to the health food store and spoke with a very knowledgable person regarding my problem and they suggested for 2 weeks to take a product from New Roots which is a hosiptial bacteria probiotic and a product from Classic Series called Mastic Chios Gum. They both come in capsule form and you take 1 capsule from each 23 times a day jsut b efore a meal on a empty stomach. The one should make sure that you get enought vitamin D3. Then it was recommended that I go on a product that is called CHILL which helps with anziety and stress. I have been on the first 2 products for a week now and I am feeling not too bad and will give it the 2nd week with hopes it settles things down. Not sure if that is much help to you but I will be posting on my blog again after the 2nd week is up to let others know how I feel. Good luck to you as there is many of us out there and we all feel your pain.

6

Sounds like IBS like I have.  Stop the dairy and red meat.  Keep a food dairy to see what foods are good/bad for you.  Take probiotics daily.  Don't drink coffee.  Drink peppermint tea.  Pepto Bismol helps a lot with stomach issues.   Metamucil (powdered fiber mixed with water) works good for diarrhea/constipation because it bulks up stool and helps to make your bowel movements more normal.  Hope this helps.

7

Hi Rebecca. sorry to hear you are so poorly.  Your symptoms remind me of bile acid malabsorption ( i have had it since early 2015). its where too much bile acid reaches your intestines & it causes symptoms of urgent diarrea (particularly during/straight after eating), noisy stomach(gurgling,squeaking) bloating, sometimes nausea, & the diarrea causes frequent soreness around anus/rectum, inability to digest fats in diet properly.  the frequent diarrea can also cause headaches as there is often risk of poor hydration. also excessive tiredness & general feeling of unwellness.  I think you should ask your gp or consultant for a sehcat test to test for bile acid malabsorption. its a simple test that involves swallowing a tracer pill followed by a quick specialised scan. you go back 7days later for another scan. from this they can see if you have bile acid malabsorption & then give you meds to treat which make a huge difference within weeks of starting. even though you've had your gallbladder removed, you can still have this condition as the gallbladder was simply a "tank" to store bile acid. you still produce bile acid after your gallbladder has been removed.  it is called bam for short, & a common condition that is often overlooked in patients with bowel disorders such ibs, crohns, colitis. i think people with chronic diarrea/pain should always be tested for this condition in the absence of any other bowel condition,BEFORE being diagnosed with ibs, as it mimics the symptoms of several bowel conditions.  xx