Mystery stomach illness, please read and help. I’m desperate.

Digestive health
1

ive never had serious health issues, im 20, and try to be as healthy as i can. but this has been going on for now around 7-8 months ans i dont know what else to do anymore.
around september of 2020, i moved into a new apartment. a few weeks later, i started developing loose stool, abdominal cramps, gas, rumbling stomach, and general pain. As 20 year olds do, i ignored the problem for months until it completely altered my quality of life. the same symptoms with no consistent bowel movement or color over months.

i assumed it was a food intolerance!! so i kept a food diary, and started cutting out common allergens/intolerances. I have experimented with cutting out soy, FODMAPS, eggs, gluten, dairy. all seem to help for a week or so then back to old symptoms. so no help there- still not eating eggs or dairy.

i went to a GI doctor - after a thyroid function blood test, test for celiac, stool sample test for all sorts of things - everything came back normal??? so i went to my local clinic, got an std test and general bloodwork to rule out all options. once again, negative and normal.

so on paper i look perfectly healthy.

at this point doctors are no help. I assume it is ibs or stress related. so i take probiotics, prebiotics, and start meditating to calm anxiety. no help. i take digestive enzymes. no help.

please, someone - if you have ANY CLUE as to what the hell is going on, please help me out here. I’m honestly begging, i just want this to be over, or some way to control it. if i have to eat spinach only for the rest of my life, so be it, i just need something.

2

followup on this too- i’ve even considered that its a toxin in the new apartment! so i got anti mold dehumidifiers for the bathroom and an air purifier for the bedroom. symptoms cleared for a week ans returned. so once again… not the solution.

3

followup on this too- i’ve even considered that its a toxin in the new apartment! so i got anti mold dehumidifiers for the bathroom and an air purifier for the bedroom. symptoms cleared for a week ans returned. so once again… not the solution.

4

You should check the water source of new apartment.

5

request you want a stool sample done it might not be ibs it could be inflammatory bowel disease.

6

Hi someone
Have you had your vits and minerals checked low levels of certain vits and minerals can cause stomach problems. Get your Vit D and VitB12 checked also magnesium. Did you see your blood results if not ask for them and check if your vits and minerals were tested. You could start taking Vit D and Vit B12 chat with the pharmacist about it. I mean Pharmacist not the counter assistant.

7

I have a lot of those same symptoms and it sucks a lot I have irritable bowel syndrome and it’s terrible

8

I’d def get water checked like Vish said …drink bottled water for a while and see what happens. Have you ever had IBS symptoms before? If it is IBS then phyllium husk (metamucil) can help slow down your colon. Also try some Imodium for diarrhea…that can help too. Pay attention to see if sugar makes things hurt worse. Sugar inflames your body so may need to lay off it for a while. Look at eating soluble fiber foods quick cooking oat meal, white rice, white bread, white potatoes stuff like that because it’s easy to digest. Insoluable foods has too much fiber and will make you poo more. Hope this helps you. Hang in there. Oh and my sister had a vitamin d deficiency and had diarrhea for a month..something else to think about

9

do do you take any kind of medication and do you always buy it from the same supplier because some companies have different ingredients in can cause reactions to how medicine works even vitamins if you buy them from different suppliers they’re all made differently some little things could just be causing it all I know I was getting my fish oil from a certain place and all of a sudden I changed because their prices went up and then I started getting stomach problems

10

Hi, my reply was deleted and I am not sure why, so I will try again. Is it possible your are allergic to anything in your apartment like rugs etc, some of them can be treated with formaldehyde and this can bother some folks, also ask about pesticide spraying in your apartment and your building. Be away from the building when they spray for several hours, and ask them not to spray your apartment
. Talk to an allergist about anything that may be an allergen to you in your new surroundings. Also do a heavy metal testing as we never know what may or may not be in our new environments.
Did you have a ct scan done with contrast as well, and an endoscope and also test for h. pylori. Just some additional ideas.
Have you changed your diet in anyway, eaten at different places. Do you drink alcohol/recreational drugs and if you do , do you notice symptoms worsen after. You don’t need to answer this on here, just think about it.
If all else fails try some genetic testing through a genetic testing/consult with a genetic counselor . Are you under stress, or anxiety when this started.
Did you get your gallbladder tested with the hida test, I assume you had a full cbc blood work up done.
Do you have any pets…
Are there any other symptoms that you notice along with this…I also suggest a second opinion , like trying another doctor. Another Gastro, and the allergist as well. ..I hope u can find your reason. Good luck. :slight_smile:

I am not sure why my response was deleted, so I will leave it at that.

11

Ask for several stool samples ( collected consecutively for three days straight) as one stool sample may not be enough for parasite to show up. why doctors dont know or do this is beyond me. it could be conincidental that you happened to move into new place right before this started. Hope you get well!

12

I developed similar symptoms, but have constipation. Pain in my abdomen on left side. A week or so ago it moved up to my stomach. this has been almost a month. Had CT scan at hospital with contrast and everything is normal except they recommended a laxative. No diverticulitis, blockage or other abnormalities. My doctor is sending me for a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I am on a blood pressure medication and a medication for cholesterol both of which cause stomach issues and constipation, but because I have been on them for over a year he wants to get the other tests first before changing my meds. I would suggest getting you water tested for lead as well as impurities. Have you been tested for high levels of lead?

13

Any luck with this issue?