Zero Appetite, Only Finish 1/2 Plate of Food for 2 Months

Digestive health
1

Hi All!  smile  I'm looking for suggestions, even if it's a 2nd opinion.  I'm a 40 YO male @ 217 lbs when this started, now at 196.

SYMPTOMS

-Trip to Mexico in Nov, on 11/17 came down with what I think may have been a stomach bug.  Nausea, could only finish 1/2 plate of food for rest of trip, and diarrhea.

- Diarrhea continued for 2 weeks w/ cramps, w/ nausea only when working out, but ability to eat full meals did return.

-11/30 became violently ill.

-For next week, pale, constant nausea, would gag if I wasn't laying on my back (even with medication), constant pulse at 120, could barely eat/drink. Lost 12 lbs this week.  2nd week eating was better but only @ 1000 calories/day.

-Day I could get out of bed color returned to skin, minor nausea but gagging stopped, and heart rate returned to normal.  Diarrhea/cramps continued for 2 more weeks then stopped.  I've been mostly regular for over a month, except the eating and nausea.

-Since I have no desire to eat, when my stomach growls I can only eat the equivalent of 1/2 a plate of food before I feel full, or about to vomit if I try eating a little more.

-Can only get my calorie intake if I eat nutritionally dense foods, but the weight is still slowly coming off without trying.

-Blood tests all normal:  CBC (& w/ diff), Metabolic, Troponin I, D-Dimer, Magnesium, Amylase, Hepitatic Panel, Lipase, T4, TSH.

-Chest XRay normal.

-Abdominal Ultrasound normal:  Bile ducts, kidneys, speen, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, & aorta.

-Calprotectin Sample showed inflammation @ 860.  Rest normal.

-Colonoscopy normal, w/ negative biopsy.

-Endoscopy discovered Barret's, w/ no pre-cancer.

-Taking 20 mg Prilosec once per day in the morning.

I can't workout because I'm not getting the needed calories.  I'm not scared, but this has gotten very old.  Looking for any suggestions.  I have great doctors that listen but they are telling me that from a biological standpoint that I am fine.  My GI tract disagrees.  lol

Are there any further tests worth looking into?  Or should I get a 2nd opinion from another Primary Care Physician?

Thanks!

2

Have you asked your doctor whether Barrett's could be causing your symptoms? Were you tested for microscopic colitis?

You could also ask for a SEHCAT scan to see if you have bile acid malabsorption and ask about IBS since you have had change of bowel habit.

3

IHi

Plain diet avoid spicy sweet etc foods The digestive system takes a long

time to heal.

4

Hi!  Yes they did as part of the biopsy.  As far as Barrett's is concerend he said that it could be causing the nausea & loss of appetite, but not the inability to finish a plate of food.  Becuase of the virus he wanted me to wait to see if I returned to normal.  He said that he didn't think it was IBS because the calprotectin test will show that high of a number with someone with IBD or infection, but not someone with IBS.

 

5

Thanks!  I've already been doing what I can to cut out those foods.  What is most concerning is the amount of food I'm able to eat, even the bland ones.  I'm forcing myself to eat breakfast and lunch, and by the time dinner comes around and I start feeling hungry, I'm only able to eat roughly a desert plate sized amount of food before I fill up.  If I try to force more I get nauseous, and like I'm not going to hold it down if I take another bite.

6

That's strange that you have a high calprotectin test but your colonoscopy is normal.  It is also possible to have IBD and IBS together.  What was the conclusion to your high calprotectin?

7

He said that Calprotectin only measures inflammation and if IBS/IBD is discovered during scoping, helps determine the severity when active. I DEFINITELY had a nasty virus. Lol His impression is that the virus caused inflammation that was so bad that it can take a long time for the intestines to heal themselves.

That explains the nausea to me but not the fact that I am only able to eat so little food at one sitting without feeling full. Obviously cancer or any obstruction is ruled out, but I still think there is something going on here. I'm just not sure which direction to go.

8

I would go along with your doctor's theory; it sounds plausible.

There are lots of nerves in your intestine; they could have been disturbed and the sensations of feeling full or not full may have been disrupted. Your gut flora may also be out of balance.  Maybe try a good probiotic.  Ask for a SIBO breath test to see if this is possible.

 

9

Thank you for your suggestion. I will ask my doctor for it. Especially saying as the gagging returned today and I can barely eat anything.

10

Just wanted to let everyone know the gagging returned today, and holding solids down has been a struggle.

11

You could also try keeping a food diary to see if any foods are upsetting your stomach.

12

Hi! Saw the gastro today. He was very receptive to the breath test for SIBO but wants me to try a probiotic, then some peppermint oil 1st. If that doesn't work and in 2 weeks I'm still only eating a half plate of food he wants me to do a gastric emptying test. If that is clear then he wants to do the hydrogen breath test you suggested.

Thanks for the suggestion. It's nice to be able to move in a direction rather than wait and see.

13

That's good news that you are getting somewhere.

14

Just another update in case anyone with similar symptoms reads this thread in the future.  My gastric emptying exam came back normal, and about 1 week after I started taking the probiotic the Dr. suggested (called Align) the cramps went away along with the nausea.  I have to drink shakes for breakfast and lunch that bodybuilders use for bulking up (800 calories in each 18 oz meal) and when I eat a solid meal I can eat a little bit more without much effort but it's still only about 2/3 of what I'm eating.  I'm still losing about 1 pound a week, but right now it could be because of the change in diet in which I've cut out all processed sugars, lactose, and oily/fatty foods which seem to be still upsetting my stomach way more than I was before I got sick.  I will be meeting again with my doctor again in about 2 weeks and see where he wants to go from there.