Chronic Bloating

  Hi,
      First of all, regardless of whether you can assist me or not,
  thank you for this forum.  You are performing a very worth while
  function here!
      I have been suffering from chronic (mostly) upper GI bloating
  now for about 7 years.  This problem has gotten worse over time.
  The bloating begins about 1 to 1.5 hours after eating and I have
  not been able to attribute it to any particular food group (i.e.
  lactose intolerance, etc.)  There are those that love to claim
  air swallowing but fasting cures the problem (unfortunately this
  will eventually kill the patient).  There is also the 1 to 1.5
  hour delay after eating (you can practically set your watch by
  it!).  There are those that love to blame smoking, so I quit a
  year and a half ago.  I have had all the standard tests (except
  this ERCD thing) upper GI, endoscope, gall bladder sono, etc.
  All negative, with the exception of the scope showing an awfully
  irritated lining.  At the 3 to 4 hour range (after eating) the
  problem peaks (just happens to coincide with bed time) so I
  naturally don't sleep too well either.  I at times can literally
  belch continuously for up to 30 minutes straight.  The symptoms,
  though always present to some extent, are extreme on an episodic
  basis.  I am also dizzy at times and feel like I may pass out on
  occasion (I attribute this to REM sleep deprivation as it tends
  to coincide more with the nights I don't sleep well).  Please,
  any thoughts at all would be helpful!
                                                thanks again,
                                                       Garth
__________
Dear Garth,
It is often to prove definitively why some people have gas and bloating.  The onset ofyour symtoms (symptoms) approx. 1.5 hours after eating suggests that your problem may be related to a difficulty with digestion.  As initial therapy I would consider anti gas medications.  I would start with a charcoal medication and add simethicone.  If this treatment does not work, ask your physician his thoughts about trying Propulsid.  There is some evidence from Europe that this medication reduces the gas-bloat symptoms.
Regarding an etiology for your problem, you may have very rapid transit of ingested food to the colon allowing for fermentation and gas production.  A second possibility is bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine.  These possibilities can be easily evaluated by your M.D.
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always ask your personal physician specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords; gas, bloating
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