Is this normal or abnormal?

This is my first time posting, I've been reading in this forum for about 3 months.I have a few questions..I haven't been to the doctor yet just because I don't go that often and something really has to be bothering me.  So I've reached a point now that I'm alittle concerned.  Nothing major I'm sure, I'm just puzzled.
I'm 37 WF, general good health, slightly overweight. I've never had any test performed on me.  For the past 3-4 months I have noticed and everyone in the same room has noticed my stomach makes loud noises, gurgling, almost like a dishwasher(my husband says).  I've read in the forum archives that bowel sounds are normal.  Theres nothing normal about this, haven't done it for the past 36 years, why now?  Also, when I go to the bathroom , the smell from a bowel movement is almost unbearable.  That started about 3-4 months ago.  The odor is alot different than the past so I think something might be going on.  In reading in the forum I'm aware of all the test that can be performed...But my question is what could be causing the symptons.  I do get somewhat nauseous after I eat, but eventually goes away.  Also, this morning the bm was pencil like, its done that before but goes back to normal, so I never have pursued it.  No mucus or blood that I'm aware of....Any ideas
The only test I have had done is blood test about a 1 1/2 years ago, my primary doctor ordered  some due to fatigue, checked thyroid, several other things.  all were normal....Question?  Could something change in that length of time?(meaning  disease??)

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There are a variety of reasons that can cause a perception of increased stomach gurgling.  This can be a normal variant - or it can be signs of diseases such as malabsorption or irritable bowel syndrome.  

Foul smelling stools can be caused by malabsorption or chronic pancreatitis.  This possibility, including the change in stool shape, may warrant further testing.  This can include a colonoscopy/flexible sigmoidoscopy, stool tests and breath tests looking for the various types of malabsorption, or an upper GI series/upper endoscopy looking for diseases of the upper GI tract.

If all the tests are negative, irritable bowel syndrome may then be considered and treatment discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[PAJ]

Yeast is favourite, read my other posts, and see how you score on this questionnaire



http://web.archive.org/web/20030203021827/www.howdyneighbor.com/jbayliss/crook.htm

[yoshi]

does yeast really make that kind of noise??
lots of gas make all kind of weird noises.
say if you are eating stuff which your body does not digest well,have you tried gas-x or extra strength gas x to neutralise gas in your body??
are you on medication which could cause that odor??

[ddaw899833]

No, I'm not on any medications that would cause the odor.  and my eating habits have not changed, and yes I have tried gas-x with no relief.  Its real strange.

Just for the record, do they charge 15.00 everytime you post a comment.  New to this forum, just wanted to check.

[tessa0825]

ddaw, NO, you can post as many comments as you like on any of the topics at no charge...There is only a 15.00 charge when you ask your question that starts the topic...Tessa

[ddaw899833]

Thanks Tessa

By the way YOSHI, I went to the website and took the yeast questionaire test, I made a 126 grand total score.  So it might  be yeast.  I have Doctor's appointment tomorrow, it may be nothing but i would think getting nauseous after i eat may have something to do with it.

[Caroline5]

It could also be irritable bowel syndrome, especially with the gas and pencil thin stool.

[Biskie]

You might want to start Metamuscil to bulk up and move things along, and sometimes lactose intolerance creates gas and smell - have you tried any probiotics or digestive enzymes?

[yoshi]

if you start a new thread,then you have to pay 15 dollars.but if you add new postings to this thread ,it is free.
yeast makes a person sleepy,tired and bloated,and yearn for starchy food,sugar etc,but i have never heard of yeast making noises.

[sportsco]

PAJ,

I just scored over 200 on that yeast questionnaire thing!!

[ddaw899833]

I have been on Metamucil for about 2 weeks,I decided to try that before calling the Doctor.  But I'm still getting the same results...The stool has been flat at times, pencil like and back to normal. But the foul odor remains the same.  I have never tried probiotics or digestive enzymes.  I have never had a problem until the last 3-4 months, I thought it would just go away, but it hasn't yet.

[Biskie]

Sometimes as we age, our digestive process changes - are you allergic to anything? Do you drink milk? Alcohol? Any changes at all dietarily? Water intake?  Do you notice when this happens, is it after a certain meal? Meat? Do you have cramping before you go to the bathroom? Do you feel better afterwards?  I would strongly suggest that you see a Gastroenterologist for this if it doesn't go away...sometimes the colon can become constricted after eating certain things - and the smell may be because of undigested food....

[Biskie]

Also, let us know what your doctor said today - I think we're all interested :)

[ddaw899833]

Thanks so much for the response.  I really enjoy this forum.
Went to Doctor today....Of course your always feeling good when its time to go to doctor....He has set me up for a gallbladder ultrasound on Monday, also a upper gi.  He seems to think gallbladder...I don't know.  To top it off I have tonsilitis.  My throat doesn't hurt at all, I was shocked when he said my throat was infected.  Put me on Cipro 1000mg.
What is the exact function of tonsils?  Someone told me to pull poison and infection out of system.
Could this have something to do with whats going on with the bottom half of my body??
Your thoughts are appreciated

[tessa0825]

Biskie, Would you please email me at m_catarina***@**** I would like to ask you a question...Thanks, Tessa

[tessa0825]

Thats an interesting question about the tonsils..I have also heard they were only good to trap infection..I had mine removed when I was 13. I tend to belive that theory as when I was 18 I had lymph node removal on the L side of my neck..I guess when the tonsils were gone the infection must have found a different node to place itself....Ive also heard that tonsils are really just lymph nodes. Ive never asked that question to a Dr. but I guess it makes sense..Tessa

[Biskie]

Regarding tonsils: They do trap infection - had mine out when I was 16 and now if I get sick, it goes down to my chest/throat - mine were the size of golf balls and spotted. If you're on Cipro, you'll find also that many doctors prescribe that for Crohn's Disease - peri-anal fistulas (and other things), but be careful and watch your reaction to the medication - it is one of the strongest antibiotics out there and you may have some side effects. On the other hand, it may help your problem.  If at all possible, try to save the gallbladder - from reading other people's forum discussions, it sounds like taking out the gallbladder has done nothing to help them.  My mom had hers taken out cuz she had traveling upper back left and right quadrant pain, and she still has it.  But she's 83 and has osteoporosis! Give us an update after next Monday!

[Caroline5]

Yeast is an overdone diagnosis. Buyer beware.

[yoshi]

i agree.

[tessa0825]

So do I

[PAJ]

Trio, fed up with yeast ?well I

[tessa0825]

Well first off, I never said I dont believe in yeast infections..I only dont believe they are resopnsible for almost every GI symptom imaginable.....What purpose would it serve the medical community, to know that yeast was really the culprit but to just hide that information from us?....The bottom line is we should have Drs. we trust, and believe in their knowledge and expertise to know what "ALL" the options could be..If I went to a Dr. with my symptoms and he said "You have a yeast infection" I want to know how he knows that....If his answer is "PAJ had some of the same symptoms as you, so therefore I treat everyone with any of those symptoms for yeast overgrowth"..THATS NOT GOOD ENOUGH....If he said..."It could be several differnt things causing your symptoms, might be reflux disease, IBS, IBD, UC, yeast, etc".. then I can imagine he is open to finding the exact cause of my symptoms and that he has not gotten himself in the narrow minded rut of treating all patients exactly the same......Tessa

[PAJ]

Tessa, your faith in doctors is touching but misplaced . They are very human and capable of ducking the issue just like the rest of us. Yeast
isn

[tessa0825]

I understand your beliefs in all this yeast business, I know nothing or noone would change your mind. You certainly never stray from your opinion and I guess thats
a plus. I totally disagree with you on one important point...My faith in my medical Drs. is absolutely not misdirected....For years I thought I had all the answers and why waste my money going to the Dr. when I could just treat myself and save all that money..You know what that was? It was arrogance in the extreme..I don't have a medical degree nor do I have more than a decade of training to be able to treat myself or to know what is best for me, medically speaking....So, I use my judgement and pick what I feel is the best qualified and most knowledgeable Physicians that I have access to and they are where I put my faith...Im not going to any Physician that only has one Pt. with Barrett's esophagus, Im going to research and go to one that has hundreds of them, and is known for his expertise at endoscopic exams. ....Thats not to say I always agree with them because I dont, and Im just stubborn enough that if I dont understand it then I want it explained until I do understand.....Tessa

[ddaw899833]

Hey everyone,
went for my test yesterday, Upper GI and ultrasound of the gallbladder, still don't have my results though.  I will post and let you know what the result is.
Also, remember last week when I said the doctor put me on Cipro 1000mg for tonsilitis.  Do you think that will alter my test from yesterday to a negative reading, when in fact it could be positive.  Could the cipro clear up infected gall bladder or inflamed gall bladder to where the test come back normal.??

[kwag]

Wow.  This has been eventful reading and I can't help but think.... If the world ends tomorrow, what really mattered?  I want to be healthy as much as the next person and I hope you all are granted good health also.                                 TO PAJ   I have indulged in the enormous amounts of info that you have brought to these forums and I am also a believer that intestinal dysbiosis is a major cause of most illnesses.  Don't grow weary.  God works in such mysterious ways.

[Biskie]

Call your doctor back and ask him (leave a message with a triage nurse to call you back, or have the receptionist have him call you), but I don't think being on Cipro will skew the tests....let us know what you found out. God Bless.

[ddaw899833]

Got my test results back today.  The doctor said my gallbladder look normal but I do have GERD, he said that possibly could have caused my tonsilitis also.  That GERD would cause you to have a bad throat.  Anyway, he said the infection could've been causing the abnormal smell in stools.  So thats what we have so far...I will keep checking in.

[Biskie]

That is really good news - are the stools any better since being on Cipro - how about the tonsils? Cipro really is wonder drug - it will kill just about any infection.  What are you going to do about the GERD?  Any special medication he recomended?

[ddaw899833]

Yes this is good news.  The stool shape is normal, and the smell seems to be alittle better..(but not completely gone).I think the cipro cleared up maybe some infection there.  I assume my throat is better, today I take my last cipro pill.  But it didn't hurt to start with, so I'm assuming its better.  I have to pick up my prescription today from the pharmacy, I will let you know what he prescribed.

[Biskie]

My suggestion is to get some probiotics and see how that helps the smell - you can pick them up at any health food store.  Will create a better environment in your tummy!

[ddaw899833]

THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBED ACIPHEX.