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Abdominal Pains, GERD, The Cure, part 2!!
It all started going wrong with the first wrong diagnosis" Heartburn and abdominal pain", i was given acid blockers without even testing my stomach acid levels, my acid levels were too low, not too high, this causes "delayed gastric emptying" and this condition allows food to back flow up into the esophagus, after years of suffering from this condition, damage is done to the esophageal sphincter and it weakens and the condition gets noticeably worse, the doctors prescribe acid blockers purely to stop the stomach acids damaging and burning the esophagus, but what actually is happening is the condition is getting worse, "gastric emptying" is getting worse allowing more back flow,but we feel a bit better because it is not hurting as much when it does back flow into the esophagus, so we feel that we need them from then on and so your ready for bringing on the next stage of the illness.
What we need to realise is our Ph in the stomach ideally should be Ph2, very acidic, this is a perfect Ph level for breaking down the food, the Ph in your esophagus ideally should be 7 neutral, so just because you get acid burning your esophagus does not mean you should neutralize the acid, it only means you need to sort out the back flow issue. Imagine your acid level in your stomach was Ph4, this would still be acidic enough to damage the esophagus, but yet it is too alkaline to digest food properly, poor digestion causes "delayed gastric emptying" which as we know causes reflux, so with most people the problem is not too much acid but not enough, so if you increased your acid levels, the food would get digested properly and the reflux would not occur. Most of the other stomach ache symptoms most people describe is coming from not digesting food properly and "delayed gastric emptying". Acid blockers make this problem worse over time and so reflux becomes more frequent although not as painful, this causes the valves between the stomach and small intestines to get even more lax due to high pressure destruction and dilation, so here you are well on your way to fundoplication surgery.
Please do not think this covers all cases, a lot of people have severe "lower esophageal impedence" and do require this surgery, but i just want to point out that a lot of cases may be cured without surgery.
So i am now in a place where i am not digesting food properly, causing bloating, and nutrient deficiencies, and stomach gurgling scenes like something out of the film "Alien". Stomach acid is crucial for good health and should not be getting blocked or neutralized.
So the next step was "domperidone" an antagonist, to speed up gastric emptying, causing strong contractions throughout the esophagus, stomach and intestines, these really do work, but as with all western medicines, it has side effects, the powerful contractions can cause pains long term, in the esophagus and intestines, as my symptoms described above, the food is getting pushed through the system faster before acid has had a chance to break it down properly, the malnutrition problem gets worse when linked to acid blockers you end up with no energy and feeling unwell in general, you then start getting stressed about feeling so unwell all the time, and your health continues to spiral down.
So next the doctors try me on a muscle relaxant"antispasmodic" to reverse the side effects of the "domperidone", this causes the valves between the esophaugus, stomach and small intestines top relax also, which allows more reflux and backflow of stomach contents, now the stomach is not emptying properly again and backflow becomes worse, because the sphincter is now hardly working at all, even off the shelf drugs like "Buscopan" are well known to cause lax function of the stomach valves, so now we get "bile" also joining the party back flowing into the stomach, "delayed gastric emptying" mixed with "bile" causes a gaseous build up, the stomach wall is aggrevated and reflux becomes worse than ever, but now you have "bile" attacking you esophagus and the pain really starts, think about it, if acid blockers only give partial relief, then the pain can not be caused by acid, the acid has been neutralized, so what is aggrevating the esophagus? "BILE", a big first give away that your pain is "bile " related is exactly that" Acid blockers will only provide partial relief" other symptoms are as follows " pale stools", "high white blood cell count", "severe esophageal pains without heartburn", "burning sensation in the upper abdomen with muscle weakness and inflammation", "attacks mainly at night", "attacks brought on by fatty foods", "pain upper abdomen spreading to shoulders" but remember that esophageal spasms/pains brought on by reflux even when acid is neutralized, must eliminate acid as the cause!
So armed with all my research i demanded a PH test, and guess what, I did not have high acid levels in my esophagus but high alkaline levels, so they put doctors admitted it looks like "bile reflux" not "acid reflux", that's nice isn't it after 5 years of being on the wrong medication, 5 years of medication actually making the problem worse, i had research this myself and fought all the way otherwise i could still be getting batted back and forth with wrong medications.
Now remember back to when i spent 3 days in hospital with no medication and no food, and i felt great after, i was not eating, the bile was not being produced, the stomach was back to normal function after 3 days off the medication, funny that the cure was staring at me all along, stop all medication to get gastric emptying and acid levels back to normal and do not eat foods which promote the production of stomach bile and "fundoplication was not required", i now have the option of "bile diversion surgery" where the bile gets dumped further down the small intestines, to stop it entering the stomach, if you do not fight to find the underlying cause only "YOU" will suffer long term, "Esophageal cancer" "Stomach Cancer" is where it is ultimately heading with not much quality of life leading up.
I just hope that upon reading this, it may help some long term sufferers like myself and you can get diagnosed properly before its too late.
I have opted to not take the route of surgery for now, i am controlling my stomach bile by healthy eating, i am controlling reflux by eating small amounts regular and sleeping elevated, I am not taking any medication and gastric emptying has improved ten fold, my stomach valves are getting stronger and i am going to build on that, think about it, Q:How can bile get into your esophagus if your stomach is emptying properly? A: it can't!!
Remember where it all starts, maybe you used to over eat, maybe you just need to stop smoking, it can be a little problem that starts this whole thing, don't jump on the medication band wagon, i went to the doctors with a stomach discomfort and heartburn and ended up with a serious illness and in hospital several times, i was terrified at the thought of coming off acid blockers, i thought i would be in agony after 12 hours, the 1st day was very uncomfortable, but i did not get the "upper abdominal pain" i just ate dry toast every two hours and took sips of water in between, i could literally feel my stomach starting to digest food properly again, so there was no reflux, after sleeping elevated the next day, my stomach and body felt on the road to recovery this is just 24 hours and my body had almost returned to normal like somebody had turned the clock back 5 years.
Why are these cases increasing in number every year, 126million cases of GERD.
Acid blockers and indigestion remedies are the best selling drugs in the world, you really need to start reading about how the stomach acid works and what causes GERD before reaching for Acid blockers or Acid neutralizers ever again and doctors need to stop "putting a lid" on conditions with these medications. Good luck!
What we need to realise is our Ph in the stomach ideally should be Ph2, very acidic, this is a perfect Ph level for breaking down the food, the Ph in your esophagus ideally should be 7 neutral, so just because you get acid burning your esophagus does not mean you should neutralize the acid, it only means you need to sort out the back flow issue. Imagine your acid level in your stomach was Ph4, this would still be acidic enough to damage the esophagus, but yet it is too alkaline to digest food properly, poor digestion causes "delayed gastric emptying" which as we know causes reflux, so with most people the problem is not too much acid but not enough, so if you increased your acid levels, the food would get digested properly and the reflux would not occur. Most of the other stomach ache symptoms most people describe is coming from not digesting food properly and "delayed gastric emptying". Acid blockers make this problem worse over time and so reflux becomes more frequent although not as painful, this causes the valves between the stomach and small intestines to get even more lax due to high pressure destruction and dilation, so here you are well on your way to fundoplication surgery.
Please do not think this covers all cases, a lot of people have severe "lower esophageal impedence" and do require this surgery, but i just want to point out that a lot of cases may be cured without surgery.
So i am now in a place where i am not digesting food properly, causing bloating, and nutrient deficiencies, and stomach gurgling scenes like something out of the film "Alien". Stomach acid is crucial for good health and should not be getting blocked or neutralized.
So the next step was "domperidone" an antagonist, to speed up gastric emptying, causing strong contractions throughout the esophagus, stomach and intestines, these really do work, but as with all western medicines, it has side effects, the powerful contractions can cause pains long term, in the esophagus and intestines, as my symptoms described above, the food is getting pushed through the system faster before acid has had a chance to break it down properly, the malnutrition problem gets worse when linked to acid blockers you end up with no energy and feeling unwell in general, you then start getting stressed about feeling so unwell all the time, and your health continues to spiral down.
So next the doctors try me on a muscle relaxant"antispasmodic" to reverse the side effects of the "domperidone", this causes the valves between the esophaugus, stomach and small intestines top relax also, which allows more reflux and backflow of stomach contents, now the stomach is not emptying properly again and backflow becomes worse, because the sphincter is now hardly working at all, even off the shelf drugs like "Buscopan" are well known to cause lax function of the stomach valves, so now we get "bile" also joining the party back flowing into the stomach, "delayed gastric emptying" mixed with "bile" causes a gaseous build up, the stomach wall is aggrevated and reflux becomes worse than ever, but now you have "bile" attacking you esophagus and the pain really starts, think about it, if acid blockers only give partial relief, then the pain can not be caused by acid, the acid has been neutralized, so what is aggrevating the esophagus? "BILE", a big first give away that your pain is "bile " related is exactly that" Acid blockers will only provide partial relief" other symptoms are as follows " pale stools", "high white blood cell count", "severe esophageal pains without heartburn", "burning sensation in the upper abdomen with muscle weakness and inflammation", "attacks mainly at night", "attacks brought on by fatty foods", "pain upper abdomen spreading to shoulders" but remember that esophageal spasms/pains brought on by reflux even when acid is neutralized, must eliminate acid as the cause!
So armed with all my research i demanded a PH test, and guess what, I did not have high acid levels in my esophagus but high alkaline levels, so they put doctors admitted it looks like "bile reflux" not "acid reflux", that's nice isn't it after 5 years of being on the wrong medication, 5 years of medication actually making the problem worse, i had research this myself and fought all the way otherwise i could still be getting batted back and forth with wrong medications.
Now remember back to when i spent 3 days in hospital with no medication and no food, and i felt great after, i was not eating, the bile was not being produced, the stomach was back to normal function after 3 days off the medication, funny that the cure was staring at me all along, stop all medication to get gastric emptying and acid levels back to normal and do not eat foods which promote the production of stomach bile and "fundoplication was not required", i now have the option of "bile diversion surgery" where the bile gets dumped further down the small intestines, to stop it entering the stomach, if you do not fight to find the underlying cause only "YOU" will suffer long term, "Esophageal cancer" "Stomach Cancer" is where it is ultimately heading with not much quality of life leading up.
I just hope that upon reading this, it may help some long term sufferers like myself and you can get diagnosed properly before its too late.
I have opted to not take the route of surgery for now, i am controlling my stomach bile by healthy eating, i am controlling reflux by eating small amounts regular and sleeping elevated, I am not taking any medication and gastric emptying has improved ten fold, my stomach valves are getting stronger and i am going to build on that, think about it, Q:How can bile get into your esophagus if your stomach is emptying properly? A: it can't!!
Remember where it all starts, maybe you used to over eat, maybe you just need to stop smoking, it can be a little problem that starts this whole thing, don't jump on the medication band wagon, i went to the doctors with a stomach discomfort and heartburn and ended up with a serious illness and in hospital several times, i was terrified at the thought of coming off acid blockers, i thought i would be in agony after 12 hours, the 1st day was very uncomfortable, but i did not get the "upper abdominal pain" i just ate dry toast every two hours and took sips of water in between, i could literally feel my stomach starting to digest food properly again, so there was no reflux, after sleeping elevated the next day, my stomach and body felt on the road to recovery this is just 24 hours and my body had almost returned to normal like somebody had turned the clock back 5 years.
Why are these cases increasing in number every year, 126million cases of GERD.
Acid blockers and indigestion remedies are the best selling drugs in the world, you really need to start reading about how the stomach acid works and what causes GERD before reaching for Acid blockers or Acid neutralizers ever again and doctors need to stop "putting a lid" on conditions with these medications. Good luck!
Just bumping the thread, i wonder if anybody has even read this :)
1 Comments
There is no money in a diagnosis of low stomach acid. There are several supplements to change that. Great write-up. I love it when people do extensive research before they post. You are a great help to all. Thanks.
Very Interesing. I have been taking Zantac for two years, but have never had a PH test. And I still have symptoms. I will try to get the test.
wow..thats a lot of info...u know after 4 months on meds i decided to stop..the lump on my throat did not go away and my reflux is so bad that i have halitosis every morning until now ..
that was for me the most helpful information i've ever read on this forum. you had just made a summary of my symptoms. i am on nexium for 2 years, domperidone, muscle relaxants.....the band wagon of medicines u mentioned, but only provides relief but not solving my issues. done 2 EGD's found inflamaions. abdominal ultrasound does not show anything unusual.i had been to different drs. (internist and gi's) all they come up with is gastritis..thanks for the info and hope to hear more from you soon...
by the way aside from ph test what other test do you suggest to confirm bile reflux and what medication did your drs. gave you?
by the way aside from ph test what other test do you suggest to confirm bile reflux and what medication did your drs. gave you?
Sleeping elevated is a major factor in combating reflux and the discomfort of hiatal hernia.
The best way to diagnose yourself with bile reflux is to stop the medication and eat as little as possible for 24 hours fully relaxed and see if you start feeling better, then start to gradually eat little amounts of food which are low in fat and sugars.
The main thing that happens to people like us is that due to long term use of acid blockers and antagonists, we start to suffer from leaky gut syndrome, small undigested food particles start to enter the blood stream through the intestinal wall and the body sees them as alien and starts to attack, leading to severe fatigue due to malnutrition and your body using up all its remaining energy to fight off alien bodies, then we end up spending most of our time lying down which again is not good for digestion.
Once you are on that downward spiral, health just gets worse and worse until you break the cycle.
This is all about a lifestyle change, stopping medication is only part of it, i.e. never lay flat after eating, talk a steady walk instead, these are all very simple things that help get on the road to recovery but not something you intitially feel like doing when you are feeling ill and fatigued.
I do not think doctors can prescribe anything for bile reflux except acid blockers, H2H or PPI, which reduces the discomfort caused by the condition but as we know makes the condition worse at the same time, you are really the only person that can cure yourself, its all in your hands.
But i really do not want to take you down the wrong track, everybody is different, make sure you do not have a gall bladder problem, get double checked for gall stones, sometimes you can have sludge in your gall bladder which can be easily missed on a scan as it only shows up as a white mist, but is actually considered by some doctors far more dangerous than large gall stones.
You may want to also look into some other things that may help you jump start your digestive system again, i.e. colonic irrigation, they can tell you what foods to avoid by what flushes out undigested, i.e. their may be several food types that you have trouble digesting.
You may also want to try digestive enzymes, its only a natural herbal remedy but i find they really work, if i know i am going out for a big meal or am going to eat something which i know disagrees with me, i.e. pastry, i take a digestive enzyme and i can eat these foods without getting an upset stomach, maybe dairy products disagree with you or wheat? You need to find out what foods you have trouble digesting, you can also get an allergy test or look up your blood type, certain blood types are known to have trouble digesting certain types of food.
But i must reitterate, whatever you do, stop the acid blockers as they do not cure the real underlying problem, they just reduce the short term symptoms and make the long term health problems worse.
The main thing is to act quick and find the real source of the problem and break the cycle one way or another and you will be amazed by how quickly your body starts to return to normal, then you can get your life back and experience once again what it feels like to be healthy and have high energy levels, if you get reflux one day dont give in, think about what caused it, stress? a certain type of food? eating too much? smoking? Alcohol?
I still get nominal reflux every now and then but no more than any other normal healthy person and it is always self inflicted i.e. i eat a food i know disagrees with me and i have forgotten to bring along my digestive enzymes, but it is now a choice made will full awareness, it is no longer an invisible enemy i am battling.
If it is not something the doctors can help you with, like gall stones or lower esophageal impedence, then the cure lies solely in your hands.
The best way to diagnose yourself with bile reflux is to stop the medication and eat as little as possible for 24 hours fully relaxed and see if you start feeling better, then start to gradually eat little amounts of food which are low in fat and sugars.
The main thing that happens to people like us is that due to long term use of acid blockers and antagonists, we start to suffer from leaky gut syndrome, small undigested food particles start to enter the blood stream through the intestinal wall and the body sees them as alien and starts to attack, leading to severe fatigue due to malnutrition and your body using up all its remaining energy to fight off alien bodies, then we end up spending most of our time lying down which again is not good for digestion.
Once you are on that downward spiral, health just gets worse and worse until you break the cycle.
This is all about a lifestyle change, stopping medication is only part of it, i.e. never lay flat after eating, talk a steady walk instead, these are all very simple things that help get on the road to recovery but not something you intitially feel like doing when you are feeling ill and fatigued.
I do not think doctors can prescribe anything for bile reflux except acid blockers, H2H or PPI, which reduces the discomfort caused by the condition but as we know makes the condition worse at the same time, you are really the only person that can cure yourself, its all in your hands.
But i really do not want to take you down the wrong track, everybody is different, make sure you do not have a gall bladder problem, get double checked for gall stones, sometimes you can have sludge in your gall bladder which can be easily missed on a scan as it only shows up as a white mist, but is actually considered by some doctors far more dangerous than large gall stones.
You may want to also look into some other things that may help you jump start your digestive system again, i.e. colonic irrigation, they can tell you what foods to avoid by what flushes out undigested, i.e. their may be several food types that you have trouble digesting.
You may also want to try digestive enzymes, its only a natural herbal remedy but i find they really work, if i know i am going out for a big meal or am going to eat something which i know disagrees with me, i.e. pastry, i take a digestive enzyme and i can eat these foods without getting an upset stomach, maybe dairy products disagree with you or wheat? You need to find out what foods you have trouble digesting, you can also get an allergy test or look up your blood type, certain blood types are known to have trouble digesting certain types of food.
But i must reitterate, whatever you do, stop the acid blockers as they do not cure the real underlying problem, they just reduce the short term symptoms and make the long term health problems worse.
The main thing is to act quick and find the real source of the problem and break the cycle one way or another and you will be amazed by how quickly your body starts to return to normal, then you can get your life back and experience once again what it feels like to be healthy and have high energy levels, if you get reflux one day dont give in, think about what caused it, stress? a certain type of food? eating too much? smoking? Alcohol?
I still get nominal reflux every now and then but no more than any other normal healthy person and it is always self inflicted i.e. i eat a food i know disagrees with me and i have forgotten to bring along my digestive enzymes, but it is now a choice made will full awareness, it is no longer an invisible enemy i am battling.
If it is not something the doctors can help you with, like gall stones or lower esophageal impedence, then the cure lies solely in your hands.
Hi thanks for the great info !!!!!!!!!! I have IBS, Lactose Intolerance,Esopogitis,Hiatal Hernia and Gerd. I hear your suffering !!!!! I have been prescribed every medication for this under the sun. I never heard of Bile Reflux thats interesting. I heard of the PH test, thats something Ineed to have done and have not yet. I have had an array of tests . Upper and Lower GI Series, Endoscopy and Fluroscopy. I suffer like a dog with the runs, constipation , farting and belching too!!!!! I am surprised I still have a boyfriend. hence to say it's not very lady like nor attractive either. Yes i used to drink alcohol to an excess hey I am irish it's in the blood LOL. I am a social drinker I drink rarely and when I do i limit it to two or three drinks maximum. I am also over weight and on meds that cause weight gain and edema. So i am fighting many issues. I have Asthma and I smoke so the acid makes those conditions worse too. Hey thanks once again for your post. I agree the DR's try to help but in the lonf run misdiagnose and do us more damage.
I really do feel for you, there is a hell of a lot going on there for you to contend with, but it sounds like you are aware of what is contributing to the problems.
The PH test is only to measure the acidity levels in the esophagus, in preparation for Fundoplication surgery,but for me it does not address the underlying problem, the issue is whether you have low acidity levels in your stomach. that i where i began to realize that the trick is to stop stomach acids entering the esophagus, and there is a much easier way than fundoplication, and that is to get your acidity levels back to normal so that the stomach empties quickly and food is broken down properly so that nutrients can be absorbed, domperidone promotes stomach emptying and reduces reflux greatly but the side effects are too great and long term causes more damage to the natural running of your digestive system.
To summarize the PH test is only an avenue for you to seriously consider if you are suffering from severe esophageal cramps and spasms due to reflux.
I think you are one person i would definately put into my category, where you can self heal through lifestyle changes, eating, sleeping, smoking and stopping medication. The IBS is what is causing most of your flatulence and the runs, I would strongly suggest to find out what foods to avoid by allergy test and colonic irrigation.
The belching is linked in the same way and is due to poor digestion, low stomach acidity levels and bile backflow which creates excess gas in the stomach. I used to have a constant build up of gas and could not eat without belching for hours after, this has completely gone now, i virtually do not get any gaseous build up from either end which is purely down to good digestion and i can still get away with eating chocs and sweets in moderation.
I found out what was causing my problems with digestion that first made me go to the doctor all those years ago, mushrooms, pork products, fatty dairy products, pastry and onion, and too much sugar.
I also developed a lactose intolerance when i was in the depth of my illness, i also suffered from terrible IBS and had the runs all the time, but all these parts of the illness have disappeared since my digestion started running like clockwork again.
When you really look into how the digestive system works, you will see it is all linked, one problem causes another, your stomach acid is the first line of defence against bacteria, when your acid levels are low, these bacteria can enter the intestines and play havoc, when linked to partially digested food and poor motility and food allergies, it is easy to see why we end up with IBS and all the related problems, like leaky gut syndrome.
It really is all down to poor digestion, this is the key, you will find most of your complaints will disappear once you get your digestive system back on track, it is all out of whack at the moment and you just need to get it running like clockwork again.
Doctors can not help you, all they can do is keep on giving you medication which will give short term relief but will inevitably throw your system more out of whack in the long run.
The only thing i can not help you with is the asthma, but i am certain all your digestive problems can be cured fully and naturally if you take the correct course of action, all of those conditions you are suffering from are linked more cloesly that you would ever believe possible.
The PH test is only to measure the acidity levels in the esophagus, in preparation for Fundoplication surgery,but for me it does not address the underlying problem, the issue is whether you have low acidity levels in your stomach. that i where i began to realize that the trick is to stop stomach acids entering the esophagus, and there is a much easier way than fundoplication, and that is to get your acidity levels back to normal so that the stomach empties quickly and food is broken down properly so that nutrients can be absorbed, domperidone promotes stomach emptying and reduces reflux greatly but the side effects are too great and long term causes more damage to the natural running of your digestive system.
To summarize the PH test is only an avenue for you to seriously consider if you are suffering from severe esophageal cramps and spasms due to reflux.
I think you are one person i would definately put into my category, where you can self heal through lifestyle changes, eating, sleeping, smoking and stopping medication. The IBS is what is causing most of your flatulence and the runs, I would strongly suggest to find out what foods to avoid by allergy test and colonic irrigation.
The belching is linked in the same way and is due to poor digestion, low stomach acidity levels and bile backflow which creates excess gas in the stomach. I used to have a constant build up of gas and could not eat without belching for hours after, this has completely gone now, i virtually do not get any gaseous build up from either end which is purely down to good digestion and i can still get away with eating chocs and sweets in moderation.
I found out what was causing my problems with digestion that first made me go to the doctor all those years ago, mushrooms, pork products, fatty dairy products, pastry and onion, and too much sugar.
I also developed a lactose intolerance when i was in the depth of my illness, i also suffered from terrible IBS and had the runs all the time, but all these parts of the illness have disappeared since my digestion started running like clockwork again.
When you really look into how the digestive system works, you will see it is all linked, one problem causes another, your stomach acid is the first line of defence against bacteria, when your acid levels are low, these bacteria can enter the intestines and play havoc, when linked to partially digested food and poor motility and food allergies, it is easy to see why we end up with IBS and all the related problems, like leaky gut syndrome.
It really is all down to poor digestion, this is the key, you will find most of your complaints will disappear once you get your digestive system back on track, it is all out of whack at the moment and you just need to get it running like clockwork again.
Doctors can not help you, all they can do is keep on giving you medication which will give short term relief but will inevitably throw your system more out of whack in the long run.
The only thing i can not help you with is the asthma, but i am certain all your digestive problems can be cured fully and naturally if you take the correct course of action, all of those conditions you are suffering from are linked more cloesly that you would ever believe possible.
You have just summed up in a few paragraphs all the things I have always believed to be true and painstakingly learned about reflux, and then some! Where were you all those years ago when my husband was in such agony? We would have rejoiced with the angels to have discovered your posts!
I recently wen't back to my Family Dr. with some new stomach complaints. Now I am throwing up stomach acid, have a terrible taste in my mouth combined with bloating, excessive gases and foul smelling bowel movements. Hence to say I'm being reffered back to the Gastro Dr. for some additional tests. My Family Dr' said most likely the Gastro man has to make another look inside. Hey thanks for all of your imformative posts . You have helped me alot to learn about some other things related to my conditions.
Wow. Fantastic articles and advice and many congratulations 'Sherlock' on finding answers to your issues and trying to help everyone else to boot! Thank you so much for documenting your experiences that lots of us can identify with but have been told that the symptoms are in our head or anxiety related which they become cos we are soooo worried about and totally fed up with feeling so bad!!!
My situation is that approx 7 wks ago I had a bout of constipation (out of the blue for me). I resolved this with prune juice and relieved the constipation the same day. However, also had, what i thought, was reflux. Now I am not so sure. I had other symptoms too, such as abdominal discomfort, wind for England, smelly farts, smelly breath, smelly pooh....then diarreah, malabsorption, seed like things in my stools and 1 occasion white froth. 7 weeks on the malabsorption (to a much lesser degree remains) and mostly seeds, nuts and carrots seem to cause this?? I still have burning in my stomach (more often than not) in the middle of the night,this I gained at some point after constipation? not quite sure. Anyhow got fed up and went to docs - lasanaprozole or whatever its called was prescribed - which I did not take but instead (and I don't know why I did this) I cut wheat and sugar out of my diet and ate bland, bland, bland and drink water and herbal tea - ginger, fennel and chamomile. I also feel hungry and shaky in my back, my heartbeats fast, I feel incredibly anxious and fearful but the whole thing lasts only a short while with the exception of anxiety which comes and goes. In your opinion and experience, would it help to continue with the bland diet in the hope that this will quell the burning eventually. Do I need to take digestive enzymes. Check for Candida, H Pylori? Anything else helpful.? I have tried Aloe Vera on a couple of occasions but only before bed, and occasionaly pop the odd Rennie which does help, but still get the burn in the night. Had a blood glucose test which was a bit high and needs repeating. My doc thinks that there are also menopause related issues at play but I don't know how to tackle if they are running concurrently. Which came first the chicken or the egg. I like you, would like to deal with the actual issues, without drugs masking the symptoms. Any suggestions grateful received.
My situation is that approx 7 wks ago I had a bout of constipation (out of the blue for me). I resolved this with prune juice and relieved the constipation the same day. However, also had, what i thought, was reflux. Now I am not so sure. I had other symptoms too, such as abdominal discomfort, wind for England, smelly farts, smelly breath, smelly pooh....then diarreah, malabsorption, seed like things in my stools and 1 occasion white froth. 7 weeks on the malabsorption (to a much lesser degree remains) and mostly seeds, nuts and carrots seem to cause this?? I still have burning in my stomach (more often than not) in the middle of the night,this I gained at some point after constipation? not quite sure. Anyhow got fed up and went to docs - lasanaprozole or whatever its called was prescribed - which I did not take but instead (and I don't know why I did this) I cut wheat and sugar out of my diet and ate bland, bland, bland and drink water and herbal tea - ginger, fennel and chamomile. I also feel hungry and shaky in my back, my heartbeats fast, I feel incredibly anxious and fearful but the whole thing lasts only a short while with the exception of anxiety which comes and goes. In your opinion and experience, would it help to continue with the bland diet in the hope that this will quell the burning eventually. Do I need to take digestive enzymes. Check for Candida, H Pylori? Anything else helpful.? I have tried Aloe Vera on a couple of occasions but only before bed, and occasionaly pop the odd Rennie which does help, but still get the burn in the night. Had a blood glucose test which was a bit high and needs repeating. My doc thinks that there are also menopause related issues at play but I don't know how to tackle if they are running concurrently. Which came first the chicken or the egg. I like you, would like to deal with the actual issues, without drugs masking the symptoms. Any suggestions grateful received.
Hi, Thanks for your comments it is really wort while if the advice is appreciated and hopefully it will help someone.
Food allergies can just appear one day out of the blue, it seems you have spotted early on that you are not digesting certain foods properly, the pain in the stomach which is often mistaken for being acid related is most prabably hiatal hernia and/or mild gastritis, the gastritis is most probably caused by backflow of bile into the stomach, this happens when the digestive system shuts down, anxiety can play havoc with digestion, your body goes into fight or flight mode, yiour heart rate increases, you get palputaions and the smooth wave motion of your stomach muscles and esophagus are disrupted and can closely follow the rythm of your heart, making what feels like a throbbing sensation through your upper body, but i truly believe that the anxiety is brought on by something else which is what the doctors seem to miss, when you get a nervous stomach you get horrible rising feelings sometimes what feels like a pulse or electric shock going up into your chest and can trigger the anxiety, can be a mild spasm, in the stomach, bowels or esophagus but it feels horrible, i explained to my doctors that the anxiety was being triggered by my stomach but they kept on seeing it the other way round.
I think your digestive system has been disrupted, i had similar thing to what you described, my entire system backed up, my bowels were not moving properly and my stomach was not emptying properly leading to all the symptoms you described, i still do not know exactly what the trigger was but something definately threw my entire body out of whack, thats where all my troubles started, unlike you though i foolishly listened to the doctors and took medication for many years until i developed a serious illness due to long term use of medication, even when i was on the medication my problems were gradually getting worse, i should have spotted it earlier but hind sight is a wonderful thing.
Firstly you have to get tests to make sure that you do not have anything that the doctors can help you with, i.e gall stones, ulcers, H pylori, please be aware though if you do have ulcers you will have to use acid blockers until they heal and the antibiotics to kill the H pylori will make your digestion a lot worse before it starts to get better.
If like many others the doctors can not find any medical explanation for your symptoms then i am pretty sure that you can be cured naturally with a bit of experimentation with food and lifstyle.
I always have to advise people to go through the proper process as painstaking as it can be, as last thing i would want is for a real illness to get missed, saying that though you would have to be puking blood before the doctors even take you seriously which we can read something into that which is comforting, i.e. doctors do not consider anything sinsiter to be going on unless blood is involved.
That out of the way i am pretty sure that your symptoms are caused by something very minor, you have to try and contriol your anxiety, to do this you have to realise that there is nothing sinsiter going on, it is just a muscle spasm from you stomach, esophagus/bowels which cause though horrible feelings, so get control the anxiety and realise nothing horrible is going to happen, as everytime you let the anxiety take hold your digestive system literally shuts down, making your problem worse.
I had the same weakness in the stomach/lower back, probably caused by the gastritis mixed with post viral fatigue syndrome and your body has most probably been attacking itself due to undigested food particles entering the blood through the intestinal wall which are seen as alien bodies, this is known as leaky gut syndrome, the body can also get confused and attack the stomach wall, so your body is constantly fighting itself, this is all linked to my non medical term of the "digestive system being out of whack" the list of symptoms are endless and is sometimes why doctors send us to see a neurologist, as we can get musle tremors and neurons misfiring, think of yourself as a car that is not burning fuel properly and as you will appreciate getting good combustion is what makes a car run.
Your night time symptoms are also closely linked and part of the same condition, this is most definately bile related, due to backflow, caused by poor digestion, to combat this you need to sleep elevated or on your right hand side, the stomach empties to the right so whenyou lay on your right then gravity makes it virtually impossible for bile to enter the stomach, slepping elevated in the same way makes it difficult for stomach contents to aggrevated the esophageal valve and also combats hiatal hernia, where discomfort is caused by the stomach trying to push up through the diaphragm into the chest cavity. I sleep slightly elevated from the waste up and on the right hand side, this alone will eliminate all of your night time symptoms, but you need to remember to go to bed on an empty stomach also and due to delayed gastric emptying i would not eat anything substantial at least 6 hours before you go to bed.
You are doing the right thing by watching what you eat, but not sure exactly what you personally would consider bland food, i.e. some people may consider pasta as bland food but this is one thing that is very difficult to digest, i would try and find out exactly what foods you are allergic to with allergy tests and blood type and find out what foods you have trouble digesting with colinic irrigation, they will see what partially digested foods come out and at the same time it will help jump start your digestive motility, get things moving again, you may also find once your pipes are cleaned your food allergies will disappear!!
To combat gastritis you have to watch what you eat and drink also, coffee, alcohol, smoking are all a big No No until the gastritis clears up, same with pasta and many other types of food, look up what to avoid by looking up gastritis on your search engine, but you will find things like bran flakes and whole grain foods help it heal quickly, eating a royal gala apple has an almost instant soothing effect on the stomach.
Plenty of excercise helps motility and makes you feel well generally, plenty of relaxation (reading a good book helped me relax alot and combat anxiety), no laying flat on the sofa after eating, no sugary foods, no spicy foods including onions,stay away fro white bread, try to eat granary instead, drink plenty of water but not all at once and no gulping as this makes you swallow air, you should sip regularly so as not to overdilute stomach acids which again leads to poor digestion, do not overeat, no fatty foods, try and stay away from meats and dairy products(everything is ok in moderation), i.e. skimmed miled with cereal, try not to eat too much meat they are very difficult to digest and our bodies still have not evolved properly from when we were all veggies, i.e. before we became hunter gatherers and keeping cattle.
Digestive enzymes will help you a lot, especially with the foods you have trouble digesting, the problem with modern day diets is we eat too many manufactured and cooked foods, digestive enzymes are naturally found in raw food, digestive enzymes are completely herbal and natural, i only take them if i know i am going to eat something which i know will cause trouble with digestion.
Finding undigested seeds etc.. is normal, i would not think these would be the problem, seeds, whole grains normally help keep good digestion.
I could go on forever, so many things with lifestyle/change and eating habits can help you, i hope some of the information is useful and i sincerely hope you get better soon :)
Food allergies can just appear one day out of the blue, it seems you have spotted early on that you are not digesting certain foods properly, the pain in the stomach which is often mistaken for being acid related is most prabably hiatal hernia and/or mild gastritis, the gastritis is most probably caused by backflow of bile into the stomach, this happens when the digestive system shuts down, anxiety can play havoc with digestion, your body goes into fight or flight mode, yiour heart rate increases, you get palputaions and the smooth wave motion of your stomach muscles and esophagus are disrupted and can closely follow the rythm of your heart, making what feels like a throbbing sensation through your upper body, but i truly believe that the anxiety is brought on by something else which is what the doctors seem to miss, when you get a nervous stomach you get horrible rising feelings sometimes what feels like a pulse or electric shock going up into your chest and can trigger the anxiety, can be a mild spasm, in the stomach, bowels or esophagus but it feels horrible, i explained to my doctors that the anxiety was being triggered by my stomach but they kept on seeing it the other way round.
I think your digestive system has been disrupted, i had similar thing to what you described, my entire system backed up, my bowels were not moving properly and my stomach was not emptying properly leading to all the symptoms you described, i still do not know exactly what the trigger was but something definately threw my entire body out of whack, thats where all my troubles started, unlike you though i foolishly listened to the doctors and took medication for many years until i developed a serious illness due to long term use of medication, even when i was on the medication my problems were gradually getting worse, i should have spotted it earlier but hind sight is a wonderful thing.
Firstly you have to get tests to make sure that you do not have anything that the doctors can help you with, i.e gall stones, ulcers, H pylori, please be aware though if you do have ulcers you will have to use acid blockers until they heal and the antibiotics to kill the H pylori will make your digestion a lot worse before it starts to get better.
If like many others the doctors can not find any medical explanation for your symptoms then i am pretty sure that you can be cured naturally with a bit of experimentation with food and lifstyle.
I always have to advise people to go through the proper process as painstaking as it can be, as last thing i would want is for a real illness to get missed, saying that though you would have to be puking blood before the doctors even take you seriously which we can read something into that which is comforting, i.e. doctors do not consider anything sinsiter to be going on unless blood is involved.
That out of the way i am pretty sure that your symptoms are caused by something very minor, you have to try and contriol your anxiety, to do this you have to realise that there is nothing sinsiter going on, it is just a muscle spasm from you stomach, esophagus/bowels which cause though horrible feelings, so get control the anxiety and realise nothing horrible is going to happen, as everytime you let the anxiety take hold your digestive system literally shuts down, making your problem worse.
I had the same weakness in the stomach/lower back, probably caused by the gastritis mixed with post viral fatigue syndrome and your body has most probably been attacking itself due to undigested food particles entering the blood through the intestinal wall which are seen as alien bodies, this is known as leaky gut syndrome, the body can also get confused and attack the stomach wall, so your body is constantly fighting itself, this is all linked to my non medical term of the "digestive system being out of whack" the list of symptoms are endless and is sometimes why doctors send us to see a neurologist, as we can get musle tremors and neurons misfiring, think of yourself as a car that is not burning fuel properly and as you will appreciate getting good combustion is what makes a car run.
Your night time symptoms are also closely linked and part of the same condition, this is most definately bile related, due to backflow, caused by poor digestion, to combat this you need to sleep elevated or on your right hand side, the stomach empties to the right so whenyou lay on your right then gravity makes it virtually impossible for bile to enter the stomach, slepping elevated in the same way makes it difficult for stomach contents to aggrevated the esophageal valve and also combats hiatal hernia, where discomfort is caused by the stomach trying to push up through the diaphragm into the chest cavity. I sleep slightly elevated from the waste up and on the right hand side, this alone will eliminate all of your night time symptoms, but you need to remember to go to bed on an empty stomach also and due to delayed gastric emptying i would not eat anything substantial at least 6 hours before you go to bed.
You are doing the right thing by watching what you eat, but not sure exactly what you personally would consider bland food, i.e. some people may consider pasta as bland food but this is one thing that is very difficult to digest, i would try and find out exactly what foods you are allergic to with allergy tests and blood type and find out what foods you have trouble digesting with colinic irrigation, they will see what partially digested foods come out and at the same time it will help jump start your digestive motility, get things moving again, you may also find once your pipes are cleaned your food allergies will disappear!!
To combat gastritis you have to watch what you eat and drink also, coffee, alcohol, smoking are all a big No No until the gastritis clears up, same with pasta and many other types of food, look up what to avoid by looking up gastritis on your search engine, but you will find things like bran flakes and whole grain foods help it heal quickly, eating a royal gala apple has an almost instant soothing effect on the stomach.
Plenty of excercise helps motility and makes you feel well generally, plenty of relaxation (reading a good book helped me relax alot and combat anxiety), no laying flat on the sofa after eating, no sugary foods, no spicy foods including onions,stay away fro white bread, try to eat granary instead, drink plenty of water but not all at once and no gulping as this makes you swallow air, you should sip regularly so as not to overdilute stomach acids which again leads to poor digestion, do not overeat, no fatty foods, try and stay away from meats and dairy products(everything is ok in moderation), i.e. skimmed miled with cereal, try not to eat too much meat they are very difficult to digest and our bodies still have not evolved properly from when we were all veggies, i.e. before we became hunter gatherers and keeping cattle.
Digestive enzymes will help you a lot, especially with the foods you have trouble digesting, the problem with modern day diets is we eat too many manufactured and cooked foods, digestive enzymes are naturally found in raw food, digestive enzymes are completely herbal and natural, i only take them if i know i am going to eat something which i know will cause trouble with digestion.
Finding undigested seeds etc.. is normal, i would not think these would be the problem, seeds, whole grains normally help keep good digestion.
I could go on forever, so many things with lifestyle/change and eating habits can help you, i hope some of the information is useful and i sincerely hope you get better soon :)
Hey when we are not feeling at our best, it is hard for us to spot things. It was pure chance that I took the course that I did as I don't know what gave me the idea really. I did know however, that I didn't want to take PPI's as I had read that its hard to stop taking them once started as the symptoms will return because we are not treating the root cause. We are supposed to be able to trust Doctors to do the best for us when we explain our symptoms but there are budgets for them to think of when prescribing and lets not forget the drug companies who peddle their wares offering strong incentives tor them to use a certain product. When I had acute glaucoma I was given an evil drug - Diamox which I had to take for longer than I should have because their laser was broken. The side effects were horrible and I became so nauseous that I could not eat anything for weeks and lost a LOT of weight so now I have perhaps developed an aversion to drugs. Plus if I have to take antibiotics they can muck my system up for about 6 weeks.
Anyway, I am finding that I can tolerate raw apples but not apple juice, oats are ok, rice and most veggies. For protein I eat fish and the only meat I eat is chicken. I am finding it a bit difficult to find things to eat as I have an intolerance to wheat and am just being tested for lactose intolerance so have been avoiding dairy and gluten. If you add in the tests for candida and H pylori that takes out sugar too. You are down to fresh fruit and veg, seeds and nuts. I have some digestive enzymes and had begun to take them - at first I felt better then about day 3 i was feeling worse so I stopped taking them. When I looked at the label, they had sucrose in them. Need to source some more natural ones.
BTW totally agree with you about the anxiety coming from another complaint. I have been having CBT for the anxiety, panic and depression I have and the anxiety disappeared for about 4 months. It came back when I started having digestive issues.
Thanks for your help and Stay Well
Anyway, I am finding that I can tolerate raw apples but not apple juice, oats are ok, rice and most veggies. For protein I eat fish and the only meat I eat is chicken. I am finding it a bit difficult to find things to eat as I have an intolerance to wheat and am just being tested for lactose intolerance so have been avoiding dairy and gluten. If you add in the tests for candida and H pylori that takes out sugar too. You are down to fresh fruit and veg, seeds and nuts. I have some digestive enzymes and had begun to take them - at first I felt better then about day 3 i was feeling worse so I stopped taking them. When I looked at the label, they had sucrose in them. Need to source some more natural ones.
BTW totally agree with you about the anxiety coming from another complaint. I have been having CBT for the anxiety, panic and depression I have and the anxiety disappeared for about 4 months. It came back when I started having digestive issues.
Thanks for your help and Stay Well
Don't seem to be getting anywhere with what I am eating. I am eating very little other than vegetables and don't even get along with them! What has happened? Still having loads of
different symptoms at night - not all, in fact most don't seem stomach related. Anxiety worst
first thing on a morning. I am losing weight 8lbs so far (only 112) before all this started and am afraid that I am starving myself but yet don't seem to be well with what I am eating. Am I in some sort of vicious cycle. I am feeling depressed - damned whatever I do or don't do. Don't know what to do next. I have almost constant annoying ache in my left side/back and that drags me down too its so draining. Bowel seems to have improved and motions are now fully formed albeit carrots are still in there if I try to eat them. Have some intolerance to wheat but still waiting for lactose test back. So have avoided (for over 2 weeks) wheat, dairy and sugar. I am strongly beginning to suspect CANDIDA from the symptoms but how could this be - I don't have any sugar, obviously other than what is converted from the food eaten. Don't seem to be able to tolerate even the smallest amount of yoghurt plain or otherwise. What the hell is wrong with me? Awake most of the night with mostly same symptoms - heartbeat fast,
anxiety? burning in various places including stomach, numb bum - discomfort in bum/back when lying down/sitting up to avoid reflux, dry mouth, hot, tinnitus, jolting when trying to sleep, shaky in back. Doc says all tests were ok, except glucose tolerance which was a bit high. Any suggestions. Do I need choose 1 thing and only eat that 1 thing all day, every day for about 1 week so I can work out what I can eat? Gluten free wholemeal bread? Thanks
different symptoms at night - not all, in fact most don't seem stomach related. Anxiety worst
first thing on a morning. I am losing weight 8lbs so far (only 112) before all this started and am afraid that I am starving myself but yet don't seem to be well with what I am eating. Am I in some sort of vicious cycle. I am feeling depressed - damned whatever I do or don't do. Don't know what to do next. I have almost constant annoying ache in my left side/back and that drags me down too its so draining. Bowel seems to have improved and motions are now fully formed albeit carrots are still in there if I try to eat them. Have some intolerance to wheat but still waiting for lactose test back. So have avoided (for over 2 weeks) wheat, dairy and sugar. I am strongly beginning to suspect CANDIDA from the symptoms but how could this be - I don't have any sugar, obviously other than what is converted from the food eaten. Don't seem to be able to tolerate even the smallest amount of yoghurt plain or otherwise. What the hell is wrong with me? Awake most of the night with mostly same symptoms - heartbeat fast,
anxiety? burning in various places including stomach, numb bum - discomfort in bum/back when lying down/sitting up to avoid reflux, dry mouth, hot, tinnitus, jolting when trying to sleep, shaky in back. Doc says all tests were ok, except glucose tolerance which was a bit high. Any suggestions. Do I need choose 1 thing and only eat that 1 thing all day, every day for about 1 week so I can work out what I can eat? Gluten free wholemeal bread? Thanks
ive been in the same situation in the past 4 mos. antacids PPIs and domperidone just make it worse. I tried GERD diet for 1 week now im feeling better. I eat apple everyday and a lot of apple and aloe vera juice. whenever I have indigestion I'll just drink these juices and it will fade out quickly.
Hi there - thanks for your reply. Where do I find what GERD diet is please. I had cut fruit out too cos apple juice didn't seem to be tolerated either but a whole apple is. Maybe I am wrong
about the juice - it might be something else I ate. I just dont know! I do have reflux tho. Maybe its just the reflux that makes me feel so yeuchy in the night.
Be well
about the juice - it might be something else I ate. I just dont know! I do have reflux tho. Maybe its just the reflux that makes me feel so yeuchy in the night.
Be well
Your muscle are being affected, the ache is your left side and you muscle weekness in stomach and back are all related, i got so bad that i would violently shake when trying to sit up from a laying down position, my muscles were so weak.
Are you aklso suffering from cronic fatigue? Feel tired all the time?
The weight loss is probably due to the diet i would not worry about that, nothing sinister has shown up on any tests, that is god and should reassure you, you need to stop worrying and really try to combat the anxiety, i believe this is messing with your digestion big time, as i mentioned before the digestive system virtually shuts down when your body goes into "fight of flight" mode.
Anxiety is a symptom of a nervous stomach, it is a catch 22, the spasms in the stomach and bowels cause Anxiety and the Anxiety disrupts the natural rythm on the stomach/ bowels and esopagus.
I don't like drugs but in your situation i would experiemnt short term in order to help you find the problem, i would suggest using medospas for 1 week, in order to relax all the involuntary muscle movements, if you start feeling better then you know the cause.
I believe you are suffering from muscle spasms and tension, these cause aches and pains and make you feel very weak around the abdomen, it also causes poor digestion as you stomach muscle movement is not normal.
This is no doubt all linked, muscle movement in the stomach and bowels plays just as important part for digestion and when i was suffering from Anxiety it took a long time before the muscles settled back into a rythm, but i had to combat the anxiety first.
You need to concentrate on relaxing and not letting the anxiety take hold, when it feel it welling up just control your breathing, stay in control, realsie it is only a muscle spasm causing it and let it pass.
If you control it, it will pass in 5 minutes, if you let it take hold it will last for hours and will disrupt your body for days.
I think the underlying cause for the anxiety is mild gastritis, which is causing nervous stomach due to nerve ends literally being bare and are being aggrevated by stomach acid, this is what sends those horrible eletrical singles that trigger anxiety, it then leads to poor digestion, which leads to delayed gastric emptying, which leads to bile backflow, which makes gastritis and digestion even worse and we get malabsorbrtion, fatigue and become less tolerant to certain foods.
Like i say once i got back on top of things, most of my food allergies went away.
You need to break this cycle, plenty of excercise can do wonders to break the cycle as you feel better, digestion is improved and you are less likely to suffer from anxiety, it is just enough to turn it around and start your health spiralling back up.
Massages are really good also, the relaxation will really help your digestion, as all your muscles will relax, your muscles at the moment are in a hightened state of alert and are tense, just as they would be in the moments before a car crash.
I feel for you it is horrible and a very difficult situation to get out of, i suffered with this for years along with all my other symptoms.
I assure you that everything i have written is 100% the cause of your symptoms, 1 underlying problem can cause 10 more health problems, it is a knock of effect and is all linked.
I assume you do not drink or smoke? If you do then you need to stop :)
I am sure you will still be here for a long time to come and will live to a ripe old age.
Try the muscle relaxants(see if they work), learn to control anxiety and read up on how to combat/cure gastritis, once you have that protective layer on your stomach wall again, the anxiety signals and horrible rising feelings into your chest will go.
Remember to sleep on your right as the bile backflow is probably what is causing the gastritis and aggrevating the stomach wall, doctors normally presecibe acid blockers for this , but as we know, PPI's only provide temporary relief and make things worse in the long run.
If you are getting any aching pains just below the sternum this is hiatal hernia, don't worry about this and it is normal for anybody that has been suffering from esophageal reflux, not much you can do about that, gaseous build ups, balloon the stomach up into the diapragm hole and makes the diaphragm ache, but it will die down and be less frequent if you sleep elevated and sort out the problems with digestion.
Are you aklso suffering from cronic fatigue? Feel tired all the time?
The weight loss is probably due to the diet i would not worry about that, nothing sinister has shown up on any tests, that is god and should reassure you, you need to stop worrying and really try to combat the anxiety, i believe this is messing with your digestion big time, as i mentioned before the digestive system virtually shuts down when your body goes into "fight of flight" mode.
Anxiety is a symptom of a nervous stomach, it is a catch 22, the spasms in the stomach and bowels cause Anxiety and the Anxiety disrupts the natural rythm on the stomach/ bowels and esopagus.
I don't like drugs but in your situation i would experiemnt short term in order to help you find the problem, i would suggest using medospas for 1 week, in order to relax all the involuntary muscle movements, if you start feeling better then you know the cause.
I believe you are suffering from muscle spasms and tension, these cause aches and pains and make you feel very weak around the abdomen, it also causes poor digestion as you stomach muscle movement is not normal.
This is no doubt all linked, muscle movement in the stomach and bowels plays just as important part for digestion and when i was suffering from Anxiety it took a long time before the muscles settled back into a rythm, but i had to combat the anxiety first.
You need to concentrate on relaxing and not letting the anxiety take hold, when it feel it welling up just control your breathing, stay in control, realsie it is only a muscle spasm causing it and let it pass.
If you control it, it will pass in 5 minutes, if you let it take hold it will last for hours and will disrupt your body for days.
I think the underlying cause for the anxiety is mild gastritis, which is causing nervous stomach due to nerve ends literally being bare and are being aggrevated by stomach acid, this is what sends those horrible eletrical singles that trigger anxiety, it then leads to poor digestion, which leads to delayed gastric emptying, which leads to bile backflow, which makes gastritis and digestion even worse and we get malabsorbrtion, fatigue and become less tolerant to certain foods.
Like i say once i got back on top of things, most of my food allergies went away.
You need to break this cycle, plenty of excercise can do wonders to break the cycle as you feel better, digestion is improved and you are less likely to suffer from anxiety, it is just enough to turn it around and start your health spiralling back up.
Massages are really good also, the relaxation will really help your digestion, as all your muscles will relax, your muscles at the moment are in a hightened state of alert and are tense, just as they would be in the moments before a car crash.
I feel for you it is horrible and a very difficult situation to get out of, i suffered with this for years along with all my other symptoms.
I assure you that everything i have written is 100% the cause of your symptoms, 1 underlying problem can cause 10 more health problems, it is a knock of effect and is all linked.
I assume you do not drink or smoke? If you do then you need to stop :)
I am sure you will still be here for a long time to come and will live to a ripe old age.
Try the muscle relaxants(see if they work), learn to control anxiety and read up on how to combat/cure gastritis, once you have that protective layer on your stomach wall again, the anxiety signals and horrible rising feelings into your chest will go.
Remember to sleep on your right as the bile backflow is probably what is causing the gastritis and aggrevating the stomach wall, doctors normally presecibe acid blockers for this , but as we know, PPI's only provide temporary relief and make things worse in the long run.
If you are getting any aching pains just below the sternum this is hiatal hernia, don't worry about this and it is normal for anybody that has been suffering from esophageal reflux, not much you can do about that, gaseous build ups, balloon the stomach up into the diapragm hole and makes the diaphragm ache, but it will die down and be less frequent if you sleep elevated and sort out the problems with digestion.
You know what you have to do :).....
Stop smoking! :)
Your body is telling you its had enough, have a relaxing weekend, No smoking!!, long walks, plenty of fresh air, no alcohol, eat healthily and stop the medication, See if you start feeling better.
You have to break the cycle.
I bet you the Gastro doctor cant find anything wrong with you and if he does it will be linked or caused by long term use of medication, is the bet on ? :)
Your Irish lifestyle has taken its toll, some peoples stomachs are weaker than others, or more likely, you abused your stomach so much in younger years that you made it weak, same as me, i look back in horror at those long weekends spending £300 on alcohol and tobacco without eating anything, but back then i thought i was invincible.
Basically you need lifestyle changes as i wrote in my previous long winded posts :) Sort it out Mo Cusha.
Stop smoking! :)
Your body is telling you its had enough, have a relaxing weekend, No smoking!!, long walks, plenty of fresh air, no alcohol, eat healthily and stop the medication, See if you start feeling better.
You have to break the cycle.
I bet you the Gastro doctor cant find anything wrong with you and if he does it will be linked or caused by long term use of medication, is the bet on ? :)
Your Irish lifestyle has taken its toll, some peoples stomachs are weaker than others, or more likely, you abused your stomach so much in younger years that you made it weak, same as me, i look back in horror at those long weekends spending £300 on alcohol and tobacco without eating anything, but back then i thought i was invincible.
Basically you need lifestyle changes as i wrote in my previous long winded posts :) Sort it out Mo Cusha.
Hi,
Jangela again! When I responded to your posts awhile back, did I ever talk about probiotics? I know I recommended yogurt (and it probably makes you feel sick because of the bad bacteria dying off by the millions. This will happen until the good bacteria take over), but you can also take a probiotic capsule, such as Udo's Choice. No matter why you have digestive issues, this supplement will help you both, especially if you have candida overgrowth or h. pylori. Please please take these, or even drink kefir (a yogurt type drink that is LOADED with probiotics. Consume this every day and see how you are doing in a month. No matter what else you do or don't do, eat or don't eat, probiotics can only help you. Read up on it. You will be surprised how key these are to your overall health.
Jangela again! When I responded to your posts awhile back, did I ever talk about probiotics? I know I recommended yogurt (and it probably makes you feel sick because of the bad bacteria dying off by the millions. This will happen until the good bacteria take over), but you can also take a probiotic capsule, such as Udo's Choice. No matter why you have digestive issues, this supplement will help you both, especially if you have candida overgrowth or h. pylori. Please please take these, or even drink kefir (a yogurt type drink that is LOADED with probiotics. Consume this every day and see how you are doing in a month. No matter what else you do or don't do, eat or don't eat, probiotics can only help you. Read up on it. You will be surprised how key these are to your overall health.
I heard about probiotics and took some in the form of those drinks that you can buy in the
supermarket and yes, you are right they did make me feel worse. I will now either try them again and just sip it, or get some in tablet form and stick with them longer. Thank you :-)
supermarket and yes, you are right they did make me feel worse. I will now either try them again and just sip it, or get some in tablet form and stick with them longer. Thank you :-)
What you must have been through! I appreciate your reassureance and for explaining all the stomach and muscle issues. I will stop being a pathetic wimp and get this anxiety in hand. I have kept refusing the PPI's but everyone I know just thinks that I am being stubborn. Gonna stay strong on that one two! Positive, Positive, Positive. Massage and probiotics to start.
Thanks so much
Thanks so much
Very interesting comments. I should have read yours before I posted mine. I never had any stomach issues until about a year ago when my physician told me that anyone who is on aspirin (even low dose like me) should be on a PPI...so off to omeprazole for me. Now I'm a mess...see my post. Many similar symptoms as yours. BMI 23, never smoked, exercise, not stressed except for the darn medical "professionals". So now I need to get off the PPI and see if my stomach can get back to normal. Slow emptying really seems to "fit the ticket" but doesnt seem as bad as when I read about gastroparesis. Personally, I cannot take Reglan and would advise against it. I also recently tried apple cider vinegar (2-3 tsp in 8 oz water) and it actually seemed to help which makes it that more apt to be low pH instead of too high a pH. Certainly didnt cause any "burning" which even now I dont have...just that feeling of not emptying for a long time.Well guess we'll see where it goes from here. Thanks.
Hi,
I read your post and the symptoms perfectly fit "delayed gastric Emptying", the reason you are not having worse symptoms in because of your healthy lifestyle. My friend told me along time ago to drink some water and squeeze lemon juice into it every time i eat, i thought he was crazy, now i realize he was right, i don't do that but i do find drinking a glass of white wine with food actually helps my digestion.
It is very difficult to convince people who have been told for years by medical professionals that acid is the problem, that is completely the opposite.
I am glad you have found your route problem at an relatively early stage and can now rectify, it is really nice when i get people like you who are intelligent and insightful enough to trust my advice over a medical professional.
Some people can not be helped, my mother in law has many stomach complaints and has been on "omperazole" for 6 years, it is like talking to a brick wall, no matter how many times i have tried to help her and she can physically see i am cured my complaint, she will only listen top the doctors, some people can not be helped and i am sure you can imagine my frustration when i see her suffering and now how to cure her, and in 6 years the doctors have not been able to help her, she is now going for her 4th upper Gi endoscopy, no problem has ever been found.
She is an old lady, it is a medical fact that old people suffer from low stomach acid levels and all she is doing is lowering it even more with PPI drugs, needless to say i have stopped trying to help her but i still have to listen to her complaining about her stomach problems every day. :) what can you do?
I read your post and the symptoms perfectly fit "delayed gastric Emptying", the reason you are not having worse symptoms in because of your healthy lifestyle. My friend told me along time ago to drink some water and squeeze lemon juice into it every time i eat, i thought he was crazy, now i realize he was right, i don't do that but i do find drinking a glass of white wine with food actually helps my digestion.
It is very difficult to convince people who have been told for years by medical professionals that acid is the problem, that is completely the opposite.
I am glad you have found your route problem at an relatively early stage and can now rectify, it is really nice when i get people like you who are intelligent and insightful enough to trust my advice over a medical professional.
Some people can not be helped, my mother in law has many stomach complaints and has been on "omperazole" for 6 years, it is like talking to a brick wall, no matter how many times i have tried to help her and she can physically see i am cured my complaint, she will only listen top the doctors, some people can not be helped and i am sure you can imagine my frustration when i see her suffering and now how to cure her, and in 6 years the doctors have not been able to help her, she is now going for her 4th upper Gi endoscopy, no problem has ever been found.
She is an old lady, it is a medical fact that old people suffer from low stomach acid levels and all she is doing is lowering it even more with PPI drugs, needless to say i have stopped trying to help her but i still have to listen to her complaining about her stomach problems every day. :) what can you do?
You are not being a pathetic wimp by any means, having raw nerve endings being aggrevated by stomach acid is by no means a nice feeling.
You know something is wrong and most feelings of dread originate from the stomach, doctors think that tests showing up negative is reassurance, what they need to do is start realizing that anxiety is not the problem, Gastritis is the problem that causes the anxiety, the night time jolting happened to me a lot, sometimes would feel like i would stop breathing due to the jolt that would wake me in the middle of the night.
I will say again"you are not being a wimp" combatting the anxiety is a very difficult thing to do.
Just one other thing, when you say all tests came back ok, i assumed the doctor tested you for Thyroid disorder? . Please get checked if not already done, you may have a double fault going on.
You know something is wrong and most feelings of dread originate from the stomach, doctors think that tests showing up negative is reassurance, what they need to do is start realizing that anxiety is not the problem, Gastritis is the problem that causes the anxiety, the night time jolting happened to me a lot, sometimes would feel like i would stop breathing due to the jolt that would wake me in the middle of the night.
I will say again"you are not being a wimp" combatting the anxiety is a very difficult thing to do.
Just one other thing, when you say all tests came back ok, i assumed the doctor tested you for Thyroid disorder? . Please get checked if not already done, you may have a double fault going on.
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