At wits end...what else can I do?! Please help!

[homebrews]

I've been on probiotics for over a month now.  I've gone though an entire box of prilosec.  I've been taking vitamins b complex, d, and fish oil.  I've cut back on fats and sugars, no alcohol, no cigars.  I've altered my diet to include more vegetables...I eat broccoli all the friggin time.  I still have chronic digestive problems.  Most of the time, it's isolated to my stomach and esophagus, but today it's gotten further into my instestines and even feels like my bladder, I don't have any problems with diarrhea or vomiting, I am just in constant pain.  Today I took around 6 tums & 2 servings of mylanta, and nothing has helped.  I finally broke down and took a hydrocodone, which seems to be slowly helping.

What am I doing wrong?  This has been going on for months now.  I've had both 'ends' scoped, and they've only found mild gastritis.  I am willing to try anything to get rid of this pain.  Thanks to anyone who has faced this crap before, and figured out how to get rid of this constant annoying burning and pain.

I'm willing to try an all liquid diet for a few days.  I'd try all vegetable if that will work.  I'm at a loss, and wits end.  I'm frustrated beyond belief, and have no clue how to fix this.  A 30 year old guy should have all these health problems :(

[patient915]

With allergies, you should be tested (blood test) for all major allergies which will include a milk allergy.  When I say dairy-free, I actually mean dairy-free which means eliminating whey and casein but if a milk allergy test comes back negative then you only need to do lactose-free.

[metalmaiden]

Along the allergy vein---Not just dairy-free (which usually means lactose-free) but whey-free and/or casein-free. Many people say "oh, I tried dairy-free but I still have problems". But the milk protein not the sugar is the problem. Whey is added to so many things!

It would be worth trying the diet for diverticulitis. It certainly wouldn't hurt. And you can use this time to sort of do a modified elimination diet. Start with a liquid diet for a couple days and see how you feel. Then go to the low low fiber diet and slowly add select foods and keep a journal as to how you feel. Slowly build in foods. Then start to add fiber back to your diet. Record how the different fibers effect you.

Make sure you take a multi-vitamin to cover you while your food choices are limited! Your Fish Oil is good to continue as well.

I would suggest some probiotics as well. There are many choices out there and some work better than others for different problems. FYI -- for IBS scientific studies have shown positive effects form Bifidobacterium Infantis 35624 (Align OTC) and L.Plantarum DSM9843 (Good Belly Juice).

Good luck.

[patient915]

High-fiber, although it is good for constipation, is harder to digest.  With certain problems, gastroparesis for example, are made better from a low-fiber diet and if this helps, it might help determine what is wrong.

[homebrews]

Why would you recommend a low fiber diet?

[patient915]

A couple more things to try: lactose free diet, gluten free diet, or low-fiber diet.  For the lactose free diet I would recommend doing it 100% for 2 weeks.  For the gluten free diet I would recommend doing it 100% for 2 months.  Let me know how these go.