Liquid Dripping Sensation inside Abdomen/Back area

[AB724]

I started to feel sick in April 2005. Whenever I would eat I would get lot of gas. While eating I would get more and more
hungry. As if the food never filled me up. I would also start to get light headed right after eating food and felt like I was going to faint. Then I started to feel the taste of food is coming back into my mouth. I went to a GI, they did an endoscopy and saw its hiatal hernia. The biopsy was negative. They gave me prevacid it has not been helping. There are couple symptoms which scare me and I wonder if it might be something other than hiatal hernia. One symptom is that after eating a fatty meal my entire body starts to ache, some meals don't cause this symptom, i have noticed meals that have bread or fatty cause this. The most alarming symptom is that I feel like there is liquid dripping inside my abdomen area and my back. After some meals i have burning sensation coming all the way to my throat. The bowel movement that I have been having is irregular, usually constipated. I have had nausea for the last 8 months. The shape of stool is also very awkward they tend to take shape of my intestine. Stools are always half dark and half light brown. I have also noticed that if i were to eat watermelon, I can see the undigested water melon in my stool. I have also started to feel burning sensation around my left hand. I did a cholestrol test and one thing I noticed is that my cholestrol has dropped from 170 to 144 within a 4 month period. Metabolic panel, thyroid, chemistry, lipids are all normal but the cholestrol,hdl and ldl dropping significantly. My HDL is 39 and my LDL is 86. I remember when I use to eat fatty meals I would feel energy or my brain would feel its getting energy from it and be able to function better but now to get even a little energy from eating fatty means I would have to eat like entire pie of pizza(which even though is fatty doesn't cause my body to ache) and then I feel a little bit of energy going to the body otherwise its as if the food is making no difference. I do feel fatigue all the time. Also, I feel small burning sensations throughout the body. Mostly around my leg/hands and face area. There are days where my face is much larger than other days after meals.

(1) What conditions would cause me to feel llight headed after eating at that time?
(2) Why would have i felt hungry while eating or feel like the food is not even staying in my stomach at the time?
(3) What conditions might cause me to feel liquid dripping sensation around my abdomen area which is a present symptom?
(4) Why would my body ache after eating fatty meals which is a present symptom?
(5) What possible causes may decrease my cholestrol?
(6) What would cause the burning sensation around the body?
(7) What other tests would you recommend?
(8) What condition do you think is most likely looking at my history/symptoms?
(9) If its an allergy, what allergy and what further tests would tell me the allergy?

Thank you doctor.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

To answer your questions:
1) Difficult to say without examination.  Options can include an ulcer, malabsorption, celiac disease, carcinoid syndrome, or gastroparesis - to name a few.  

2) Further evaluation would be necessary to answer this.  An upper endoscopy was already done.  You can consider a 24-hr pH study, esophageal motility studies, or a gastric emptying scan to further evaluate the symptoms.

3) Can't say for sure - a "dripping sensation" in the abdomen is not particularly associated with a specific disease.  An abdominal CT scan can be considered to further evaluate this.

4) Malabsorption can be possible.  Celiac disease can also be considered.

5) Cholesterol can decease in cases of malnutrition.  Again, malabsorption syndromes would be suspected if this was the case.

6) A neurology referral can be considered for this.  Systemic diseases like B-12 deficiency, thyroid disorder or diabetes can be considered.  The neurology referral would be needed for more specialized testing.

7) (see answers above) - also to evaluate for malabsorption, you can consider a lower endoscopy as well as stool tests to look for fat malabsorption.  Blood tests should be done to rule out celiac disease.

8) Can't say for sure without examination or further testing.

9) Specific allergy testing can be done via skin patch tests.  This can be done in conjunction with an allergist.

These options can be 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.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_b

[AB724]

Forgot to mention I am male, age 23 and currently taking prevacid.

[Gerda]

I was just reading your post with all the symptoms and all of your guestimates as to what could be wrong.  I have had some of these symptoms, especially the dripping sensation inside abdomen.  Several health care practitioners have suggested that I have "leaky gut."  I suggest you research this on the internet.  As for my dripping sensations and the stomach spasms and lurching I previously had, this is mostly gone and I feel a great deal better.  I came across a herbal remedies list group and have been following it.  I have done whole body cleanse and done the cleanses religiously - parasites, colon, small intestine, liver/gall, kidney/bladder.  I have gotten rid of the burning pains in my body except for the arthritis at my spine.  I no longer take any meds, especially Prilosec or Prevacid.  I have gotten rid of my digestive symptoms by eating Organic foods, lots and lots of veggies, fruits by themselves in the mornings; meats sparingly and not eaten with high carbohydrate foods.  Very little beef, no pork; just chicken, turkey and some fish and then only every other day.  Search for organic solutions, herbal remedies, natural healing, etc. and you will find natural solutions - I did.

[AB724]

Thank you so much for reading my post and guiding me in the right direction. I will definitely try out the cleanse, natural remedies and the diet. I have heard of leaky gut syndrome but didn't really research into it. I guess the liquid dripping sensation can be called a leaky gut. If there is something I come across I will definitely keep you posted.