My stomach hell!

[Fred9]

A couple of weeks ago after breakfast I started to experience stomach pains which led to me spending most of the morning in the toilet. Ever since then I've been ALTERNATING BETWEEN DIARRHEA AND CONSTIPATION. My stomach seems to start cramping everytime I eat. Even small amounts. Sometimes even a cup of tea can irritate my stomach. My bowel movements usually begin with soft fatty-looking stools, progressively getting looser and waterier after each subsequent visit to the toilet.
After a week of this I saw my GP who had a feel around my stomach and abdomen and asked me to provide a stool sample for lab testing. I did. And it was the color of spinach! GREEN STOOLS! I've passed a few of these green packages since but the color seems to be going back to normal (or at least, not so green). I'm given to understand the color is from bile produced by the liver.
After taking Andrews salts for a couple of days to help with the constipation cycle I have had nothing but diarrhea. I have now stopped eating solid food and am just on water but I still wake up with cramping pains and an uncomfortable nauseating feeling just below the ribcage- I guess that's where the top part of the stomach is.

I think I can probably rule Gastric flu, viral or bacterial infections as I do NOT have fever.

Other Symptoms:
Slight abdomenal (abdominal) burning.
No vomitting but do have slight acid reflux.
No blood in my stool or diarrhea that I can see.
Food seems to take longer to go down leading to discomfort after meals.

Haven't had the results of my stool sample back yet but I'm willing to bet they wont find anything and I'll be going for further tests. I guess I'm petrified I have Crohn's or even worse, stomach cancer.

I'm cramping with diarrhea right now. Something is seriously amiss here. I don't need this now! I already have other problems related to a 'silent' brain tumor which has wreaked havoc on my life for the past 2 years (even though my surgeon thinks I'm imaginging my symptoms) but that's another story and another forum.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on what this stomach complaint could be. Many thanks.

[Fred9]

Forgot to mention, my stools now appear somewhat muccusy! Lovely!

[ggreg]

I was amused by your post title.  Sorry your guts are bothering you so much.  You probably just have food poisoning, plus the resulting diarrhea, they conspire to let bile go thru the intestines too fast, making stool green.  I assume the doc also drew blood and you are awaiting those results, too.  If labs come back okay, they should probably do an ultrasound, to see if any of the glandular ducts are blocked.  If you had cancer, you'd likely be bleeding, which does not turn the stool green, rather a darker or maroon type color, so not to worry on that issue.

Wish I could help you more, except keep well-hydrated, don't take vitamins, go for walks to relax your body, and try eating whole wheat bread, or oat cereal with Acidophilus milk, and a very small amount of OJ is okay.  The bread also soaks up acid, bulks up the stool, and helps constipation.  To cut the acid, drink a little alka seltzer, it'll balance the pH in your tummy and relieve any gas in there, plus the aspirin in it will make you feel more comfortable in general.  

[Fred9]

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately this doesn't feel at all like food poisoning. Even with a completely empty stomach my intestines feel like they're burning from the inside - constantly bubbling and gurgling. I've had nothing like this before. Although the diarrhea broke out suddenly a couple of weeks ago I feel this is something that's been gradually developing so it's a chronic disorder. If not Crohn's then perhaps some form of Colitis.

[Matthew007]

well it's good you did the stool studies, that's the first thing I was thinking of... this very well could be something like giardia or some bacterial infection that you got from eating (basically food poisioning)...hopefully they'll find white blood cells which means infection normally and it'll culture something out to a bug of some sorts.. (that's what I think you have)

The stool study will actually help you rule out chron's partially..if I remember right..chron's usually presents blood in the stool (sometimes not visible) and lower left abdominal pain..sometimes lower right... but they might catch that on your stool study. If you have RBC's that would raise that possibility more *BUT* again a serious infection can do the same.   Could be ulcerative colitis or just plain colitis caused by infection.  My guess is they'll give you flagyl or some awful drug to combat this once the bug is identified.

It *could* be gallbladder issue if it's not working right, but usually bile/pancrease problems present pain in the upper right quadrent and yellow stools but not always... but I have a hunch you got some bug and the stool studies will hopefully find it.  You're probably going to be facing some powerful antibiotics here soon I bet.  IF it is chron's or ulcerative colitis usually they like to diagnose that by imaging or colonoscopy..there is a blood test for chron's but it's expensive and not accurate.

In the meantime, you're sort of sunk..and stuck, i'd maybe get some immodium if you need to get around but sometimes that doesn't work. If they do put you on some antibiotics i'll spare you the grief and make sure you ask about probiotics or get ready to buy some and start taking them once you're off the medicines.  Antibiotics cause havoc on the digestive system and will kill all the healthy bacteria in your gut..so a good probiotic NOW and/or after antibiotics is a good idea...

good luck!

[Fred9]

Thanks for that.
I daren't wish for anything right now. As you say I'm 'stuck' until I get the results back. This morning I was lying in bed and my stomach felt like a witch's couldron waiting to boil over. Just had another diarrhea attack and there's another on the way even though I haven't eaten in almost 48 hours. It's like my stomach can't hold anything. Not even water. I did try some probiotic Yakult for a few days last week. Not sure if it had any effect. Feel so bloody helpless right now.

[Matthew007]

yikes!  

well I guess I serious ulcer could possibly cause gastric distress like you're saying but I still have a hunch you're still dealing with a severe infection.  Have you been on antiobiotics lately?  If so it easily could be c. difficile which causes the symptoms you're having..

but still that stool study will or should show something.  In the meantime you could try tums/rolaids to try the ulcer theory plus, usually that causes constipation which might help your situation..drink plenty of water if you can, you're probably losing electrolytes/potassium like crazy and it's imporant to replace it.  My guess is you'll go on avelox/cipro or flagyl or some powerful antibiotic for a good 10 days or more once they identify the bug..

I had a infection and when they gave me flagyl it felt like WW3 going on in there... no doubt it was and honestly I felt worse on the antibiotic but you gotta do it... if your test results are negative i'd ask about c. difficile, sometimes it's hard to detect and doctors will put you on antibiotics for a trial period just to see if they get lucky.

Anyway hang in there and don't get dehydrated..it'll put you in the ER room with a nice bill.  Keep us updated on what happens i'm curious what it is.

[Fred9]

I haven't been on any antibiotics lately. But I'm praying it's just an infection or maybe a bout of sudden onset IBS (??). Only other thing that comes to mind is that I had a lick on the hand from a friend's pet dog who was coughing and wheezing a few weeks ago and I forgot to wash my hands when I got home. I dunno. I'm scraping the barrel for causes here!
I'm actually living in the UK so, thankfully, there won't be any bills to pay - even if I do end up in ER! Not that that's a huge consolation right now. I just want to be better so I can deal with my other health problems. Thanks for taking the time to answer my posts. It does help.

[Matthew007]

lucky.. walk into a ER room around here without health insurance and you're looking at a $1000 just sayin ghello to a doctor.. we have great tools/technology and doctors...but man it's too expensive for the poor folks like me :S  that's why we need health care reform in the US.

anyway.. well you're welcome, I know the feeling of sitting around with things racing through your head thinking it's cancer/chron's/colitis/giardia/e.coli whatever so just hang in there..that stool study will at least eliminate a bunch of things or find it.  It's amazing how quick you take good health for granted huh (not lecturing you) but i'd give anything to be healthy again..

anyway hope we both feel better soon!

[Fred9]

Ok, as i suspected the stool samples were tested 'normal' for any bacterial infection. Not sure if they test for blood as a matter of routine. Do they?
Also, over the past few days I've had a sensation of my stomach coming up through my oesophagus with some burning sensation in my throat. I also get chest pains. Every time I eat I belch for several hours after. Occassionaly I get a hot feeling running through my body. My stomach is still very unsettled. The diarrhea isn't so bad but that's because I'm hardly eating. I dread to think what this could be. Could a hiatal hernia be the cause of ALL these problems. I've had these chest pains before and was put on a treadmill a couple of months ago but nothing showed. Gonna see doc again on Wednesday. Very worried here.

[coughting]

It is time to see a GI dr.  Yes, the hiatal hernia could cause a lot of your symptoms.  However, the diarrhea really isn't one of them.  You need the good ole scopes from both ends to help find the cause.  You could also have an ulcer from the acid.  

If you are not seeing a GI dr, I would ask around and find someone who is recommended by a lot of people.

It is really time to get to the bottom of your troubles.

Best of luck and hope you feel better soon

[Matthew007]

yeah ditto to what cougting said..time for a GI specialist.  since your stools came up negative (yeah they normally check for blood/WBC/RBC) so that eliminates infection and at least most of the colon problems...

so yeah either you're allergic to something or you have a ulcer of some sort/some upper gi issue like gallbladder or reflux or something.  An upper endoscope could be done and that would be the test for hatial hernia plus it would find the ulcer or bile reflux or whatever the problem is so you're looking at an upper endoscope.  So in the meantime avoid spicy foods/fatty foods and eat a real bland diet until you talk to that GI I guess..that s u c k s sorry to hear that.

[Fred9]

Call from the surgery today to tell me that I've test positive for H. Pylori. I wonder if you would kindly have a look at the question I posted regarding this:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Gastroenterology/H-Pylori-Advice-Needed/show/993632