Stomach Pain & Low serum Serotonin

[LeeLeeDe]

OK Guys and Gals.....I'm really a newbie here. I've been searching the net to find some kind of a forum that can help me with my problem.  I'm at my wits end.  For the past 7 weeks I have this horrible wrenching, squeezing under my right rib cage.  When I eat even the smallest amounts of food or drink, I stomach gets very very full very quickly.  It takes a long time going down my throat & esophagus and longer to get into my belly. This is when the belching and burping starts big time!  I also unfortunately start burping up food *gross I know!  Seems that when I eat it's easier to come back up than go down to the stomach where it SHOULD be heading. Shortly after the burping starts, I feel like I have a balloon that it is being blown up in the undersude if the right rib cage where the gall bladder used to be. (I had it taken out about 10 years ago!!!) I'v had an endoscopy, an MRI, A cat scan & an ultrasound.......all of which came out clear. When I eat I get very very itchey all over my face and nose, head and ears and i get a hot flush.  What can this be?  Dr gave me a lab slip to have a serum serotonin test done. got the results today. Noram is 26 to about 200. mine was 10.  What does this mean????????? I really need to hear from someone who knows ANYTHING about this. I'm a healthy young looking 60 year old woman. I'm 5'8" tall and my weight fits that frame well. I'm certainly not fat, nor am i thin. But, I'm losing weight due to not being hungry and staying away from food because of how much pain in causes me.  I've losst 9 lbs in 5 weeks.  Not to get disgusting, but when I go on the pottly and have a bm....it looks like there grease been thrown in the water.  It actually has a grease slick in the bowl!!!!  What's THAT about??????????  I had a serum serotonin level done today and it came out a 10.  (normal is 25-190)  What does this mean>>>>>>>>>can anyone GIVE ME SOME IDEA OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ME.  I've been put on a Rx for Donnatol 3 x a day.  That makes me feel much better or am I masking a problem????  What could the problem be?  How significant is a very low serum serotonin?  Please someone take a few minutes of your trime to write back. Puhhhhhhhhhhhlllllllllllllllleeeeeeze

[SecondBrainHealth]

I too have the problem of irritable bowel syndrome...I think. I have similar bowel movements with yours described. I was in a major car accident 7 years ago where I broke several ribs including my sternum. I am convinced my Vagus Nerve was damaged. Ever since the accident I get gas in my stomach in the morning and I feel like I have to stick my fingers down my throat to get relief and gag. Even if I eat a full meal I have this bloating feeling where I just cant burp. It burns really bad. I take 200mg of Seroquel before bed and that helps calm my stomach, but I never had to take drugs before so I am scared of long term affects. I have tried medical marijuana, it does help, but doesnt relieve the pressure balloon in my stomach. I even try exercise, yoga, and weight loss but still no luck. Seroquel is very expensive, and I really hate to depend on it. If I could get stomach relief I would not need the Seroquel. I don't want to try other drugs. I have tried hot tea, pine nut oil, peppermint oil, and nothing works. I even get mad and yell at my own stomach because I can't figure it out. I just may have to live with it and hope one day my body will slowly heal!

[Matthew007]

you can go online to like amazon and such and buy some tryptophan to help restore it..the one I bought is dairy free..soy free..gluten free and I think someone told me you take 500mg per 50lbs your body weight so I take basically 3 pills before I go to bed..but I would'nt do that if you're on antidepressants of course..and you still need a diagnosis but something to think about.

[Matthew007]

Hey LeeLee..

something to think about, I've noticed that fructose intolerant people get pretty severe stomach pains and IBS issues when they have fruit and such...

but the alarm bell just looking at your post that comes to my mind is your seretonin levels.   Fructose intolerant people have problems absorbing amino acids/tryptophan...so it affects their sleeping..anxiety and such because their seretonin levels are low (because of fructose malabsorbtion)

I would ask your doctor if you can either go in and get a hydrogen breath test, it's non-invasive and what I *hear* is not expensive.. i'm trying to get my doctor to order one.  That would explain your IBS, stomach pains...you might be severely intolerant to fructose (or you could go the cheap way for a month and avoid fruit/sugars/carrots/onions/tomatoes/wheat and see how you do)

**also side note, sometimes when you are food intolerant or allergic to something...usually all foods give you issues so you might not be truly lactose intolerant but you might be now because your whole system is messed up..basically you sound just like me, i've been sick for years and I'm slowly learning that it's something food wise...but since your seretonin levels are low that's a symptom of fructose intolerance....but it might be secondary to whatever is the real problem so i'd start a food elimination diet asap and get over to a breath test and find out what the problem is..lactose..fructose or something else.  Good luck!

[betty_on_a_journey]

Read the Vagus Nerve thread on this forum - all of it. Lots of info. there. Also, have your doctor refer you to a specialist in dysautonomia a.k.a. autonomic neuropathy. This is a neurological issue but involves low seratonin levels, too. Don't give up the quest for answers and knowledgeable doctors.

[jasmineblossom84]

Hi Lee!

I sympathize, as well. I am a 25 year old female who has had to put my whole career and life on hold, because of many symptoms (some of which you are describing.) After 2 years of going to doctor after doctor, I was told that my serotonin levels might be low in the stomach and that might be causing me problems. I have started taking Paxil, in a very small dose, and noticed an ever-so-slight improvement. After 2 months of being on it and having the dosage upped slightly, I still haven't seen the kind of major improvement I need...but, I am hoping that will happen, some time. I dunno. I am very frustrated. I am an aspiring opera singer and know I have everything it takes to make it, but, with this problem of my stomach always feeling this way and having all sorts of reflux happening, for hours, any time I eat or drink anything, I am just not able to do all the career would require. I continue to, desperately, search for a solution to all of the digestive problems I've been having. I hope that, maybe, the serotonin thing will work for you. Also, you might want to consider some drugs for IBS. I've been recommended Amitiza. Best of luck! Let's hope we all get better. This is the only thing standing between me and a happy life.
Sincerely,
Jasmine

[grandmajoan]

I can sympathize - 57 female; weighed 140; down to 108 now but holding.  Was very active and had very happy life.  Been ill now for 18 months and spending my life in doctors offices; with no quality of life and no real diagnosis.  I can no longer work and have minimal functioning ability.  I absolutely hate to eat because of the "balloon" feeling and pain, and put it off as long as I can every day.  The balloon feeling comes immediately after I eat, and I don't think food has time to even get to my stomach before the "blowing up" and pain starts.  Sometimes the pain (and extreme weakness) will continue for 5-6 hours.   I don't have the "burping", but I do have difficulty swallowing, and my pain is in center upper abdo and runs over to my left sometimes, with lots of loud bowel noises.  So your symptoms are somewhat different except for the "balloon" feeling - but even that is horrible and painful.  Apparently, it becomes a process of elimination and like you,  I've had test after test -- most have come out normal - very discouraging.  However, I was interested in your serotonin issues.  Was there any reason, or discussion with your doctor why he ordered that test?  Because my illness has been ongoing (and now involves other body organs), I, of course, have been diagnosed with depression and prescribed Cymbalta.  I at first thought this was just an excuse because we can't find the problem, but to my amazement, after 2 weeks of taking it, I have experienced "a bit" of improvement.  Cymbalta contains serotonin, and I definitely am going to ask my gastro doc about any connection with my abdo pain and request that my serotonin level be checked.  I also will check into the Donnatol, since it seems to be working for you -- NOTHING has helped me, including strong pain relievers, except the little improvement with the Cymbalta.  I also have adrenal problems, and I know serotonin is produced by the endocrine system -- so maybe there is a connection!!!   As for your oily stools, you need to have a fecal fat test done, if you haven't already.  It's done in the privacy of your home.  But sounds to me that you have malabsorption problems (as I do), meaning your body isn't absorbing fats and nutrients from food, as it should.   Malabsorption causes the oily, floating stools, and is a SYMPTOM of an underlying problem.  It will cause weight loss, pain, B12 deficiency, anemia,  just to name a few -- and I have develped them all over time.  My problem is they can't find the cause of the malabsorption.  If your gastro doc can't help, try an endocrinologist about the serotonin level, but definitely get the test for fecal fats - and maybe even have your B12 level checked cause it can lead to lots of problems, some of them quite dangerous!  Good luck to you! And thanks for the Donnatol info - I'm willing to try anything to be able to eat and regain some strength and quality of life.