Stomach bloating and shortness of breath

[shurely]

Can anyone tell me why I get so bloated and short of breath after eating even small meals? No gas, naseau or anything. Have severe mid upper abdomin pain but not daily or regularly and it doesn't seem to be related to eating. Also, I eat very little yet I've gained 15 lbs. since GB removed 9/07! Any ideas? I'm miserable! Thanks

[boron]

So, it's this:
- appendix, gallbladder out, miscarriage
- GERD, esopageal tightness, MN, glaucoma and calcified retinal arteries, calcified lung node, emphysema.
- bloating from late afternoon to middle of the night, no gas or burping, pain radiating in the neck and right jaw.
drugs: Spiriva, Prilosec, Wellbutrin

Practically all of your physical changes speak for some connective tisue disease. That calcified node in lungs could be enlarged lymph node as occurs in sarcoidosis.

Bloating could be from decreased absorption or motility of your bowel (due to eventual connective tissue changes), or to bacterial overgrowth. Wellbutrin can add to constipation or lowered gut motility.

Lung emphysema and calcified retinal arteries may again be from connective tissue disorder, but they are surely aggravated by smoking. Having emphysema to extent you need Spiriva at 41 means that smoking is, please, extremely harmful for you.

Calcification - atherosclerosis could be also in intestinal arteries, causing lowerd intestinal absorption.

BREATH TEST can reveal bacterial overgrowth in small intestine (and H. pylori and bowel transit time at the same time - if proper breath test is performed). This is for bloating.

Then SOME TEST (*) to determine suspected connective tissue disease (sarcoidosis...).
I'm not sure about the nature of conn.tissue disease. It may be loose connective tissue (emphysema, foot joint, right jaw pain - could be from "TMJ"...). Anyone had discus hernia in your family?...

[shurely]

First of all I want to thank you for taking the time to talk about this. I appreciate it.
I am a 41 yr. old female. I don't have a very remarkable medical history. Have smoked for 20 yrs. about a pk a day. Last three yrs. smoke less than 1/2 pk a day. Had an appendectomy at 19, had a child (naturally) at 24, miscarriage at 26, tubal ligation at 28, had a stress test, chest xrays, ct scans, abdominal ultrasound, & upper endoscopy (esophageal dilation) at 38, bunionectomy at 40, ultrasound & cholecystectomy at 41 and MN removal (and hardware removal from bunionectomy) at 41. I am 5'4 and weigh 154 lbs. Until last six months I always weighed 135 or below. Blood pressure has always been good. Cholesterol good also last time checked about 3 yrs ago. I've never had any serious illnesses, and still consider myself fairly healthy except for these abdominal issues. I'm pretty active (don't sit still very much) & no more stressed than anyone else! The only meds. I take are Spiriva, prilosec otc, wellbutrin xl, vit. a & vit. b-complex. Oh yeah, the eye exam also showed that I have calcium build-up in the arteries in my eyes. I have been taking these meds. for 3 or 4 yrs. Also, I can't remember anything!! But I blame that on old age, and usually not paying attention. So, that's about it.  I'll probably think of more after I post this. Thanks again for your help.

[boron]

You are woman of ...age? I suggest you write down your complete medical history from the birth. What symptoms you ever had, investigations, any treatment. Glaucoma, the nodule in lungs and Morton's neuroma may be all connected, but eventual additional symptom can clear the picture a bit more.

[shurely]

Another thing, I don't know if it's the same as peripheral neuropathy but I just had a Morton's neuroma removed 12/28/07.

[shurely]

I'd never heard of systemic sclerosis so I looked it up. It's scary how many of my problems are listed. First of all, all of this stuff started about four yrs ago (I think it's been that long). Only the heartburn I'd had for years. I saw a dr. for the same pain I have now and he did an ekg? and chest xray. He said I had a scar on my lung and emphysema. (Long time smoker-not nearly so much now) I've had about four follow up CT scans and it show it as a calcified nodule. Then had the esophageal stricture/dilation. Then my eyesight got so bad I couldn't see well at all and went for eye exam. Showed glaucoma which we're still watching. Had to get trifocals of all things. This for someone who had always had 20-20 vision. I blamed it on some of the meds. I'm on. Then as for joint and muscle pain, I can hardly get my socks on first thing of the morning! I had lately been wondering if I have hypothyroidism because of the weight gain and alot of the other symptoms. I haven't had it checked though. My family dr. is about useless that's why I never go. He told me that my abdomen pain is in my head! So now that I've put all of this together, what does it mean? And is it serious (if that's what it is)?

[boron]

GERD may be due to anatomical change which may be due to conective tissue disease. Have you ever found anything unusual after a skin wound healing?

Systemic sclerosis and consequent small intestinal bacterial overgrowth - this is what we are talking about.