UPPER LEFT ABDOMINA; PAIN

[churn]

I taste everything I eate. I have a sore throat and swollen tongue caused from acid reflux I have been having trouble choking when I eat.  I have upper left abdominal pain radiating to my back.  I stay nauseated all the time. I have trouble sleeping. I burn and sting in the middle right below my breast. I have had reflux for 30 years.  I was told 10 years ago I had IBS.  My food goes right through me , but I don't lose any weight.  I have both diarrhea and constipation. Does anyone else suffer with this. I have been to two gastroenterologist and ent and my enternist. Someone help me please.


This discussion is related to Pain In The Upper Left Side.

[boron]

Having both diarrhea and constipation and not loosing weight sounds like some food may irritate your bowel. You can try to remove fructose, HFCS and sorbitol from your diet (low-fructose diet trial for 4 days), and if it doesn't help, you extend the trial to "low-FODMAP diet", where you additionally eliminate lactose (dairy), legumes and wheat.

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/21247?personal_page_id=801
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/118248

[churn]

Gastroenterologist dianoised me with GERD, IBS, and gastroparisis.  I seen him the first of the year and he said he couldn't do any thing for me, that i needed to lose weight.  I have been the same size for years and I am not like this all the time..I went to a new gastrointerologist. He did a colonscope and I had polops which he removed, He took biopies due to lines and they came back normal. He did a endoscope and I had small bumps in my stomach but the bioopcies are normal.(my spelling is terrible) I had another digestive test which it is now normal,  My tongue is swollen, I have trouble choking, and my throat stays sore, He sent me to the ENT.  My tongue is swollen and my throat is real red he said from acid reflux. The gastro.put me on KAPIDDEX 60 MG 1 TIME A DAY,so the ENT ups it to 2 a day. I started cramping in my lower abdomin (abdomen), so I backed down to 1 a day which helped that pain.Everything that goes into my stomach makes me neaueaed and my stomach bloats from my navel up.  I have this pain in my upper left abdomin (abdomen) all the time and the pain stays about a 5 to a9. I taste everything I swollow including my meds.I've had reflux most of my life so I don;t eate greasy, spicy, or a lot of red meat. I bake, boil, and grill. The only dairy product I have a problem with is I love Ice cream, but I have cut it out.  My Husband is diabetic so that tells you how I cook. I don't know what to ask the doctor  to check next. I;ve started drinking Ensure a couple times a day eating jello.  What do I do next and What questions do I ask.  I have consider asking about the surgery for reflux.  What do you think?

[boron]

Reflux certainly seems to be the first thing to solve. If you are overweight, doctors will suggest you lose some weight since this may help, especially if you have hiatus hernia.

You should also ask for "urea breath test for H. pylori" - this bacterium is a common cause of overproduction of gastric acid and upper abdominal bloating. If this will be negative you can ask for another breath test - to check for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Gastroparesis furtherly aggravates reflux. Was it said what is a probable cause?

[churn]

They have gave me no cause. I am trying to reach the ent because my throat is really sore and my tongue fells swollen more.  They have not returned my call. I feel a little better today.  As I get older, this gets worse. I am thinking about have the surgery for acid reflux.  What do you think?

[boron]

Churn, your first problem seems to be acid. Overproduction of acid is commonly caused by H. pylori bacteria. If doctor haven't, then you suggest him to perform this test. After eventual H. pylori treatment you will see how much of problem has left.

You're mentioning gastrparesis. What was said to be the cause?

You're also saying that food goes through you and you don't lose weight. This sounds like IBS.

1. Test for H. pylori
2. Ask - why gastroparesis
3. Try Low-fodmap diet (check links in above post). Eliminate fructose, HFCS, sorbitol and lactose from your diet for few days and see if it helps.
4. If nothing of this help - then you can think about surgery. So, like you see, you can make three easy steps before surgery. Having a surgery but not solving other problems may result in great disappointment. You have TWO problems with the stomach (reflux, gastroparesis) and ADDITIONAL problem with the bowel (food goes through you).  

[churn]

Boron, They did a new study and this new doctors says I don't have gastroparises.  Yesterday I started having stomach cramps with trouble going to the bathroom, but when I do my bowels are still soft to loose.

i will follow up on your advice, as soon as I go back to the doctor, Thanks for all of the info.  Keep in touch.

[boron]

Churn, try low-fodmap diet. If it is food that causes your problems, you should feel relieve in few days.

[boron]

Also avoid acidic foods like citruses, vinegar...and drugs: aspirin, ibuprofen

[churn]

Thanks for your help I will try thes things.  Will let you know if it helps.