extreme fullness and inability to eat

[tamy]

I am a 54 yr old female and have never had any issues with my health.  My problem started back in early 2004 where I would experience extreme fullness after even the tiniest of meals.  My EDG showed gastritis in total stomach and inflammation above the gastro esophageal junction; my colonoscopy indicates internal and external hemorrhoids.  My GI specialist had me on Aciphex and Bella ALK/PB, but I was still experiencing the fullness and unable to eat as result.  I had a CT abdominal and pelvis procedure, H. Pylori test, and a Hydrogen Breath Test, and all results came out negative.  My GI specialist then had me on Nexium and Reglan.  For those 2-3 months, I was able to eat full normal meals again.  However, since finishing the Nexium and Reglan (about 2 months ago), I have not yet been able to follow up with my GI specialist due to his own personal emergencies, and my symptoms have returned, including still the extreme fullness, and hence, inability to eat and loss of appetite, feeling of lump in throat, abdominal discomfort but no pain, foul taste in mouth, constipation, and insomnia.  I should also add that I am in post-menopause.  I am now down to 96lbs from an original 106 lbs throughout this entire ordeal and have grown very weak.  Please help.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

You have had a pretty comprehensive evaluation already.  There are a couple of more specialized tests to consider.

The first would be a gastric emptying scan - this can be done to evaluate for delayed gastric emptying - which can lead to the symptosm you describe.

The other would be to further evaluate the possibility of GERD or esophageal motility disorders.  A 24-hr pH study along with esophageal motility studies can be done to consider this.  If there is evidence of GERD despite the medications you are taking, other approachs to treat this should be considered - including surgery or endoscopic therapy.

These options should discussed with your personal physician, or in conjunction with a GI evaluation.

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.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com

[yoshi]

how soon do you feel full after you eat?
also have you been paying attention to what you eat?
you are supposed to avoid certain food and drinks.

[tamy]

I feel full within an hour. I have been avoiding everything from red meats to dairy to even most vegetables (cabage and broccoli).
my diet right now consists of only a little white rice, white meat chicken strips, white bread, and soup, yet I still feel full/bloated and abdominal discomfort.

[Inanga]

Sounds quite possible it's a food sensitivity. Is the soup homemade or commerically made? If commercial it's likey to be brimming with additives which could problematic for you - gluten and soy products for example. Other foods that commonly are involved in senstitivies are fruits like banana, persimon, tomato. There are lots of pages about food sensitivites out there. An elimination diet is the best way - start with a very simple diet and slowly add items back in and check the results. I starte on bread and water but the bread was bad for me - gluten and soy! Try a dietician or allergist for guidance. Biggest thing for me is checking labels.

[yoshi]

you could  try going back on nexium,take it an hour before you eat,rice is safe to eat,chew slowly .
are you on hormone replacement,i heard that could make it worse.
If you want to get rid of the gas,take extra strength gas x,chew gum(your salive has bicarbonate),alks seltzer,baking soda in water.just watch for the sodium content.
reglan is supposed to strenghen your LES,but i would be careful with it,as it has some bad side effects like the anti depressant.

[tamy]

Inanga - I prepare my own chicken soup using as little trigger ingredients as possible.  good tip on the food sensitivity, I'll start searching the internet to find something helpful.

Yoshi - I tried HRT for a month, it didnt do anything for me, so I just stopped.  As for nexium, Im a little reluctant, since I read from earlier posts that it kills off the good bacteria in our intestines.  So I'm eating yogurt (the health food store kind) and taking L. Acidophilis pills to see if that will help.  I'll also give the gas x a try.

[wassupwassabi]

Have you tried using Prilosec OTC?  It might be a temporary substitute for the Nexium until your doc gets back.

[astros18]

Tamy,
I wonder how constipated you are. Your bowels should be moving daily regardless of what some people believe. If your colon is backed up it causes everything to be backed up, hence reflux, feeling of fullness and foul taste in mouth. My suggestion is for you to work on your colon, getting it healthy and cleaned out and replenished with good bacteria, which can be found in a good probiotic.Many symptoms disappear once you eliminate toxins out of your system. It certainly doesn't hurt to try since nothing else seems to be working for you and you are concerned about side effects.

[tamy]

Astros18, I've also considered that possibility, so I recently started taking acidophilis/probiotic pills to help my intestines, as well as eating oatmeal and taking calcium gluconate/magnesium citrate pills to help with constipation.  Its been three days since  my last bowel movement - hopefully the pills will take effect soon.

[astros18]

A liquid magnesium such as Natural Calm will get your bowels moving within a few hours. You know you're taking too much once diarreah starts. You then cut back to a maintenance amount. For those with a sensitive colon, it might cause a little irritation, but it is good stuff. There are also some lower bowel stimulants you can get at your local herb shop or GNC. Make sure you are drinking lots of water. I know that's hard with reflux.Let me know how you're doing.

[bbmn]

I had similar symptoms a few years ago.  I had an upper GI with cameras.  Turns out that I had a yeast infection in my esophagos and stomach.  About 2 weeks treated with Diflucan and it cleared up (at my next visit my primary care Dr. said 3-4 days was probably sufficient time for treatment).
Good luck

[astros18]

Many times with yeast, medical protocal is insufficient to deal with a yeast problem. Of course, if you catch it early enough, it might be. One of the problems with catching it early is that many medical doctors are not informed about yeast and the host of problems it creates. Once you have yeast it is almost impossible to get rid of simply beacuse of our lifestyles- simple sugars, antibiotic and birth control pill use, drinking of beer or alcohol, and the list goes on. That is why it is very important, in my opinion to stay on a maintenance dose of a strong bifidophilos probiotic for at least 3-6 months following whatever treatment you do. You were very lucky that your problem was diagnosed, most systemic yeast problems are not.

[tamy]

Inspite of trying the acidophulus, the yogurt, the gas x, changing diet, I still get extremely full/bloated, even after eating a little amount of oatmeal.  Down to 90 lbs now. I wish I can take reglan again, but heard that its not good to take for more than three months.  I have an appointment with the GI specialist on 8/12, I dont know if i can wait that much longer.  What else can i do?

[astros18]

I'm sorry that you are still not well and losing weight. Hopefully they will find out what's going on at your next appt. The only thing I can suggest is what I suggested before and that is to work on your colon. Make sure your bowels are moving at least once a day, preferably more than that. A colon or yeast detox can sometimes take weeks if not months before you feel the full benefits and if you are not having regular bowel movements, your food cannot get digested properly and you will not absorb all the nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Check your local herb shop or GNC for their recommendations if you don't know where to start. Acidophilos and yogurt are just not strong enough for your problems, it seems. Good luck, Tamy. I hope you start getting better.

[auscaz]

hi

I have a similar problem myself. I don't get constipated but I am unable to eat a large meal & feel full very quickly.
I have some middle upper abdominal pain & constant tenderness.
I have lost about 11kg(24lb) since January after I had my gallbladder out.
I have had a CT scan, endoscopy, a blood count, tests for thyroid, tests for low B12 and all were negative.
I am going to see my GI this Friday but my guess is that they will blame it on IBS even though I don't have constipation or diarrhea.
So it's a mystery here too.

[lchristina]

for the girl who has the inability to eat and feels full, go get a gastric empting study. your symptoms sound like gastric paresis, a mobility problem in your stomach,my daughter has this and it is
a hard to live with, but use small low fat meals, your doctor may
perscribe erythomycin,to see if infection may be the cause, we don't know why my daughter has it, she also persents with a rash, and has had this for 16 mo.

[mija_Az]

Your symptoms, that have returned and increased, sound just like mine. I was recently diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and I am currently undergoing treatment with a chiropractor. I only throw it out there because it can be relatively uninvasive to diagnose and treat. Best of luck.

[LynneS]

A related discussion, Niece's symptoms was started.