Painful Digestive Issues

[carboy06]

I have been experiencing digestive problems for quite sometimes now. I've been treated for GERD.  I've had an EGD done were they concluded that I had a bad case of acid reflux and I've had test were they said I had h.pylori.

The symptoms however are severely worse than just acid reflux.  Regardless of what I eat it feels like I need to belch or pass gas and can’t.  There is some relief when I do belch or pass gas but it’s only temporary.  I began drinking warm water with apple cider vinegar first thing in the mornings before eating.  I also tried to increase my fiber intake by taking supplements and eating food high in fiber.  Water is my drink of choice; so I consume large amounts daily.  I’ve also started taking probiotics (85 billion cultures) three times a day. However, none of these remedies have helped with my problems completely.

I get sharp pains in my shoulder blades (especially on the left side).  The pain is so uncomfortable is makes me nauseated.  It feels as though I have to throw up but sometimes no matter how I contort my body; the gas WILL NOT move.  There are pressure points all over my body that upon messaging them will cause some release of gas.  I can sometimes press certain parts of my neck close to my shoulder blade and physically regurgitate food that comes up as if I just swallowed it; often encased with mucous. Sometimes the only relief is to regurgitate; often giving me the best form of relief but also difficult to get the food, gas, or pressure to come up.

There’s a certain spot in my left should blade when pressed will cause to expel gas from one end or the other.  Though there’s a relief when a movement happens either way; I often have the feeling that my stomach is empty or that there’s a bubble up air stuck somewhere in the middle that won’t go up or down. It often time is slightly painful to expel the gas or go to the restroom.  It’s not painful in terms of constipation but a feeling like the air or waste is trying to move through a very small space to get where it’s going.

I thought it perhaps was issues with my gallbladder as I have has some pain in the upper (and lower actually) quadrants of my stomach.  However, it’s been nothing to the extreme that I’ve heard of most people with gall stones.

Despite my intake of fiber, water, and probiotics, my bowel movements aren’t as frequent as I’m to understand they should be.  If I go once a day I’m doing good and when I go the end result varies so much I can’t say what’s normal.  My stool sometimes has the S-shape and comes out looking coiled like my intestine, some time it’s several tiny broken up bits of fecal matter, and in some cases it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes (my apologies for the graphic descriptions).

I’m tired of the daily pain and nauseous feeling.  I really want to know what’s wrong, what should I do?  

[hadster]

Hi,
the Drs can give a antibiotic which will kill off the H Pylori, I had this done in 2004, its a once in a lifetime medicine as it is very strong and will kill all bacteria, then you should take I think something  omeprazole to decrease the acid production, I take this medicine every day.
Also sometimes by bending forward or doing some exercise will help you burp and relieve the bloated pain.

Hope it works out well, keep in touch.

All the best.

[patient915]

Welcome to the gastroenterology community!  It sounds like it could be GERD and I would recommend talking to your doctor about trying a medication for GERD (like prevacid or prilosec) to see if that would help.