Thank you guys. I wanted to add that a couple years ago, my stomach felt just "off" for a week...I went to the doc and I think he gave me some kind of pill for infection...it was a huge "horse" pill that I could barely swallow. Anyway, the next morning I started throwing up and did all day.
I went to the ER and they said it was a bug going around (I NEVER get bugs or colds so this was weird). They gave me a pill to help me stop throwing up. I'm just nervous that it could be that again. I was SO miserable.
Things that were different were that I had been seeing more people then and I had visited my dad in the hospital and used a hospital bathroom. Maybe I caught that there.
This time, Ive only been seeing my dogs and my parents, and going to the store.
Let's see:
- Eat a small meal and feel very full: Check.
- Bloating: Check.
- Heartburn: Check.
- Lots of burping: Maybe check.
Could it be gastroparesis? Possible, but still unlikely, even given your prior conditions. There are a lot of things that could be going on right now, especially given the situations you mention, including the lack of sleep (stress) and the use of pain medications (which can slow motility). Far more likely:
- The bloating can be directly related to your IBS kicking up.
- The early saity can be caused by both the stress (whichi s firing up your sympathetic nervous system) and the pain meds.
- And the burping can be GERD, or even dyspepsia.
All these are more likely than gastroparesis, which shouldn't really be considered unless this continues or gets worse over the next few months.
For the moment keep it real easy with meals: no heavy meats (pork, beef), no fatty meals, and lay off the un-pureed fruit for a while. (Want fruit? Try mashing it or blending it.) And avoid hard to digest veggies like broccoli and cabbage. In fact, if you can switch to mostly soft meals (Ensure, soups, oatmeal, scrambled eggs minus the yolk, etc.) for the moment, do so. When you start feeling better, go ahead and start reintroducing heavier meals.
While you're at this, learning meditative techniques like Qigong, T'ai Ch'i and Yoga will likely be very helpful. If you're still concerned, and if you can afford it, try going to an acupuncturist, someone who is very well versed in the use of herbs.
Good luck.
Well, about all I can tell you is, knock off the fruit for a little while, since it causes gas. Gas is what causes the bloating and fullness and pain. Probably since you're tired, your body isn't digesting like it usually does, and since whole fruit can give you gas, maybe eliminating it will help you, until this holiday rush is over and you can rest better, get your body rhythms back in order. I DO think it's interesting you stopped the marshmallow root and now you have gas...so that may be something you need to go back to! By the way, I'm a dog person, and I appreciate the work you do, keep it up!!! If you want a quick-fix for gas, alka seltzer gets rid of it in a big hurry.