Digestive Problem - HELP

[mrmax]

Hi. I have been being tested for months now. Blood work, Urine Samples, Stool samples, Breath tests, Upper GI, Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, 4 hour x rays session (forgot what its called), all these tests given by my Gastroenterologist. You know what they have found and/or diagnosed...NOTHING. I have been put on different antibiotics...to no avail. No faith in these doctors nowadays AT ALL. I am 5 days into a lactose free diet, with no changes to this point. Anybody have any ideas...I am willing to hear voices of experience over doctors at this point !! Symptoms: Bloating (serious-right after eating), URGENT and frequent loose bowel movements (again, shortly after eating). belching, gurgling stomach, discomfort/pain in stomach.

[Kate37]

The doctors will be looking to exclude certain pathologies but don't always look for everything. I have been diagnosed with SIBO. It might be worth looking it up to see what you think. I share a number of symptoms and now follow a low FODMAP diet and take certain supplements. it has helped a lot and I saw signs of improvement within about a week.

The bloating and belching have reduced significantly. Good luck.

[healthlover33 in reply to Kate37]

wouldnt the antibiotics have resolved their sibo?

[virgolizzy]

I know it is frustrating not being able to get at the cause yet, but have to say your gastro is being very thorough, so I would cou t yourself fortunate.

However, maybe it is time to look outside the restricted nhs box & the suggestion above is worth exploring, also go to trulyglutenfree website run by Micki Rose, not saying it may have anything to do with grains, but there is loads of info on there about food issues/intolerances & it may point you in the right direction. Also paleomom run by Sarah Ballyntyne relating to the autoimmune protocol on the paleo diet. I know I bang on about these two resources, but I personally found these two sites & related books hugely helpful & helped me make sense of what was going on & how to tackle it. Good luck

[mrmax in reply to virgolizzy]

Thanks

[healthlover33 in reply to mrmax]

did you try paleo?

[Tammydog]

I agree try the FODMAP diet. My doctor put on it and things got better. Thats I came to realise gluten was my main problem. And have been GF free ever since. My symptoms have improved greatly. Occasional problems normally when I've eaten out. Or overdose on Dairy products. I spent many years having one test after the other. They always came back negative. I refused any further testing as I know that gluten makes me ill. I do have the yearly blood tests still though. Hope things improve for you. I was in my 60s before I found my problem. And had these problems ever since I can remember. But much easier now. Good luck!

[mrmax in reply to Tammydog]

Yah, thats the thing. i could  always eat ANYTHING. I just started having bad symptoms like 6 months ago, and I'm 55.

[erdfreak]

I echo some of the previous comments, FODMAP diet can be very effective, as can the Paleo diet. Personally, I tried those and some of my symptoms either persisted or got worse, though I know they work for many people. Finally I found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which has managed to eliminate virtually all my symptoms.

The diet is based on a book, which is well worth getting. Enough info to try the diet can be found at breakingtheviciouscycle.inf... and other places online.

I am Coeliac, but two years into a gluten free diet my health just got progressively worse, and it took 2 further years of tests, giving up various foods and trial diets to get anywhere. SCD is quite an extreme diet, but I would say it is the thing to try when you feel all other avenues have been exhausted. In short, SCD eliminates complex and starchy carbohydrates and processed sugars from the diet. The first week of the diet addresses loose bowel movements, by killing off the bad bacteria in the gut that causes many of the problems you seem to be experiencing, and then gradually introduces other foods as your gut is able to handle them. I found my health improving significantly within 2 weeks when I started the diet, and have not looked back since.

Good luck, hope you find what works for you.

[Penel]

I would also go along with the idea of having a look at the FODMAPS diet. Try keeping a food diary too. Good luck with sorting it out.

This is a useful article.

authoritynutrition.com/fodm...

[Patricia2015]

Hi,

Feeling sorry for your troubles. I've been there too. I went to the toilet 12 times at least and had accidents regularly. As a young woman that was terribly humiliating.

I also lost 25% of my weight and I was seriously underweight.

It was a harsh fight against terrible doctors and everyone who said it was only IBS.

Actually it proved it was more than IBS.

Everything is controlled now by low dose of cortecosteroide Entocort for chronic "Crohn like" ileitis, pancreatic enzymes Creon before every meal and a physillum shake "Metamucil" each morning.

My dietician prescribed me Nutridrink. After a year use I now regained 10 kilos and no longer underweight. Yeah!

Did they also take biopts at the colonoscopy?

Did the check the functioning of your pancreas?

Considering diet please try a diaryfree and glutenfree diet for at least a month. Both gluten and dairy products cause the symptoms you describe.

It takes a month before the good gut bacteria repopulate.

Keep strong!

[mrmax in reply to Patricia2015]

The biopsy were taken. and I have now been gluten & lactose free for 30 days with no changes to speak of. Still searching...

[Patricia2015 in reply to mrmax]

If the biopsy showed nothing than you have to check if your pancreas is working. Often people lack the right (amount) of digestive enzymes. This can be tested by checking the faeces for fats. One stool test may prove it otherwise you need stool collection of 72 hours (I had last). I take Creon Forte which each and every meal and it helps tremendously.

Also if you have diarrhea consider taking metamucil every day after breakfast 

That helped me too.

Good luck!

[mrmax]

I have. Been eating pretty much everything, because no one has been able to rule anything out yet. Just started lactose free 5 days ago. No change yet ?

[Marshmelo]

I've had similar problems to this basically for my entire life.

My first suggestion is to try an app called 'my symptoms'. It tracks the food you eat and will give you suggestions on what might be causing your problems.

If that fails my next suggestion is, ensuring you get the right nutrition, go on an elimination diet.

An elimination diet means that you start with bare basics, so you are on a diet that doesn't cause any problems (I usually start with plain meat, vegetables, and basic fruit, avoiding anything acidic (strawberries, tomato, pineapples, etc)). Stay on that diet for a week, and see if you have any reactions. Then you add foods one by one, recording your reactions as you go (you can also use the 'my symptoms' app to track this). Remember that you have to give each new food time to react (around a week) before adding a new food.

The most common things that will cause problems are wheat, milk, egg, metabisulfates (aka sulfates/sulfites/preservatives E218-230), nuts, and soy. Also, I know of someone who has gastro problems with sugar.

Honestly, I'm surprised a doctor hasn't already suggested this. A nutritionist or dietician may also be able to help with this process. I personally have had a combination of doctors and naturopaths who have helped me. The only reason I don't recommend a naturopath is because some are very knowledgeable and others are not at all.