Digestives problems

[charlie007]

Just wondering would anyone experienced inability to move food through their digestive system,I suffer with chronic constipation,I have recently been treated for pylori bacteri.Medication like lactulose and sennakot is not working.Sorry to be so graphic but I spent today on the loo and vomiting into a bowl at the same time,I am worried as its getting worse I have had scopes but the result was just to give me laxatives.My diet is excellent fruit,veg,porridge etc.I would be very grateful for any advise as I am afraid of a blockage or worse.

[Hidden]

Check out this link. Dysmotility/ gastroparesis won't show up on a scope, you need a test to show how long it takes food to work through your system ( motility ).

mayoclinic.org/medical-prof...

[Footygirl in reply to Hidden]

Hey, guru. Thanks for that link. It would certainly answer my questions re food not travelling. All the docs say, nothing physically wrong, end of, but it doesnt help me! I shall research further and bring it to my keen gp.

Thanks for posting charlie, great topic. I look forward to more replies.

Hope you get lots of help

Love

⚽️

[Hidden in reply to Footygirl]

I only came across this recently and wonder if it's the answer to my gastric issues ( pain after eating and weight loss ). I had a capsule endoscopy last year and the bowel prep took over 12 hrs to work! Thankfully my abdo problems have improved since I started Infliximab. I think they are only just scratching the surface of auto immune bowel problems and the understanding will move on massively in the next decade ( hopefully! ).

[charlie007 in reply to Footygirl]

Thanks again x

[charlie007 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much,I will check it out.

[jayfer]

Hi, I really feel for you and hope you get the answer to your problem soon. I'm suffering the same at the moment but putting it down to stopping smoking using champix. I nearly gave in last week but my lovely chemist gave me lactulose and listened, bless him. Only 3 WK left on it then stopped smoking for 3 mth so my digestive system will get back to normal ! I at least can see an end to my problem I hope, hopefuilly you will be sorted quickly too.

[Footygirl in reply to jayfer]

Bravo/brava! Well done. 3 months! Congratulations.🍾

Hope your troubles end soon

Respect

⚽️

[Spicer21]

I have slow gut motility and a drug called domperidone helps me with that. If you're in the UK you can buy it over the counter at the pharmacy, brand name Motilium...but obviously check with your docs first in case it's contra-indicated for you. I also add soluble fibre (rather than insoluble, like psyllium husk) to my diet, e.g. Benefiber, to help with constipation.

[EOLHPC]

You've got some great replies, Charlie. Many of us here have been managing GI dysmotility for many years. My probs began in childhood: they start in the mouth & they play me up right through & out the other end. I am totally relating to what you're going through & coping with & fearing: I go through phases similar to the one your describing... + my husband has early onset crohns involving gut blockages, so we know a lot about that too. I hope you're keeping close to your GP about these current symptoms

And I've found out the hard way, battling on over many years of being shrugged off, patronised & ignored by the health system, that there is help at hand. In my experience, gastroenterologists themselves can only can help so much. Yes, the meds they've prescribed me for upper & lower GI dysmotility (domperidone, PPIs, stool softeners like movicol etc etc) have helped, but on the practical day to day level of keeping my GI tract as functional as it's able to be at my age with my early onset comorbidities (am 62, on a lot if heavy duty daily meds due to infant onset lupus + SS + EDS + PID)...for what it's worth.... these are what help me most:

My NHS physio (being female, I see a senior Womens Health Services Physio who specialises in GI dysmotility & understands the implications of immune dysfunction & connective tissue disorders...she has saved my life...her techniques have helped me enormously to cope with & minimise my chronic small bowel dysmotility ...if you're in the UK, ask your GP about the services). One of the most wonderful thing about physios who specialise in GI function is that they are empowered to refer patients on to the appropriate hospital clinics...my physio helped me hugely by referring me on this way

The IFFDG website: it is FULL of good solid up to date health services info on gastro issues...it's an international group organised by top health system GI experts and fits well with the Mayo clinic angle in Keyes wonderful link in that this website acknowledges the special GI problems experienced by immune dysfunction & connective tissue disorder patients. The IFFDG website has helped me understand all my chronic GI probs much better...and has also helped me feel more confident about discussing things either my medics, + has helped make my lifestyle management even more effective:

The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders .(IFFGD) is your resource for reliable digestive health knowledge, support, and assistance about functional gastrointestinal (GI) and motility disorders (FGIMDs). We are a nonprofit that started in 1991. Discover information you need on digestive disorders in adults and children.

iffgd.org

Good daily hydration: drink plenty of water

Enough of roughage (am limited in what I can tolerate, but milled flax & lettuces + cucumbers + grapes + oranges are ok) BUT NOT TOO MUCH ROUGHAGE

Avoid processed foods + caffeine, alcohol

The right amount of physical activity (v important for the bowels)

Please let us know how you get on

🍀🍀🍀🍀 coco

[charlie007 in reply to EOLHPC]

Many thanks for your reply,its been very helpful,I am going to my GP on Monday,so I will try to get across just how its affecting my life as I drink water to no avail ,I eat salads,fruit ,brown wholemeal bread and it appears to make no difference.I have had scopes and sometimes I feel doctors are afraid because I am on warfarin,and I did not react well to the colonoscopy and was very ill after it.I will explore the recommendations in the replies and hopefully something works,I will keep you posted. X

[EOLHPC in reply to charlie007]

👍👍👍👍 🍀🍀🍀🍀

[Cann in reply to charlie007]

Sorry to hear you were so poorly after the colonoscopy. My gastroenterologist wouldn't risk doing one of me so perhaps he was right; he may have suspected it could make me bad.

[Cann]

I went through a spell of this - the same as you - sitting on loo vomiting into a bowl. I found I can't take porridge or any grains, but I do eat the small beans and vegetables. Have you tried fruit until lunch-time? Can you take protein? You may be a protein type rather than grains. I can only take quinoa occasionally,

My peristalsis stopped at one time and even reversed - horrible feeling, but most of the time ok now.

Can go too often sometimes so I watch the fruit, then.

Some days I can only eat bananas because they have good FOS.

Probiotics don't work for me. What happened to me happened after too many courses of antibiotics and drugs. My balance of fauna and flora was compromised or even destroyed, but slowly I have improved.

Exercise helps especially after protein, but it is finding the right food for you - do you know a good nutritionist? One who can test you, too.

Go with what feels right for you and drink plenty of water - may be little and often rather than whole glasses at once - that is how I do it, but find what is right for you.

You can have an excellent diet, but even good food may not be the right type for you and that is why I suggest a good recommended, qualified and experienced nutritionist.

The dieticians in the NHS I found knew nothing compared to the nutritionist I found who used kinesiology to test me.

She also had stool tests done privately for me and they were very interesting and revealing - nothing I know on the NHS does tests like that.

GP's and doctors had said I had IBS, but the tests showed IBD which I had suspected anyway.

Good luck and keep positive, you can sort it with the right help - keep searching and ask around locally, although I had to travel 100 miles to find mine, but I wanted to get myself well.

[charlie007 in reply to Cann]

Many thanks I think you may be right I may need the help of a nutritionist.

[Natura]

Hi Charlie....my intestines have always been slow moving. I take a digestive enzyme to move things along. I have had problems since i was a little girl. Maybe alternate with a probiotic. I am not a doctor nor can I say anything other than it works for me. As always, check with your doctor first if you are on medication.

I believe there is a disconnect somewhere in the brain and our bodies functioning properly. That is my theory. Enzymes are an aid to help our bodies work. Wish i could just fix my brain and it would all go away. LOL!

Feel better

[charlie007 in reply to Natura]

Many thanks ,can digestive enzymes can be bought over the counter ?

[Hidden]

I too get occasionally very constipated when very unwell or stressed out - always have - hospitalised once as a kid due to severe constipation. It usually only affects me rarely. However last year I had lots of bad health and each time I was hospitalised the constipation kicked in so I had to be given suppositories. I was on two lots of IV antibiotics and five other courses. Also on steroids. So in December I had a sickness diarrhoea thing lasting a few weeks and this was followed by 8 months of constipation - only just eased by Laxido and despite prunes and a very healthy diet.

After some rectal bleeds I eventually had a colonoscopy ten days ago. The Kleen Prep prior to the procedure seems to have rebooted my bowels for now and I'm taking acidophilus max daily and my motions and frequency seem to have returned to normal at last. All they found were a couple of bleeding haemorrhoids - hopefully these will clear now. I'm no advocate of colonic irrigation but for me I think the two day fast plus clean out were really important and helpful - like an annual oil change or something. Hopefully I won't need this ever again but it did feel as if my brain had stopped signalling to my GI system and the usual processes had just seized up. I think constipation can become a default position for some of us when the rest of life is fraught.

[charlie007 in reply to Hidden]

many thanks its been helpful

[charlie007]

Many thanks for all the replies above it has motivated me to keep going,arm myself with more information and try and get help.

[NikNaks]

Have you considered a reflexologist? I am currently seeing one and it definitely seems to be helping. I'm the same as you, my meds give me horrid constipation and I've tried so many so called remedies without a lot of success. The strongest ducolax helps a bit but gives me such awful abdominal pains, I can't leave the house as I'm doubled over with the cramps it gives me. The minimal relief it gives really is not worth it for me anyway but we are all different. I really do hope you find some relief soon!

The Best of Wishes

Nikki.

xx

[charlie007]

Thanks Nikki,Just went to the GP and she is sending me for dysmotility study so hopefully something will get sorted out.I am try fruit and natural yogurt until lunch time as yet no improvement,it also has an effect on my migraine and I get horrendous headaches.I had similar symptoms to you and they just gradually got worse,I would say the Sjorgens doesn't help.Many thanks for your reply. X

[Footygirl in reply to charlie007]

Treasure that GP. All I got was blank stare. Will try my new GP Wednesday when I return for uti check and blood in urine check. Dismotility test! Wow. Well done. Hope it shows results then solutions for you.

⚽️

[misty14]

Hi Charlie

Sorry to read of your constipation problems, can make you feel awful. I can recommend Movicol. It is very gentle but works well. You can either get it on prescription or buy it over the counter. I can also recommend prune juice and don't eat porridge as that can make me very constipated. Glad your going to have motility tests, there's a lot that can help as Coco has recommended. Keep us posted. X

[charlie007]

Thanks so much misty 14 ,I have tried Movicol in the past and my migraine got so much worse,I will keep you posted.

[minka]

im the same on some stuff that gives u diorhea been this morning a bit off it but not enough

The main reason being if u are more active you get a bowl movment some of us on here are on the computer then do a bit then rest a bit so we are not as active and this causes the problem charlie you dont say how active you are.

[charlie007 in reply to minka]

I think you right some days I get alot of exercise in and other days not alot,as when I have hospital appointments I am just to tired to exercise which adds to the problem.

[minka in reply to charlie007]

know what ya mean charlie ive been docs today keep on about me knee thats sort of twisting and ankle giving way I started out alright this morning but by 2pm could hardley walk again with swelling in knees and feet going red hot again You try to exersise your quads but the buggers just wont give any power out and i sweted for england last night What u like for walking charlie and what do you do for exersise regards john

[charlie007 in reply to minka]

The only form of exercise is out walking the dog,but I am a fair weather walker.I don't do rain !