For three months I have been unable to keep any food and very little fluids down. I have lost 32lbs and the doctor's have no answers. I've had blood work, ultrasound, barium swallow, gastric emptying test, endoscopy with biopsy... Everything comes back negative. Only one doctor indicated there was an infection in my stomach but not sure what the cause is. I have no idea what to do next since the specialist seems to have exhausted all testing options.
If you have any insight, please share!
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KentuckyJO
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Sorry can't help you with this, but feel it needs more looking at. You cannot keep losing weight without consequences. Is this the only symptom you have? Are your waterworks normal and your bowels, this sounds strange but pancreatitis can cause that sort of symtom but usually with pain and other symptoms. Do you take any drugs that could have this side effect? I presume liver function was tested in your blood screen. Could you maybe have an allergy intollerance of an additive in the foods you eat, there are all sorts of additives in most foods these days unless you grow your own Hope some of these suggestions help and you soon find a solution, it could even be a rare condition nobody as spotted. Best wishes and let us know how you get on.
Have any of the doctors talked about Gastroparesis?? I have a friend with it and your complaints sound like theirs. Heres a link about it niddk.nih.gov/health-inform...
I am so sorry you are going through this! I second what Katie says below, and want to add: have your docs tried a pill cam? I went through a simular experience over a year ago; going through so many docs. Finally a new GI doc suggested a pill cam to look at the small bowl. All other test miss this or are not able to get an inside looklike the pill cam. It helped solved my mystery, maybe this will help you? You just swollow a camera that looks like a large pill. Wear a small box/transmitter all day. Eventually passing the camera in your stool, the docs download all images from the transmitter.
So sorry to see you go through this. I have been diagnosed with UDCTD and autoimmune autonomic gangliopathy. Basically meaning my autonomic nervous system was being attacked. One of the main symptoms is gastroparisistoparisis. I too lost a lot of weight and was so miserable to a point I did not want to live. I saw an autoimmune neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rachester Minnesota and he put me on IVIG (intravevenous immune globulin). In about 3 months the gastroparesis improved significantly. I am up about 25 pounds and feel so much better. I wish you the best, do not give up!!
Have you been screened for coeliac disease? When mine got really bad just prior to diagnosis I couldn't keep anything down, as my small intestine just below my stomach had pretty much collapsed and that made it difficult for anything to get past there. The first screening for coeliac is a blood test, however you do need to be eating gluten every day for the test to properly show positive (it would give a false negative if you weren't eating gluten). Also, I had had endoscopies that were normal, but they didn't go down far enough to show the coeliac damage (until the blood tests showed coeliac was a possibility and I had an endoscopy that went right into the first part of the jejunum.)
I developed something very similar after having food poisoning, it turned out to be a stomach infection caused by Helicobacter pylori: healthline.com/health/helic...
To test for it they do:
Breath Tests
If you have a breath test, you’ll swallow a preparation containing urea. If H. pylori bacteria are present, they will release an enzyme that breaks down this combination and will release carbon dioxide, which a special device then detects.
If it is that to treat it you will normally need to take a combination of two different antibiotics, together with another drug that reduces your stomach acid.
I had very similar problems after a bout of acute pancreatitis cause by alcohol consumption a few years ago, I was discharged from hospital and stopped my heavy drinking. When I was discharged at 25 years old and weighing 9st which was healthy for a 5ft 6 female I still didn't feel quite right right and after a couple of weeks I was throwing up everything including the lightest of foods and milky drinks, also I it was coming out the other end violently. Trips back and forth to the doctors were just met with *you may have a bug which has aggravated your gastric tract while it's trying to heal*
5 months later I weighed 4st 8lb and was so weak, I had to be tube fed. Many test kept showing that my gastric tract was just a little inflamed, but that was it. Ipushed and pushed and they finally diagnosed chronic pancreatitis and started helping me get well and manage the condition.
You may have something similar, get checked, avoid anything high fat or dairy for the time being. Dry crackers if you can manage them and keep boiled sweets or mints handy to stop your sugar levels dropping- they dissolve slowly so hopefully you can keep them down. Take small sips of liquids, don't gulp them down even in this hot weather as that will make you sick. Try to get your GP to prescribe you a good anti-sickness like domperidone or metoclopramide, some omeprazole to help with acid burning and some nutrient drinks- they come in shake style and juice style, but sip slowly through the day (some flavours are better than others lol) Hope my rambling helps x
You obviously have a gut malabsorption causing weight loss happening.Have Dr check vitamin B12 serum & active ,folate,ferritin,iron,intrinsic factor,MMA,homocysteine.These tests are not routinely done & vitamin deficiencies are not even recognised.Dont take antiacids,statins,Metformin ,OCP as these all cause Vit b12 to be depleted in your body.If you could tolerate a good quality natural protein shake (neolife)& I don't mean ensure or synthetic made. Electrolyte drinks ,coconut water,powd vitamin & mineral suppliment would at least keep hydrated if your not eating Sounds like you have malnutrition Low potassium can cause vomiting, bananas good suppliment.Do you have swallowing difficulties ? This is due to anaemia or nerve damage.Surely you would have been tested for helibacta ? Your tests & X rays are clear because your symptons can all be nerve damage occurring.Gastrologists & physicians can miss this as my mum couldn't swallow not even water I informed them she is Vit b12 deficient & so a neuro pathetic drug Lyrica was ordered & she is eating fine now she is 92yrs old.Check b12awareness.org or "Diagnosing & Treating Vit B12 Deficiency " online
Hi Kentuckyjo, I had exactly the same symptoms as you sick after every meal, weight, loss, even fluids i had problems, with all the retching being sick it caused an hiatus hernia . i had every test possible. the infection in my stomach was diagnosed as a common bug that causes stomach ulcers and by the time it was diagnosed and on the right medication i did have an ulcer. Please take this very important piece of advise if at any time when you are sick if you notice the slightest blood in your vomit (the blood won't be red it will be BLACK ) call an ambulance immediately, show the vomit to the medics as soon as they get to you because you will have internal bleeding and you will need urgent care. All that happened to me twenty five years ago and i have been on lansoprazole every day since, i still get discomfort now and then but you would soon find out what your stomach will tolerate. I hope you find my story of some help to you. please talk to your doctor and if you feel he or she is fobbing you of find another doctor and soon. Good luck to you, let me know how you get on. Regards Triciaj.x
I realise this post was a long time ago but I just wondered if you got a diagnosis? My daughter is going through the same at the moment and we are desperate to find out what it is, but all tests are clear?
My 16 yr old daughter is throwing up everything she is eating and every test is negative. Pancreatitis, endoscopy, and everything. The one thing is that she is constipated and hasn't gone to the. Bathroom for 3 weeks now for which the pediatrician said is the cause of vomitting as well. Which did t make sense to me.
Even though she went through (what seemed like an allergy of dust or something) a sever 3 months coughing a very severe coughing which suddenly stopped and turned into vomiting.
Her stomach muscles have obviously been affected by the coughing in turn that has bunged her up and if yo get that if and made her come in for the col and for me and my
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