Been throwing up for 4 months straight

[Twagira]

Hello!!! I’ve been throwing up for 4 months now and I can figure out what’s wrong! Lost almost all my weight, can’t keep anything down (apart from supplements I was oven and water). I’ve had several checkups this camr back negative for ulcers or intestinal damage. Just hoping there’s someone who has gone through the similar process to help me identify what could be happening to me

[Teaweasel]

Hi. I was like this a while back...initially they thought it was gallstones, although I had no pain (they did an ultrasound and discovered the stones) so I had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The vomiting stopped for a few months but unfortunately started up again. I could only keep water down like you. For me if I ate anything it would feel like I had eaten a massive Christmas dinner and I would end up vomiting for hours.

I was referred to a gastro specialist, who I have to say was horrible - one time she actually said to me "Oh I wish I had your problem, I could do with losing some weight!" She did a few tests - ultrasound, endoscopy etc. but no answers. I even tried hypnosis - because after many many months of not being able to keep food down and people asking if/suggesting I had an eating disorder I just wanted to be sure that it wasn't something subconscious going on (there wasn't and to be honest whilst I understood why strangers might assume that, it really hurt when people close to me didn't believe me!)

My GP put me on Fortisip drinks in an attempt to at least give my body something to cope with as I was wasting away (I had to very slowly drink it other wise I would lose it!). My consultant eventually decided to send me to see a dietitian... Personally I thought this was crazy as did the dietitian - what's the point in discussing food when nothing was staying down. However it turned out to be the best thing because my dietitian was so applauded that I'd been like this for so long and nothing had been sorted that she decided to speak to another gastro consultant. He instantly took an interest in my case and I was moved over to him - think my old consultant was more than happy to get rid of me!

The first test he did was a barium meal - something that my old consultant had never even suggested. To be honest it wasn't the nicest experience (I had to eat some porridge with the barium in and then lie under an x-ray machine...of course the usual issue occurred since my stomach couldn't cope with the food.) However it was worth it in the end as I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis!

Just have a name for it made things seem a little better, and at this point I was under 6 stone (I'm 5' 5.5"). For me the treatment was several weeks in hospital with an NG tube inserted and very gradually being "fed" directly into my stomach. I was taught how to remove and reinsert the NG tube. This is not something they usual do but I was adamant that I wanted to go home, remove it during the day so I could go back to work without having to explain it to people (plus slight vanity!), then I would come home and insert the tube and then "eat".

I had a pump at home, all the equipment needed including the bags of liquid food. It was a very slow process but with the help of my dietitian I build up the amount that I was having and then gradually after a few months moved onto things like yogurts, soup and then we moved onto foods with more substance - strangely the biggest craving I has was for broccoli - and I was still able to keep it down!

It's now just over 7 years on and I'm still fine (well stomach wise!) I was definitely lucky with my treatment working, my consultant had already warned me that if that hadn't worked he would be sending me to a hospital in London where they would do a biopsy on my stomach and I also know people with gastroparesis can lead to needing a pacemaker inserted into your stomach.

Obviously this may not be what's wrong with you, but definitely get yourself referred to a gastro specialist and perhaps ask if a barium meal test is worth trying. I know how awful being sick all the time can be - I also found it rather lonely as you don't realise how much social events revolve around food and drink - lets meet for a coffee, come round for dinner, lets for a few drinks etc.

Wish you all the best and I really hope that you get a diagnosis and a solution soon! Wow sorry for the massive rambling response!

[DISC]

Get a slow transit test done which will involve eating scrambleed egg laced with radioactive dye. They then take xrays regularly over a series of hours to see how quickly the food is digested. If it doesn't move you have slow transit which could be gastroparesis. Vomiting and loss of weight is a sure sign of this. good luck.

[jojo23pink]

What type of check ups do u mean? Vomiting amd weight loss isnt a good sign and can be caused by a number of conditions. Are they your only symptoms. It will be worth having an endoscopy if u havent already and blood tests to check ur hemaglobin levels. Check for anemia any blood loss etc i dnt think its ur bowels etc as u would have symptoms such as abdominal pain change in bowels etc etc

[waylay]

Yikes! Been to see your GP?! This sounds really serious!

[waylay in reply to waylay]

And now I'm suffering from something very similar....

[Krawlins]

Years ago I felt sick everyday and would have to take myself to the toilet where I would belch etc but not actually sick, I lost weight, didn't feel like eating, eventually saw GP who asked for a stool sample. I was diagnosed with Giardiasis Lamblia a parasitic disease, it was a notifiable disease so my local authority environmental health came to visit and complete a questionnaire, ie had I been abroad recently, had I been swimming anywhere? I hadn't done either but later I heard of someone else who had it, they were hospitalised and they though they'd contracted it from eating unwashed lettuce, it makes you very ill, I had to take special antibiotics. Best wishes, perhaps give a stool sample if not already done.

[christyggh]

Hi, I’ve been in the same boat the last 6 months. I have been assuming I have IBS and I started taking a digestive enzyme (digest gold is the brand I use) one capsule with each meal. I’ve found I don’t throw up or get too nauseous if I take one with a meal. Hope this helps.