A little insight requested

[Gerdman21]

hello all. Just found this thread and figured I could ease some anxiety by asking around. For a few months now I’ve been dealing with a lot of intestinal issues. I went to the doctor in September of 2022 thinking I was having a heart attack and turns out it was GERD. My lower esophageal sphincter wasn’t closing causing me to have chest pains and a replicated feeling of a heart attack. Since then I’ve changed my diet. Cut out alcohol, coffee and any junk food. My doctor put me on a ppi. Omeprozole. It works for the the bloating and chest pain from the reflux however I do not want to be on this medication long term. My main concern is my abdomen is still in pain depending on what I eat. Even though I eat what seems healthy to me, I can feel the pain go from the lower right side of my abdomen to the left side. My bowel movements are all off. Some days they will be normal. Others they are a very light brown bland color. And others are dark and have almost like a discoloration around the stool. I’ve taken two stool test. A urine test and two blood tests so far and two different doctors have said every thing is looking fine. I could afford to lower my cholesterol, but no detection of blood in the stool or h pylori. It’s been months now and I am still miserable with the uncertainty of what the day is going to bring. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for Feb 14. (That’s original). I wish I could get it done sooner so I could atleast put my mind at ease. My stress level has gone through the roof thinking the worse possible scenario. I am 40 years of age and my family does NOT have a family history of any type of colon cancer. However I still worry, humans always tend to think the very worse scenarios. I have some good days and some bad days. It just seems that when I feel symptoms begin to lighten up and I see a light, I get some pain or bloat or my digestion goes out of whack and it puts me back in my place. Any insight or advice would be appreciated. Hope you are all doing well with your cases. 😀

[meadfoot]

Sorry to hear you are going through all of this. I have all the symptoms you mention including a weak lower orsophageal sphincter and have had every test in the book. I had a colonoscopy a couple of months ago, nothing sinister found. The test isnt bad although the bowel prep isnt fun but the clear out is good to have. I would ask for sedation as it helps with relaxation during the procedure.

I am not a doctor nor do I have any medical training only personal experience. It sounds as though you may have IBS, Irritable bowel syndrome, which often goes alongside GERD. This is my experience and my symptoms are ongoing and mirror yours, Sometimes they are ok for a while then they flare again. I do hope you, alongside your medics, find some suitable medication and strategies to help you.

The worry and concern of it all makes matter worse. The gut/brain connection is very strong so its little wonder stress and upset affect the gut too, all in all its not a fun situation, you have my empathy. Dig in you will find a way to deal with it all.

If its is shown to be a functional issue rather than a clear specific one you may find consulting a functional medical professional may be a good idea. Best wishes.

[Gerdman21 in reply to meadfoot]

thank you for your reply, I do appreciate it and hope that your symptoms go away as well. It’s tough dealing with this. It seems like it comsumes your thoughts. I just woke up right now and it’s the first thing on my brain. Again thank you for the insight.

[Gerdman21 in reply to meadfoot]

also one quick question I hope you don’t mind. The part that worries me the most is the way the stools come out. Are you seeing those types of irregularities? There are days where it’s normal and other days where it comes out but like I said it has almost like an aura around the stool, like if there is a food coloring being omitted from it. Not a lot but it’s noticeable. That’s the part that makes me worry mostly. Sorry if it’s tmi.

[Bluestones1 in reply to meadfoot]

Hi....sorry for your troubles, have you tried cutting out gluten? .

[Bluestones1 in reply to Bluestones1]

That's for Gerdman21. BTW. x

[Gerdman21 in reply to Bluestones1]

I haven’t tried that. But I had a celiac disease panel and that came back negative. However I do feel better when I don’t eat a lot of carbs.

[meadfoot]

Yes, my stools are very changeable in consistency, shape, colour, odour. Its classic IBS unfortunately, Some of it depends on what we have eaten of course but largely I find its down to IBS in my case. I also had bile acid malapsorption but that was due to having had my gall bladder removed,

I understand it being the first thing on your mind when you wake as its clearly a worry for you but it will be managed. Also the concern about the pending colonoscopy wont be helping your mind set. I find my mindset can upset my bowel movement and activity. Dont underestimate how your worry can upset your gut. All will be well.

[Gerdman21 in reply to meadfoot]

thank you again. You have really helped me out today! I appreciate you taking the time!

[meadfoot]

No worries. Dig in there.

[Fefe09]

I know worrying makes things a lot worse. Telling someone to not worry or be anxious is easier said than done. I’m a worry wart. Your gut has everything to do with how your whole body feels. I’m glad your eating better. You know cancer feeds on sugar so that’s good you cut it out . Sometimes eating healthy can cause stomach issues as well. Try keeping a daily diary of what you eat each meal and write down how you feel as well. Also there is a very intelligent dr on utube look him up just type in dr berg and stomach problems or whatever your problem is. He will tell you what to do. He’s in United States dr Eric berg. I Pray God heals your pain soon. Inflammation in stomach can cause what your symptoms are . Continue to eat healthy that is key.

[Gerdman21 in reply to Fefe09]

thank you for the recommendation. I’ll def look into that doctor. Definitely changing my diet and kicking the bad habits. It’s been a long time coming now. Thanks again

[Andann]

Have a look at the low fodmap food choices and the Monash app that can help you through elimination of foods that trigger flare ups and irregular bowel movts. The most obvious ones after lactose and gluten are the onion, garlic and high fructose group, high fats ...but there are many others; everyone has individual reactions.

[Gerdman21 in reply to Andann]

thanks! I will most definitely be doing a process of elimination. I’ll check that app out.

[MOLLYMILO007]

Hi there sorry your worrying I too have health anxiety which makes it 100 times worse honest if your multiple tests have shown fine its prob ibs or trapped wind I had something similar few years back excruciating pain left low side of my tummy ...had a colonoscopy all clear and then it just went alot is anxiety...health anxiety is the worst as you think everything is sinister...my doctor once said jeahette we sometimes have pains then they go..its weird when my tests were clear the pain went !!! So maybe ask for something to relax your anxiety I'm glad you are getting a colonoscopy it will put your mind at rest ..Good luck x

[Gerdman21 in reply to MOLLYMILO007]

you’re right. I did have a stressful year last year and a stressful period of time when all of this got worse. I had lost my job and my stress level sky rocketed. I’m sure stress caused a major role in this.

[xjrs]

To put your mind at ease, statistically, you are far far more likely to be diagnosed with IBS post colonoscopy than anything else. In the mean time, it's best to try not think too far ahead or discuss it with anyone. When I had my colonoscopy due, I tried to concentrate on what I had to do that day, refused to discuss it with anyone or look ahead. The future is not yet fact. Worrying cannot determine what is going to happen and remember you have statistics on your side.

If you are formally diagnosed with IBS, check back in here since there is much that can be done to help. Good luck.

[Gerdman21 in reply to xjrs]

thank you. The statistic’s definitely help when looking at it from an outside view. I’ll check back in once all said and done.

[winfong in reply to Gerdman21]

I also just ran across something that said that 90% of the things we worry about never actually happen

[eliz45]

Hi. I am so sorry that you are having such a difficult time. I think all of the replies here are great and offer you a lot of good healthy ideas which will be helping you. First, don't worry about the colonoscopy. Make sure they give you some kind of local anesthesia. In the US, I have always had something they put in the IV and I don't have any memory of the event nor any kind of pain or anything else. The prep is just annoying. Drinking and running to the bathroom. You can definitely handle that. I put a chair near the bathroom and sit and read while I wait for the next movement to come. It sounds like in the past you have been eating unhealthy things that could aggravate your gut. So cutting those out will help a lot. As you go along you will learn what things to eat that are easy on your stomach and then little by little you will figure out which meal plans keep you happy. You could have IBS, you could have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, you could have lactose intolerance, etc. None of those are life threatening. You might have to change your eating habits and learn more, but you can do that. I have had all sorts of symptoms similar to yours and they can be very upsetting but often it is gas or constipation or diarrhea or something simple. So no need to think cancer without some real evidence of that. Oh, and health foods are not necessarily easy to digest. Broccoli is an example. It is very healthy but very hard to digest. Same for a lot of veggies and fruit. And many things are okay to eat cooked but not raw. Or in smaller portions. So your job will basically be to read and research and find out what you need to make your gut happy and efficient. Start simply with bland food and add food as you go. Chicken noodle soup, crackers, white bread, rice, etc.. No worries. If you are into things like this, there are tons of meditation videos on YouTube that help you relax by focusing on your breathing. They really can help you calm down. Take care.

[Gerdman21 in reply to eliz45]

thank you for your reply. I didn’t eat too unhealthy, but it wasn’t the best of diet. but changing it up is something I’m going to do. Thanks again. All the support here really helps the anxiety

[Gerdman21]

hello all. Just wanted to jump on a give a little update after my colonoscopy. Turns out I have diverticulosis and an inner hemroid. I have a follow up apt with a gastroenterologist next week to discuss the abdominal pains I am still experiencing. The biopsy of my colon showed no signs of colitis everything checked out fine. So mentally the stress level went down a few notches. However I now have to plan out how to deal with the diverticulosis and any further testing I may need to get to the root cause of the pain.

Just for transparency of how I got to this point. About 11 months ago I lost my job which caused a huge amount of stress, I coped with drinking alcohol (I know it’s not ideal). Months after getting a new job I thought my stress was relieved, however I had chest pains. Went to the ER because I thought I was having s heart attack. Turned out to be s reflux. Heart checks out normal. Since then my bowels have been off. My mind went on tail spin trying to find out what is causing my pain. I stopped drinking entirely. No more junk food. I began rowing and lifting weights. Only to feel my symptoms worsen. I’m not sure if I over strained my body with the rowing causing these gut issues to become worse? I have no idea. So here we are today. I know something is off because I can feel it. But I know my mind has alot to do with how I feel. Just not sure how much is true for each scenario. I’ll keep you updated but thank you all for reaching out and giving me advice at a time where I felt hopeless and lost. I truly appreciate it and glad I found this network.