I seem to often have a loose stool, like cow pat is the only way I can describe it. I also often have a ton of gas bottom and top and burping lots of digestive fluid into my mouth. This causes bad breath, bad taste and lots of mucus. It's super uncomfortable. The worser I am in the top half of my body, the worser I am in the bottom half.
For the last 2-3 weeks i've been gluten free, dairy free, grain free,fruit free, red meat free, 90% fodmap free, 90% histamine free and symptoms don't seem to change much. Anyone have any ideas?
I must also say i've been dealing with this for a LONG time and all I ever get told is it's in my head or health anxiety.
Written by
nfrog
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I'm sorry to hear that you've been experiencing uncomfortable digestive symptoms for a long time now. I can understand how frustrating and discouraging it must be to have tried various dietary changes without seeing any improvement in your symptoms.
Based on what you have described, it's possible that you may be suffering from a digestive disorder such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
Check out information about SIBO. (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) There's a breath test for it, but I don't know how enthusiastic your doctor might be about this. Some doctors don't know much about it or take it seriously.
If your doctor is already an "it's all in your head" kind of person, it might not be easy. But SIBO is a physical disorder. It can cause all the symptoms you describe.
It's not in your head, though medics suggest that when they can't resolve (it's a "diagnosis"/box ticked!). If you really want to get sorted, I'd suggest seeing a qualified Nutritional Therapist that specialises in gastro system. If SIBO (as others suggested), you may need an NT to sort out tests/results.
First it's not in your head. Consult someone else. If it is IBS go the whole hog on fodmap but you should have seen some improvement after only 2 weeks.
I have IBS and also a Hiatus Hernia. Was prescribed Lanzoprazole which I take when needed now. Couple of times per month. What I take 1 of everyday is "BioCultures Complex - 16 Live Strains with 30 Billion Bacteria". Has really helped with bloating, IBS, Acid etc. More than any pharmaceutical prescribed meds. Takes a month or so to start working at the beginning.
SIBO is a possibility but very rare. Gastroenterology are reluctant to test for this. It is worth ruling out BAM (bile acid malabsorbton) first. It involves two scans a week apart. My gastroenterologist did not hesitate to test for this.
So firstly, I am happy to give ongoing herbal recommendations In response for a testimony. Please message me if necessary.
I think that there may be a non-helpful balance of bacteria in your gut and to this end I would recommend that you do the following: take berberine daily with lunch, oregano oil with breakfast and end each day with a small desert of pineapple, yoghurt and honey. Also, have a slippery elm tablet in the morning with some tea/coffee. The slippery elm will fight the GERd and the other things will fight the bacteria allowing youI to repopulate your gut.
bless you. I agree with the others. It does sound like SIBO and the bad bacteria will be well entrenched and protected by its own microbiodome. Rifaxamin is the antibiotic to help but no one in the UK will prescribe it unless privately and then it’s about £400 for 20 days.
Depending on how long you’ve had it, depends on how long you need to take the antibiotics for.
My son didn’t take it for long enough as 1) he couldn’t tolerate the expellation of the bacteria (he’s autistic) and 2) we couldn’t afford another dose!
After that it’s reflourishing with good bacteria and no more eating sugars!
Much love to you. I see how my son is and I feel for you, I really do.
Thanks for all the replies guys. I truly appreciate it greatly!
I walked into the doctors 10 years ago thinking it could be a bacterial overgrowth and I got told to stop reading things on the internet. After a while of complaining, a clear endoscopy and a clear stool test, I got told it was all in my head and put on anti-psychotics. They messed me up and as I was only young at the time I was finding it really hard to deal with my symptoms feeling like my life had been taken away from me. I became severely depressed. I actually ended up getting sectioned for a month and given the mental all clear but STILL didn't get any symptom relief or proper help. I've worked heavily on myself since then so emotionally I am in an okay place over it. I will never stop fighting to get to the bottom of it though. One day out of every 2 or 3 months I get a day where I feel 60-70% better and I have no idea why. It gives me the hope to carry on as there must be something that I do leading up to those days that makes me feel better.
If your doctor hasn't run these tests when you are experiencing these symptoms, they are being negligent.
If you have been diagnosed with IBS and none of the usual things work (try Alflorex probiotic first, which has been scientifically studied for IBS - trial for 3 months, failing that FODMAP elimination and reintroduction via dietitian referral - trial for as long as the dietitian states). At the end of all of that, if you are still loose, ask for a test for BAM (bile acid malabsorption). Failing that you may be one of the rare cases of SIBO, however, you may only have SIBO if you have one of its causes which would also need treating (otherwise it comes back). I have a list of these causes, but feel that you probably need to explore the other avenues first.
By the way, if anyone tells you to see a Nutritional Therapist, please don't. You end up racking up a massive bill with them - they are not formally medically trained. The prerequisites for some of the courses are basic English and Maths. I used two of what I thought were the best and they made my condition far worse. There were certainly not on the ball either.
I had a blood test a couple of times when I started complaining, and a stool test on 3 separate occasions the last one being around 4 years ago that apparently came back clear. Symptoms haven't changed much over the years.
On the nutritional therapist thing, I've already wasted £100's (maybe £1,000s) on rubbish supplements over the years in desperation. I'm not going down that kind of avenue again.
Yes I have severe Gerd , Eosophrageal motility disorder , burning throat .
Developed loose stools several times per day of cow pat consistency and colour of mustard and undigested food and weight loss ,severe nausea ,inability to eat .GP started me on Citalopram .I had become very anxious re my symptoms while I am awaiting to see Gastroenterologist about recently diagnosed eosophrageal motility disorder.
After 2 weeks nausea and dizziness improved after 3 my appetite improved but still everything would go straight through me .After 4 -6 weeks of symptoms improving eventually my stools returned to normal.
I still have Gerd with throat burn. and eosophrageal motility disorder but all other symptoms I think were as result of my body becoming under severe stress and excess adrenaline as the sympathetic nervous system went into overdrive from the Gerd and reflux. Stress is extremely powerful and can take over the digestive system. The Brain and gut work closely together .Your stomache it is said is to be your second brain monitored by the vagus nerve . Both gut and brain depend on levels of serotonin to function correctly which is where serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSIR eg citalopram) come into play.
Stress causes real symptoms it is not all your head -I so hate that phrase.
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