Feeling sick after eating and palpitations

[KB08]

Hi. I was diagnosed with IBS in my early twenties after a bout of gastroenteritis in Egypt (im now 36). I was also diagnosed with mild chronic gastritis last year in which I take Lansoprazole for.But I'm really struggling at the moment. I feel sick alot after eating and also get palpitations. My stomach makes so much noise as soon as I start eating as well and I get awful wind which sometimes is very foul smelling. I feel so fatigued all the time and even have bad muscle and joint pain. I had blood tests a few months ago which all came back normal which I was so shocked at because of how bad I feel.

Just wondered if anyone else has had similar symptoms and can help me in any way because I feel like all I get from my gp is that it's probably anxiety related. It's definitely not! I feel like the symptoms I have give me some anxiety because I'm worried about what's going on. Should I push for a referral to gastroenterology?

TIA

[Sheeniejay]

I have zero medical training but I just looked up gastritis (niddk.nih.gov/health-inform... and some of your issues are listed in the symptoms. I would push for a referral to a specialist/gastroenterologist, not just to get further investigations but also to ask him/her/them if there's the possibility that you need to change medication or an additional treatment. Really want to stress that I am not a medic, just offering a thought that came to mind. I understand being told it's anxiety - I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, OCD etc and on the one hand, people recognise mental health issues increasingly but on the other hand, I sometimes feel it's labelled, unfairly, as being the cause of many physical ailments. Good luck

[KB08 in reply to Sheeniejay]

Absolutely! Once they diagnose anxiety they use that for everything and then things get missed. I will Absolutely push for a referral because I don't think my gp knows what to do with me now. I'm at the point where I'm genuinely concerned about my health. And feeling horrible 24/7 really takes its toll. Thankyou for your reply really appreciate it. X

[Sallybt]

Hi KB08, I had the exact symptoms your are describing. I found, luckily for me, an excellent Naturopath who diagnosed me with SIBO and he was right. The nausea, stomach gurgling , wind and feeling generally unwell all over is horrible. You need to get tested it may or may not be SIBO but worth looking into, a lot of people are sceptical about SIBO testing but it was a life saver for me being diagnosed. . There is a lot of information about it online. Hope you sort it soon.

[KB08 in reply to Sallybt]

Hi. Thankyou for your reply. That's really interesting because iv been reading up on SIBO and I thought oh my god! I literally have all of these symptoms even down to acne and having skin issues. Is my gp not likely to test me for it then? Iv got a phone appointment on the 14th so I'm definitely going to mention it and also push to be referred because I feel like they fob me off alot by saying its IBS. Iv had IBS for a long time and I know the difference in symptoms. I feel awful all the time. And obviously taking lansoprazole should sort out my gas issues but it's not touching it. Thankyou for your help I really appreciate it. X

[Sallybt in reply to KB08]

I also have IBS for 40 years and symptoms I have for SIBO are very different. I manage my SIBO now with various herbal supplements . I’ve just upset my system by eating some ‘lazy garlic’ in some stir fry on Tuesday! I’m still burping a lot, can taste garlic, apparently I don’t have garlic breathe 😲🫢😁and I feel sick☹️. It’s all such a fine balance when you have such a sensitive digestive system. I think it is so diet related with me. I can no longer eat fibre which I always had lots of green leafy veg, sprouts, cabbage, legumes and porridge etc sometimes I can have a mouthful that’s it. Cannot have live yoghurt, definite no,no. Can’t take probiotics or prebiotics even alflorex upsets me. You really have to get to know what your system is telling you and it changes☹️I hope you get a result from your appointment on the 14th. I wish you well

[angelwings52]

I would ask your doctor to be referred to a Gastroenterologist as soon as possible - were you originally diagnosed by your GP? You should only be diagnosed by a Gastroenterologist as there are a lot of tests needed to rule out other digestive health problems. In particular ensure that you get your gallbladder checked, that tends to get overlooked. Try keeping a food diary of everything you eat and drink, as that will help identify any triggers.

[KB08 in reply to angelwings52]

Hi. I was diagnosed with IBS my a gp years ago. Gastritis was found through an endoscopy last October. I also had a scan on my gallbladder last year. I'm definitely going to ask to be referred because I can't keep going on like this. It's taking its toll on my mental health now also