Having GI Issues? Discuss here!

I was born with a condition called pyloric stenosis. It is rare in girls but you know I always have to be different :)

I had surgery as a weeks old infant to repair what was a closed stomach muscle. As a result I have had lifelong effects of belching, reflux, and IBS. I used to lose my voice from the reflux, and rarely had heartburn from it, it was mostly symptomless besides the hoarseness.  Now though, I often have heartburn as a result of emotional upset and have started taking antacids. Add a couple of mood disorders and there is a recipe for disaster.

I work on this by working on my emotional health. My new meds have cut my appetite and I am not emotionally eating any more. I have dropped some weight that my other meds contributed to. That is also helping to calm down my system. I drink a lot of water, also helpful.

It was interesting to hear about the garlic and onions and IBS. It was a piece of garlic bread with a tiny amount of minced onion that had me doubled over. I appreciated seeing the food maps. 

As I get older I am better at choosing healthier options and I do a lot of research on food. I put my health above everything else. I am finally learning consistent self care. I have even given up chocolate (that was hard) as I have a caffeine allergy and haven't eaten red meat in years and years. 

@ghandigirl

I had pyloric stenosis as well. The only effects that are still with me, at 41, are minor ibs and gastric reflux, but only if I eat late or before lying down. If I do, I usually wake up gasping for air from severe reflux and my epiglottis closes over my airpipe.

For IBS, the protocol I mentioned earlier is referred to as FODMAP. Its an acronym that stands for the type of short chain sugars that IBS sufferers cannot easily digest in their small intestines.   There are two types of reactions—diarrhea (IBS-D) and constipation (IBS-C.) you can get the FODMAP App in the App Store of your IOS device.  

IF you go to a GI doctor, because they are focused on certain procedures they do and drugs,  they may not think to tell you about the FODMAP solution. 

Jeanne, that was my experience, first being sent home from a GI doc with instructions to use Mirolax (propylene glycol beads) regularly as well as simethicone chewables. Being sent for imaging for my gallbladder because a PA thought she felt something, where the sonogram tech thought she saw something in my pancreas, and finally having a CAT scan of my pancreas. NOTHING to see there. And it all started with complaints of IBS. Fast forward, when I looked at what Mirolax actually was, I was done with those instructions.

Eliminating high FODMAPS food has worked so well for me. 

Ghandigirl, you had a piece of garlic bread with onions -- 3 troublesome foods there, the wheat gluten, the garlic, and the onions, a virtual FODMAP bomb.) I bet that you can feel so much better. 

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are short chain carbohydrates. Get the app and start learning which foods you can enjoy and which foods cause GI havoc.

I think there are many good suggestions here especially around yogurt.  Years ago, I was diagnosed with acid reflux and given two expensive medications.  I took a trip to Spain and forgot the medication.  However, while I was there, I felt great.  Why?  When I got home, I did some research and found that Edgar Cayce recommended 1 T per day of olive oil.  I did that and was completely cured.  It was 20 years ago.  SPAIN soaks everything in olive oil which explained why I didn't have any problems there.  

I want to caution anyone with serious GI symptoms not to assume that it is IBS, or stress-related. Nearly 30 years ago I started feeling unwell, which progressed fairly quickly to feeling quite ill. More than one doctor suggested stress or anxiety as the cause. By the time I was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis in my entire colon, I had lost 20 pounds in a month and was very close to losing my colon as well. This was at the end of one of the most relaxed summers I had ever experienced.

Thankfully my UC has never flared anything like that again. I take very expensive medication to help me stay in remission, and I get regular colonoscopies because my risk of colon cancer is elevated. There does not seem to be any diet component to my symptoms nor does stress appear to be an issue—if it were, I would be sick all the time, and I should be hospitalized right now instead of comfortably lounging at home.

I’m not saying not to try home remedies, but at a certain point you really need to see a doctor, and maybe a second doctor if the first one doesn’t take you seriously.

I think its lovely that so many caring people here are offering help and hope to those suffering from seriously painful and  problematic digestive "gut" issues.

Many here have a wide variety of diagnosed issues as do many in my extended family.  One extended family member went through every test, second and third oponions of a variety of health practioners.

After going gluten free for many months including a totally gluten free kitchen (separate spaces,  foods, measuring,  serving and baking utensils, toasters, pancake griddles, waffle irons--you get the picture what a severe gluten allergy gut issue could require) nothing worked. Even had to give up All alcohol etc. Added allvthe kefirs, fermented foods etc. Again, nothing made a difference. 

They are apparently now doing better knowing they did all they could. At the end all of the specialists went back to the old standby--"stress". 

As our second brain it often mimics our primary one known as our center of pain creating stimuli. Now more than ever we're all realizing what comllex physical beings we truly are where so much right goes so horribly, painfully wrong.

My heart goes out to all of you. As a Reiki/healing touch/healing non-touch/distance you name it practitioner of many decades as well as a avid believer of mind-body medicine through acupuncture and other alternative health practices, different things really seem to work for vastly different conditions and people often without rhyme or reason they can be quite effective even miraculous but for others, nothing seems to process through that old body-brain barrier.

Certainly thinking best thoughts for finding anything that works for each and every person who suffers here. Oh, the painful challenges so many of us suffer from! My love to all of you. May you find peace ???

Anecdotally, I would guess at least a third of what we see in the ED is abdominal pain and related gut issues. Stress is a huge component.

It’s no secret that repression of feelings and “swallowing” of pain and anger sits right in the stomach, leading to ulcers, bleeding, GI tract inflammation, ulcerative colitis, cancers and constipation.

Then there are whole industries devoted to managing GERD and reflux, both homeopathic and Western medicine.

More than anyone wanted to hear from me this morning, I’m sure. ?

@jeanne-mayell I have been on a low FODMAP diet for many years now. Nothing else was working for me! I found it on my own - the GI doc I had just wanted to keep running colonoscopies and endoscopies for me only to be diagnosed with IBS and then not really given any solutions at all.

@lowtide posted:

"Then there are whole industries devoted to managing GERD and reflux, both homeopathic and Western medicine.

More than anyone wanted to hear from me this morning, I’m sure. ?"

Haha @lowtide

And then  @seaturtle26 saying

"I have been on a low FODMAP diet for many years now. Nothing else was working for me! I found it on my own - the GI doc I had just wanted to keep running colonoscopies and endoscopies for me only to be diagnosed with IBS and then not really given any solutions at all."

Yep. You two nailed big pieces of the puzzle that is seeking medical help today!

I was busy writing, editing, and adding more and more to my original post before you where frankly that was my very long way of getting to points you both were writing in a couple of sentences and a lot less time!

Slow poke me typing with android data 1 bar signal and on my mobile while actively praying my enormous post wouldn't go poof into cyber space without even showing up here at all!

Sometimes Spirit encourages my trying to help others and other times decides we all learn hard lessons best! Oh the stressful challenges of modern life! ???

I suddenly recalled these posts and just wanted to let everyone know I think I got past whatever was going on. I finally went in and got my regular reading, but...there was an issue. After a day or so,  everything settled back down.  I'm now waiting for my doctor to call me and let me know  if he thinks I ought to get that one area removed. Anyway thanks to all for their input.

Forgive the lengthy story I am compelled to tell. May it help someone the way it helped me.
Part 1:

This information has also helped many people in my family who were hospitalized and nothing seemed to work. I am not a doctor. Please take this information as a story.  I am highly sensitive. With that said, I, and many people in my family have had G. I. Symptoms. Antibiotics, though necessary at times wreck havoc on us. When I was in my 40’s I had an acute episode of horrific pressure and pain in my chest that felt like I was having a heart attack. I drove to the hospital and was diagnosed with Gird. It was brought on after taking antibiotics.  None of the medicines worked that they gave me. I was in severe pain for weeks. I had all kinds of tests. But, I was way to young to be having any of that. So...I was walking down the street of my small little beach town and I noticed a basement door that was open with a small sign on the door. It read Health Supplies. I have never noticed this business in our town before. I climbed down the stairs and looked around at a curiously limited vitamin store. I then heard a woman say, may I help you. I told her my symptoms and she already had the bottle of pills next to her that she handed me. She said this will help. I give it to the surfers who have ulcers and they say it works. I asked what was in it, and she said, it’s just vitamin b, zink, and something that I can’t remember. I think it was mastic gum. They were two little orange pills a day and they worked like magic. It took all of 2 days and I felt better. She said to take the pills for a month. It cured me. No Gird for me.  

Part 2: Meanwhile, my young nephew was also having severe vomiting that had landed him in the hospital for days.  He was in and out of the hospital every two months. Doctors had ran test after test. He was in college and his life was completely disrupted for 3 years.  No one could figure out what was wrong with him. One doctor diagnosed him with pancreatitis and told us he was an alcoholic at age 20. They said he was lying when he told them he rarely drank. After all the tests and all the theories there was no solution. So, my sister and I went back to the lady in the Basement. It was only a month later, but the store was completely empty and there was no sign of any business. There was no sign that it ever existed. We were desperate so we asked The neighboring store owners if they knew of this Business and where it might have moved to, anything. No one knew what we were talking about. Cutting to the end, I found something similar to the little orange pills that worked for me. You see, my nephew was on antibiotics for a year and a half. He had broken his collarbone playing football. After that, all of his problems began. He was getting so depressed. There was a product, put out by Now, called Ulcetrol that was similar. It worked! One month later all his  symptoms were gone. He took it for two months. He is now 27. Never been back to the hospital. Ulcetrol’s ingredients are as follows: calcium 70 mg, zinc 8mg, pepsin g (zinc-l-carnosine complex) 37.5 mg, mastic gum 100mg, slippery elm bark 100mg. 

Ulcetrol no longer exists. Now has since changed the formula slightly. It is now called Gastro Comfort: zinc 5mg, pepsin gi 37.5mg, mastic gum 50mg, aloe Vera 50mg, slippery elm bark 100mg. 

I have found that this new formula does not work as well. So, I usually double the dose. I also take a good vitamin b complex. I sincerely hope that this information helps anyone experiencing antibiotic irritation of the stomach lining. I hand out bottles of this stuff and always have 6 on hand.