Debilitating Reflux and Discomfor
#353625 - 12/30/09 05:07 PM
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Recently had an endoscopy and my doctor said everything was normal, but there was a small area of inflammation in the small bowel. Ive been experiencing constant upper GI fullness, discomfort, bad taste & mucous in my throat after meals.
Im considerably underweight and am already on a limited diet since i cant eat gluten, eggs, soy or dairy. Now I have to cut out more foods because they are bothering my upper GI. I'm wasting away!
I feel truly hopeless..like my digestion keeps getting worse and worse. I was on a candida diet, took some meds for parasites and also on probiotics and digestive enzymes. I thought all of this would help but I feel worse than ever. Strangely enough my mental health has been better & i am sleeping very well at night and have a lot of energy, but i cant eat anything and if i stray from a very strict and bland diet or even eat out in a restaurant my system will flare up. is there anything I can do? I also cant workout cause it seems to aggrave my upper GI symptoms
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BUMP
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Hi Jason - I'm so sorry that you're having such a hard time. I have some thoughts to share with you. I too suffered from horrible reflux/heartburn/indigestion. Two things seemed to really help me: A DGL supplement (that's licorice root) 20 minutes before eating breakfast and dinner, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 15-30 minutes before each meal. Licorice root tea and ginger tea or chews also work really well to relieve the upper GI symptoms you describe. Stay away from antacids including rolaids, tums, and acid blockers such as Pepcid or Prilosec. These are actually counter productive - even if they help, they tend to cause a rebound of acid later on, so you actually feel worse.
Can I ask why you are not eating gluten, eggs, soy, and dairy? I ask because I spent about 4 months on an extremely restricted diet trying to control my IBS and upper GI symptoms with no relief. I recently went back to eating more normally and I feel about the same, but certainly no worse. My point is, perhaps it isn't necessary to be on such a restricted diet, especially if you are still having so many symptoms and because you are so thin. I have to watch my weight too - I've dropped about 7 pounds in the last month. I find it hard to eat because I am queasy and sick feeling so much of the time.
The last thing I want to share is something I've learned about IBS and other GI symptoms that have no apparent physical cause. I read this book called "The Divided Mind" by Dr. John Sarno, which discusses a controversial theory that many chronic health problems including chronic back pain and IBS actually have an emotional origin in the mind. Now I realize you said your mental health seems good, but the fact that your physical symptoms are so bad tells me there is something troubling going on in your unconscious mind. Even if you feel skeptical, I highly recommend reading the book with an open mind. See if you see yourself in the pages. As I read it, I kept thinking that Dr. Sarno was describing me and all of sudden my body's constant need for uncomfortable physical symptoms became very clear to me.
I hope this helps. I know what's it like to feel hopeless - I still wonder if I will ever feel better. But all we can do is keep learning and trying things.
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Jen, what are the chews you speak of? Is it ginger chews? Thanks!
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Here they are. Tasty and helpful!!
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Hello Jennifer- Thanks for the insight. I dont eat dairy because i am severely intolerant and I cut out gluten because I am intolerant and may have celiac (have one of the 2 genes and my stool antibody tests were positive)- waiting on biopsy results. I feel like part of my problem is definitely in my mind and eating has become a whole psychological thing with me...is it safe to eat this? does this have gluten? even if its gluten free is there something else in there that isnt good for me? etc, etc. , but I feel like i need to start feeling physically better before the mental stuff balances out. Also my colon is so sensitive that if i stray from my diet even slightly everything gets messed up. since the holidays i have been having constipation with narrow stools and colon spasms, all because i was a bit more liberal with food while I was home for xmas. I even had some treats at a gluten free bakery and something in them triggered a reaction. as for the reflux, lately it seems like fruits are the problem which leads me to believe I might have a fructose intolerance, so im backing off on certain fruits for a while. its just ongoing insanity and something as simple as eating is ruining my life. anyway, thanks for your feedback and if you have more please write back
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Thanks Frygirl. Do they help with the reflux or just your nausea?
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