New journal...Just when things looked to be better...

[Rose21]

I thought my health issues were getting better, but lately my stomach issues have been quite bad. I already had a clean endoscopy/colonoscopy, except they said I do have a large amount of acid in my stomach. Both my dad and grandma have bad stomach problems.

 

 

Well, for the past few months I've been having to have a bowel movement quite frequently, and I have had lots of nausea. I prob have to make myself sick around 3 times a month, sometimes more, to get it to subside.

 

I'm in Florida now, and have been here for a week visiting my dad. It seems like I can't really eat alot.

 

For instance, today I had a fiber bar, and than ate dinner at an Irish pub. I had half of my pasta, took the rest for left overs. This was nearly 5 hrs ago.

 

I felt immensely full after I ate the pasta, it was only half and that's all I ate! I don't know how, I usualy have quite a healthy appetite.

 

But no, I felt sickly, but felt better later. I've been running to the bathroom alot today, I've been a gas machine too. Can't stop farting. And I just got off my period, so it's not that.

 

But ugh. This is a different kind of stomach pain I have now. It's like a heavy cramping/achy pain centered in the middle of my stomach. A sharp, pulling above my belly button. It hurts alot, and sometimes it makes me crumple over.

 

I just want this to end. Always feeling sick and nauseas when I know I'm not pregnant, eat right and am good health.

 

Why is this happening to me?? I didn't ask for this!

 

Any suggestions you have that could ease this?

[Cognitive_Canine]

Did you ever stop eating milk products for that trial diet?

[Rose21]

Yeah I did.

 

And it didn't make any difference=(

 

Any other suggestions??

[Firiel]

Have you ever thought you might be gluten-intolerant? That's just a shot in the dark...

[Rose21]

Well I have THOUGHT of it, but the doctor doesn't seem to think so.

 

What sort of things have gluten in them, almost everything right? I usualy feel fine with I have stuff like that.

 

I mean, I got really nauseas today when I woke up. It seems I tend to get nauseas when I have to wake up early in the morning. And I hadn't even eaten that morning, so I don't know what the excuse was!

 

I sipped some water in the car and my dad gave me a tums. And than when I got on my first flight, I had some biscof cookies and canada dry on the plane and felt better. After it got later in the day, I had some Starbucks and a sandwhich.

 

I also realized I forgot to take my Lexapro. I just took that not too long ago.

 

Could that have something to do with it

[Rose21]

Again ugh. This is driving me crazy.

 

 

Today for lunch, first thing I had eaten all day I had subway. I had a 6 inch tuna sub on wheat, lite mayo, toasted, baked lays chips, and a peanut butter cookie and some tea to drink.

 

After my friend and I walked around a bit and went into her car I literly felt sick to my stomach. But why?

 

Also, the last few days Ive had to have a bm alot, and there is alwaays orange type of mucus.

 

Gross I know, but I don't know what's going on.

 

I eat healthy, I'm active, I don't do drugs, smoke, or drink and I'm perfectly healthy. So why do I feel nauseas and have these problems ALL the time?!

[greywolf]

Are you under a significant amount of stress?

[Rose21]

No, not really.

 

I've been out of a job for about 2 weeks, so I've had time for myself and to relax. I just got back from Vacation friday.

 

My job was what was GIVING me stress. But now I don't have it, and am in the process of finding a better, less stressful one.

 

So I don't know what it would be.

[Perfect Dark]

Maybe your mind is making your body ill? Your body can convince it's self that it is.

[Rose21]

Yeah, but I know I'm not sick...

[Perfect Dark]

Yeah, but I know I'm not sick...

 

I'm confused. You say you're not sick so what are all the stomach issues about?

[Rose21]

Well I don't know what I would be sick WITH.

 

I'm perfectly healthy otherwise, and I had a clean colonoscopy/endoscopy etc, yet I still have all of these stomach problems.

[tiredofvampires]

What sort of things have gluten in them, almost everything right? I usualy feel fine with I have stuff like that.

 

I think it's really worth a shot that you try a completely gluten-free diet. First, you should have a doctor rule out celiac disease, which is a more obvious form of gluten intolerance. It's genetic, and sometimes doesn't show up until adulthood, but it's when the gluten (a protein) can't be digested, and it irritates and erodes the tissues in the small intestine meant to absorb nutrients. Your small intestine is in the upper portion of your abdomen.

 

A lot of people though don't have celiac disease per se, but are gluten intolerant in that it acts like an allergen. It's REALLY hard to associate symptoms directly with your eating gluten-containing foods. Because gluten is in so many things, you're consuming it a lot, and so you won't be able to make a direct one-to-one correlation between your symptoms and when you ate gluten last. It's just a chronic sort of disturbance.

 

I have more than one healthcare practitioner who has told me that when their patients removed gluten from their diets (try at least a strict 2 month program), they had dramatic results from this. Since your bowel is the site where all your nutrition comes from, and is also the sewer system of your body, if either or both of those are compromised, it's pretty significant for overall health.

 

I've been on a gluten-free (nearly completely) diet for a few months myself, and while it's hard, it isn't impossible. You have to check labels a lot, because it's hidden in regular canned goods, and all sorts of snack items (which aren't really healthy for you anyway.) Anything with wheat, rye, oats, oatmeal and barley will have gluten. So mostly you'll have to avoid things like bread, tortillas, crackers, pasta etc. -- but you can substitute with corn and rice products. All health food stores cater to gluten-free dieters, with gluten-free breads (such as Bread of Life, which is really yummy -- they have a whole gluten free bakery line). Most use rice instead. You can also try interesting grains like quinoa (very easy to cook, takes about 15 minutes on the stovetop) and millet (also found in health food stores). There are all kinds of gluten-free pastas as well, some of which taste very much like the real thing. There are lots of great rice crackers and cakes out there, too. I find eating out the hardest, since so many appetizers involve bread, and sandwiches with regular wheat bread have been a mainstay for me. And I love pasta! But if you get dishes with rice instead, or potatoes of some kind as an alternative starch, then you can still feel you're sated from the carbs. Yams, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, these are all good carb substitutes. So you CAN avoid wheat and gluten. It's more hidden in sauces and prepared foods, like I said.

 

Also, this might be something for you to pursue, as well (this article is from my own doctor's website):

 

link removed

 

Have you been diagnosed with anything by a gastroenterologist like IBS or colitis, as these are things you can't really see sometimes on a scoping? (I'm sorry if I missed that info if you wrote it in a post somewhere else on the thread.)

[tiredofvampires]

 

Also, the last few days Ive had to have a bm alot, and there is alwaays orange type of mucus.

 

This, plus all the nausea could be related to difficulties digesting fats. You might have some malabsorption problems with digesting fats and oils (which can cause the orangey "mucus"), which involves the liver and gall bladder.

 

You're GI doc must have run standard tests to cover this, but you should specifically ask about this.

 

I see a naturopathic physician (the one who wrote that article), because standard medicine tends to overlook a lot of problems that are only identified with standard tests, with a pretty narrow focus. My naturopath looks at less GLARING illnesses with tests that are more sophisticated, though a lot of these are not covered by insurance. If you can find an M.D. who also practices holistic medicine, that's a good route and the tests might be covered then. They're legit tests, but since doctors don't know what to do with the results because there aren't medications/drugs to treat the problems, the whole thing is disregarded.

 

Naturopaths on the other hand identify these things and then make dietary recommendations and give you natural supplements aimed at your problem, to help your body to start functioning more normally. I would consider this seriously if I were you.

[IphigeniaSaysHi]

^I have heard that is a side-effect of the "Alli" weight loss pill- the fats are not digesting... good call tov!

[jengh]

I think ToV has given some excellent tips and Rose, I would seriously consider trying a gluten free diet. Not just for a few days or a week, but as ToV said, a couple of months.

[ghost69]

sounds like you are eating a lot of acid rich foods. tuna salad is usually acidic, also, most pasta dishes have tomato sauce or some kind of acidic sauces on them.

[Rose21]

Well...

 

The doctor DID say that I have a large amount of acid in my stomach and IBS.

 

As for Celiac's she said I didn't have that, because I asked.

 

She thought I just could be lactose intolerant, which I've already ruled out.

 

So because of the acid, and IBS what can I really do for that?

 

Tums usualy help. My dad has them scattered everywhere throughout his house, he has really bad stomach problems and has a condition known as GERD and too, when the acid bile comes up, he has to make himself sick like me.

 

My grandma also has it, and my other grandma was plagued with ulcers and stomach problems. Annnd my moms aunt died of colon cancer.

 

So stomach problems....runs very common on both sides of my families.

[Rose21]

Well I think I may know why I've been feeling so crampy/bloating and have been having stomach problems. Like diahrreah etc.

 

I started my period a week early. I was supposed to start next weds, but I got it tonight? I dont know if it's break through or not, all I know is it's alot of blood where there are clots etc.

 

I just get freaked out because I want to make sure I'm not pregnant! I've never missed a b-control pill, and I've been on my pill for over a year, and this (getting my period a week early) tends to happen every so many months. In other words, it's happened before, and more than once.

 

Is this normal, what could cause this?

 

I haven't been changing my cycle, except I've been having to get up earlier because school has started for me and I'm a little stressed out.

 

Have also been having bad chest pains, around my left breast bone area.

 

Last night I was having horrible stomach pains and it woke me up, I had to take pepto because I didn't know what else to take! It was a different kind of pain, not the nauseas pain that I usualy get when my stomach is bothering me, but an achy sharp pain. Like someone had litterly punched me in my gut, it was throbbing. So I took some pepto, drank some water, and finally it subsided. I've never had that pain before, but the bad chest pains, I tend to have those frequently.

 

So is the having period a week early normal? I am on the pill.

[Jd1983]

I wouldn't worry too much into it. Just be glad that you got your period to begin with. Sometimes, your period can be early or late due to stress, change of diet, lack of sleep etc.

[Rose21]

Well I guess I have all of that lol.

 

-Stress

 

-Diet change

 

-CRAZY sleep schedule, including lack of sleep.

 

I also don't have a very high amount of body fat. Before I was on the birth control pill, I NEVER got a monthly period. I'd get it like once every 2-4 months.

 

It has been this way ever since I started, 12 yrs old.

 

But yeah I've been on my pill for over a year, and I'd say I've prob had the "Get my period a week early" 5-6 times?

 

But the chest pain...Good it hurts! What can I do for that?

[dangletsbang]

Well I guess I have all of that lol.

 

-Stress

 

-Diet change

 

-CRAZY sleep schedule, including lack of sleep.

 

I also don't have a very high amount of body fat. Before I was on the birth control pill, I NEVER got a monthly period. I'd get it like once every 2-4 months.

 

It has been this way ever since I started, 12 yrs old.

 

But yeah I've been on my pill for over a year, and I'd say I've prob had the "Get my period a week early" 5-6 times?

 

But the chest pain...Good it hurts! What can I do for that?

 

 

Chest pain isn't good. If a patient calls our doctors office complaining of chest pain we direct them to the nearest ER. It could be a number of things and we can't diagnose you.

 

Also, IMHO, I think you're too skinny. This could be why you're having issues with your cycle. I would start loading up on healthy fats..grilled fish, chicken, almond or natural peanut butter, raw nuts and also plenty of fiber rich food since you complain of diarrhea a lot.

 

But again, we are just a forum to give advice..we cannot diagose you or cure you. We can give our opinions on what it 'might' be but in reality we have absolutely no idea of what ails you.

 

If your current doc isn't taking you seriously, PLEASE find another one to give you a second opinion. You have a car now after all, so there shouldn't be any issues. Also, if you go to a new doctor..let him know about ALL of your symptoms that affect you.

[Rose21]

Yes I know but the no money situation is every worse than before, I have NO money.

 

I don't think I'm too skinny. I do weigh 115-117. And now I'm all bloaty bleh.

 

But I was complaining of the heart pain to my mom and she thinks it's heart burn. Could it be that? Maybe I should get TUMS, my dad alwaysss uses them.

 

But it didn't feel like heart burn, it was like a chest tightening feeling. It actually felt like I was on the verge of an anxiety/panic attack even though I was fine

[annie24]

have you heard about "The Secret" rose?

 

basically, whatever you think, you bring into your life. all you think about is how sick you are and all these stomach problems. and that's all you have.

 

if i were you, i would work on eating healthy, doing some yoga, relaxing, and thinking about healthy, positive things.

 

i almost get the sense you don't WANT to be healthy, as then you wouldn't have anything to complain about.

[Perfect Dark]

have you heard about "The Secret" rose?

 

basically, whatever you think, you bring into your life. all you think about is how sick you are and all these stomach problems. and that's all you have.

 

if i were you, i would work on eating healthy, doing some yoga, relaxing, and thinking about healthy, positive things.

 

i almost get the sense you don't WANT to be healthy, as then you wouldn't have anything to complain about.

 

I agree, I think she is convincing herself that she is sick; therefore actually being sick because of it.