Really bad gastrointestinal problems. Possible gasritis, ulcers. Please help!

[Lmarie3157]

I REALLY need some help here. I have been feeling sick every day since last October 2008. I feel nautious all the time and my stomach always hurts. I have been to a couple docs. They think I have gastritis and have been tested for H pylori but that came back neg. Everything I eat and drink besides water upsets my stomach.

I have an endoscopy sceduled for this Sat. so hopefully I can get a diagnosis. My main question is...has anyone had this happen to them?? Feel sick ALL the time for months from acid problems??

Anything will help! I just don't want to feel like I'm going through this alone anymore. Thanks.

[Matthew007]

well least you got some diagnosis at least :) that's hopeful, i've had 2 endoscopes and nothing but a slight hint of gastritis only shows up..

i've read that it ...rarely requires surgery only if all else fails but usually you go on a acid reducer of some sort (protonix/nexium/acidphex whatever) and uuuusuallly you feel better but that *****.  Sounds like you somehow pulled your stomach higher than it should be past the ....can't think of the word..muscle that helps us breath.  (as you can see i'm not the best expert at it...but that's what I remember from researching it)

well least you have hope..some poor folks do not get any diagnosis so - that would explain your nausea for sure.  (and ps, yes it's nice doing and endoscope getting knocked out..room spins and *gone* easy peasy)

[Lmarie3157]

Hey Matthew,

So I had my endoscopy this morning.  Went a lot smoother than I thought it would.  The doc told me I have a hiatal hurnia.  I read up about it but it doesn't really seem like the symptoms I'v been having.  Do you know anything about the hurnias?  I've read that I probably need to get surgery.  I'm kinda bummed that I didn't get any information out of my doctor.  I just don't get if what I have had the whole time was a hiatal hurnia then why does everything I eat and drink make me feel sick?

I'm not even sure you know about this stuff but you sure do know a lot about other things on here so I was just wondering! :)

[Matthew007]

ps -just a heads up you won't see improvement usually for days.. sometimes weeks or if it's celiac it'll take months :S so hopefully it' s not celiac disease :S but don't give up on the diet...and maybe do a safe fiber like physillium husk.. generally well tolerated..gives you gas but it'll regulate you a little bit better.

[Matthew007]

You're welcome! hope it works.. I didn't believe it either I was totally blowing off the idea that it was food related because nobody else in my family has any problems with food but sure enough soon as I went soy free dairy free..I started feeling better.  I was totally sold on it being soy but then I realized that it might be the syrup so it's a total frustrating diet that really *****.  You're going to be robbing your body of vitamins so i'd get a safe gluten free vitamin for sure (get on the web and search for a safe one)

I also deal with anxiety..it's a common symptom of food intolerances (including insomnia/depression) so hopefully it's something simple.  When I started the diet I went of casein/lactose and would eat eggs for breakfast, salads with a safe gluten free dairy free dressing and then for dinner i'd eat turkey/chiken/meat/rice whatever..and just snarf it down since I wasn't eating very much.  It's hard :S...but like I said you could try some more tests if you have $$$/insurance so you don't have to go through the hassle like I am and do the breath tests..that might save you on a few steps.  But I have for SURE seen improvement in the nausea/anxiety department going off things just not sure what the culprit is..(celiac maybe??)

anyway thanks hope we both get feeling better!  I'm going bonkers too.. I know the feeling..frustrating!

[Lmarie3157]

Hey Matthew,

What I have could totally be a food allergy I think.  I thought I was lactose intolerant because milk and cheese adn things like that hurt my stomach so bad.  I thought maybe I don't though because the doctor did a blood test and it came back negative.  She tested me a bunch of times for  a million things but nothing came back positive.  Also, I have acid reflux so I'm pretty sure my problem has to do with acid in my stomach.  Could be a food allergy though.  I think I take your advice and go on that diet you talked about.  Not long ago for a week I went on a super bland diet and it made my stomach feel much better than it has but it's so hard to do so when you are out with friends and stuff.

I really hope you start feeling better soon and we all start feeling better soon!  Thanks for sharing, I really appreciate any information I can get because I'm going crazy here!  

[Lmarie3157]

Thanks for responding!  Yeah I think what caused these issues is the constant anxiety attacks I had for about 2 years.  After I got better with my anxiety I was left with this stomach mess.  I have tried omeprozol which im pretty sure is prilosec.  That didn't do anything for for and now I have been on Nexium for about 4 months and that hasn't helped either.  I'v tried tums and others but nothing seems to help :(  

[Matthew007]

Hey Marie, cute penguins..

I just thought i'd share, I blew all my life savings on GI specialists/kidney specialists/urologists/doctors..the whole bit.  I think it's a good idea to do the endoscope regardless but maybe this will save you some financial stress and frustration...been sick since Oct. 2005.

But I found out that there's really no for sure test for food intolerances.  The RAST blood test is about 50% accurate.  Usually they happen after an infection of some kind or antibiotics but you now could be celiac/fructose intolerant/lactose intolerant/gluten intolerant... you name it, so maybe going to an allergist to get tested or just going on a food elimination diet would help.  I thought I had an ulcer too and got tested a few times for h. ploryi, and celiac (both were negative) but since I went on this food elimination diet i'm now slowly coming around.  Takes time but if you're sitting around waiting for tests you might as well do it.  A good safe diet is to go on turkey/white rice/eggs/meats/veggies and a good gluten free multivitamin and see any improvement in 2 weeks (celiacs take months..) but it's worth a shot and it might save you from living with parents and broke like moi.

good luck on your test, but i'd ask about celiac and maybe get a breath test for lactose/fructose.  All 3 of those cause stomach and nausea pain.  Mine was constant 24/7 nausea and I also had anxiety..face flush..tiredness but couldn't sleep...upper abdominal pain.  I'm not cured yet and I think mine could be fructose intolerance *shrugs* but I'm for sure on to something and have improved since doing the diet..now I just gotta figure out which one it is.  Hang in there!

[mammo]

Hi, you are not alone and a lot of us have experienced this.  There are many things that can cause this, even depression, stress, an ulcer, etc.  It's rarely serious, and if it were serious after this amount of time, your problems would have worsened by now.  It's good to be having an endoscopy as it will rule out many things. Too much acid is common for making your stomach hurt and causing nausea.  Have you tried any over the counter medications, even just Tums?  I often have stomach pain and nausea, I chew 2-3 tums and I am fine. My son went thru the same thing while depressed over the break-up of his girl friend, eveything made him sick to his stomach.  You're doing the right thing with the endoscopy, and I'm sure it's something simple.  Kudos to you for being so pro-active with your health and staying on top of things!!