Suffering and Lost! Help!

[btfan]

Hi all, I am 29 and M. My story is a bit long so please bear with me. I have been having frequent off-on stomach issues throughout the years but i push it aside as consequence of bad eating habits until the last 6 months where it started to become really serious.

For the first few months of this year 2012, I have been suffering from random crippling intense stomach pains and nausea for about once a month that lasted for 2-6 hours each time. Since these episodes got better after 1-3 days, I initially thought it was just food poisoning though it was something which I have never experienced before.

However, the moment of truth came during the first week of April 2012 where I started to experience severe nausea and stomach bloating sensation (no sharp pain this time) whenever I had a meal, even light ones without fail. After a few days of this, I went to see a gastro specialist who did a stomach scope, ultrasound and a biopsy. Turns out I was having minor chronic gastritis and duodenal ulcers. I was tested negative for H. Pylori and there are no symptoms of acid reflux. He explained to me that the symptoms I’m having is most likely caused by too much stomach acid.

So I was advised to avoid acidic foods and was prescribed with prevacid (a PPI) amongst others to deal with the situation. It helped for about 2 weeks where I could stomach a bit more solid food within 2 weeks without experiencing the usual symptoms of nausea or bloating. Problem is, I’m starting to experience the following new symptoms which I suspect is a side effect of the medicines I’m taking:

1. loss of appetite
2. constant aching sensation just below my left rib
3. weird swollen feeling in the left and right abdomen
4.intense aching sensation of the whole abdomen as a whole
5. depression
6. random episodes of nausea even before eating
7. random episodes of stomach pains

All these symptoms were too much to bear so I decided to stop all medication at the beginning of May 2012. The only relief is my symptoms have definitely become lesser in intensity and not as frequent but it is still there.

The main problem is I feel my situation has gone back to square one since I am now unable to eat much or even drink much water without feeling uncomfortable. My diet for the last 2 weeks has been mainly liquid and in extremely small quantity like a few spoon of porridge or a piece of cracker or two which is not enough for me. So I get to choose either starving myself or risk another attack episode though I still do not have any appetite.

When I attempted a bit of solid food for yesterday lunch (just a few spoon of rice with some steamed chicken), I was hit with an intense stomach bloating sensation that lasted the whole day! Every time I get one of these attacks (whether it’s the nausea, pain or the bloating sensation), the discomfort is so crippling that I am unable to move or do anything else during the entire duration! I was just sitting there counting the seconds and praying it would pass. Imagine getting through the whole day in this condition!

At this stage, I’m wondering whether is there a cure for whatever I’m suffering from and is all these really normal symptoms of chronic gastritis or ulcer? Or too much stomach acid? My only hope is that it can heal on its own but judging from current progress, I just don’t know anymore.

[dmgstar]

Hi I had severe silent reflux and gastritus. I started jamie kaufmans diet, Do not eat vinegar or fermented foods. Lot of probiotics. Usually acid reflux is being caused by the opposite too little stomach acid, depending on your age. Anti acids are only to be used a short time to heal esophagus. They actually make things worse. And it may not even be gerd you are suffering from. You need to go to other docs and have more test. Something else may be wrong. It turns out I actually have Lyme which was causing 90 per cent of my stomach issues. The severe pain doesn't seem right to me. Insist that you see a specialist. Jamie Kaufman also has a clinic in Ny, called the voice institute. She is a specialist in gerd.When I had gastritis I was constantly throwing and going to the bathroom simultaneously. Cramping and pain.

[patient915]

The second endoscopy would be to see if the gastris and ulcers have resolved.

[btfan]

I did two test for the H. Pylori. The blood test and also a stomach biopsy. It's quite unlikely that after all that, I could be having H. Pylori.

May I know what would the second endoscopy for?

[patient915]

Well that is very strange.  I would still recommend you get a repeat endoscopy.  And also probably retest for H Pylori during the endoscopy in case the last result was a false negative.

[btfan]

No I did not. I'm never a drinker or a smoker. That's why I'm surprised I am hit severely by this issue.

[patient915]

Welcome to the gastroenterology community!  Do you take asprin or other anti-inflammatories?  How much alcohol do you drink?  I would recommend you talk to your doctor about having a repeat endoscopy.