Sudden onset, stomach distress, and inability to eat.

Hi,
If you have SIBO it is unlikely you can beat it without medication. I have had no luck at stopping it when I first realize I'm heading into SIBO. Sudden change of diet and trying to starve it out have all proved ineffective with me. It is an infection/ bug that needs to be killed off. That is why I keep a supply at hand, I'm just grateful that these meds work for me. Had they not it would be a completely different ball game, out of my financial reach, expensive to say the least.
I'm unable to medicate diabetes and high blood pressure, having just finished trialing the last known BP medication available to me with disastrous results and finished all diabetes meds 1 month ago including all insulins with again disastrous results. I don't mind and understand not everyone can be medicated. I get more than a little annoyed at Dr's who resort to the psychological tag when they can't get a grip that medication and me don't do well. They fail to realise that side effects are only the ones that have been reported. For the few of us that find side effect that are not on the list it must be psychological, right! Seems to be the favoured reasoning with their inability to treat me. Fortunately my wife understands how I react to medication, usually I become something even I don't want to be, she insists on being present at all my Dr's appointments. It is interesting how quickly they back track with my wife's testimony and my results of meticulous monitoring to prove my point. I get tired of proving what drug companies should have done when testing medication for everyone, not just those who can tolerate their concoctions.
Autonomic polyneuropathy means all my nervous systems are corrupted. Some permanent while other come and go daily at their pleasure. My entire digestive system is corrupted, I have problems from long term high glucose levels, PN and sky high blood pressure CSVD but I still function as best I can. Without warning Autonomia can kill me instantly, sounds bad, but yet I carry on because we all die sooner or later so why concern myself about what I can't control or medicate. I work through each day as it comes trying to ignore it and suppress it, putting it out of my mind. I push myself everyday to do better because I can't just give up, that's not in my nature and I won't allow it while I have a choice.
Cheers

Wow, I finally found autonomia - it was actually under dysautonomia. That’s awful. I have never heard of that before. And I’m hoping I don’t have SIBO because I think you’re right; it’s probably not going to go away unless I do something. I think it is possible though that I have stress related diverticulitis.
I totally hear you about doctors not believing you when you tell them that you have side effects that they’re not familiar with. That happens to me all the time! I’m super sensitive to things and I have to take a lower dose than other people and I get allergic to things very quickly, but doctors never believe me. I’ve had some of them tell me that I couldn’t possibly have felt whatever they gave me because of the low-dose, but they’re absolutely wrong. And yes, then they try to act like you’re crazy and you should see a psychiatrist. Oh my God, I hate that! To be honest, I thought maybe they were more likely to do that to women than to men. But I guess it’s an equal opportunity area. And yes, the pharmaceutical companies couldn’t care less about us. Everything’s money, money, money.
I salute you for having the courage to get through each day without thinking about what could possibly happen, but then, really, do any of us know what could happen? There are no guarantees. 7 1/2 years ago, one night I kissed my husband and he went into his bedroom (we had to sleep apart because his legs were jerking and we had no idea that it was from Parkinson’s) and two hours later, he woke up psychotic and never regained his sanity. He was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia with Parkinson’s from his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, where he did not want to go, but where he was drafted. He was sick for four years and then passed away. And four years ago my only niece, who was only 50 years old, died from a sudden heart attack. Well, I’m being cheery. Sorry about that. I’m just saying that you might as well live every day to the fullest, because, who knows. I remember this quote I read from a poet, who said, “Live every moment as if you have forever and every day as if it’s your last.”
Sounds like pretty good advice to me.
I’m sorry you have to deal with all you’re going through and if there’s a chance in hell that you can get better, I wish that for you. Thank you for sharing.

Hi,
I only deal with a day when I wake up and have little thought of tomorrow as who knows I may not wake up. PCB, agent orange has done a lot of damage. I was poisoned with PBB a close relative to PCB. I still don't know what if any affect it is having on my life. I average 4 hours sleep per night, am a restless sleeper and found it better to get my own bed so my wife could get a normal nights sleep. To be honest I never knew shuch a disease existed until I was told, thank the lord for Dr google. Initially panic set in but the realisation that there is no cure and no treatment sobered me up. with each new challenge I try to push through it or work around it. I have learnt how to deal with stress, just don't stress, simple apparently, but for me elusive.
I'm loaded with stress at the moment with having to down size a 4 bedroom and 4 car garage half of which I have an engineering and woodwork shop, into a retirement villa with 2 small rooms and a small single garage. I never realised two people could collect so much "stuff" all valuable when you need it, otherwise clutter. I didn't have to move but with maintainance becoming harder for me to do and the dexterity of a watchmaker fading it is the right thing to do for my wife. I look forward to sitting contemplating my naval!
I have had my heart checked so many times it dare not play up. I have given up calling ambo's as they just want to cart me off to the ED who apply the bandaid of no help and send me on my way. I have an enlarged heart which they all panic over but when it has been pumping high blood pressure all it's adult life, like all exercised muscles it got bigger, what a surprise. At least without a word of a lie I can claim to be big hearted! I'm considering taking a leaf out of all my Dr's books, out of sight out of mind, problem cured! Take these two pills and don't call me again. My Gastrologist has been the only one who has tried his best and had to admitt defeat, but he is of the same opinoin as me. If it feels good eat it, there are no rules when you can't tolerate the so callled tolerable foods for IBS.
Don't be sorry for me, I'm managing ok for now. It is like I know no different, I'm guessing it is what people who are born blind feel, no idea of what sight might be like.
Cheers

I’m so sorry you were poisoned as well. I suppose we all are to some extent, but when it’s really severe, it can sure cause all kinds of physical problems. What a crazy world we live in.
I just finished reading a library book called the most effective natural cures on earth by Jonny Bowden. He had some interesting ideas and I was just wondering if there was anything in there about detoxing. I just took it back to the library, or I would look in there for you.
I hear you about the decluttering. This fall I will have lived in this house for 27 years; my husband and I moved in here two months before we got married, so I have all of his stuff to deal with, and I swear to God, he had every tool on earth and was prepared for every eventuality. I also have my mom’s stuff. She passed away in 2011. Every time I go down in the basement to try to work on it, my heart sinks, and I turn around and come back upstairs. The garage is stuffed, every closet is stuffed - I certainly don’t remember buying all this, but my husband and I both tended to cling onto things. Sometimes I’ll pull a shirt out of a drawer that I haven’t worn in 20 years and start wearing it again though.
I just came back from an appointment at a gastroenterology clinic where I finally gave in and decided to go because my friends were all nagging at me to do something, but I was so disappointed at the lack of questioning. They don’t even ask you what you eat or about the rest of your life - it’s just so narrow. Of course they want to do a colonoscopy and some kind of a CT scan that looks at your blood vessels or something. I’ll do the CT scan, although I just had one in December, but not that certain kind I guess, but I’m not sure about the colonoscopy. It’s been about 13 years since I had one, so I might do this one more. But I really feel I would be better off with a functional medicine doctor who will ask what I’m eating and what kind of vitamins I’m taking, etc. Too bad they’re so expensive!
A friend of mine just found out she has an enlarged heart – she’s 70 and had no idea. I don’t know if she has high blood pressure or not. You would think that’s something they would find when you were younger, but I never thought about the fact that they just enlarge as you grew. I don’t know if I mentioned that my niece passed away from an enlarged heart, but she had had a heart condition since she was born and she was over-exercising and lost 30 pounds in a short amount of time and she knew she wasn’t supposed to be doing that. She was trying to keep her husband who wasn’t happy in the relationship, but she lost herself instead. Oh well. Tough lesson to learn.
Take care, and I hope life gets easier for both of us in the future. Good luck with your downsizing. I hope to be doing that soon. But in the meantime, the horror! 😩

Hi,
I'm not a fan of detoxing as the body does that just fine all by itself. If you need to detox then the body is not doing its job. I keep up with my vitamin B12 and D3 with a multivitamin by prescription. The I have Omeprazole and a couple other meds to try and keep the stomach in line, not very successfully though, with chronic constipation happening. I've had several 'oscopies both ends and always without sedatives. Never again, the last one was rather nasty. I think Dr's have mostly lost the art of asking relevant questions. I'd go so far as to say some have the cure for you before you tell them the problem. It frustrates me that they don't delve deeper into the problems you have and expect a pill will cure it all.
I moved away from US in late 1979 and set up home here in New Zealand. For me health care is mostly free or subsidized with all hospital referrals free, even my local ambulance service is free. My Doc charges me 20$ a visit and I walk away feeling I have just made up her weekly pay packet and not much more!
I have been wearing out Dr's regularly since this all kicked off, as I won't put up with the nonsense they try to put across. I hold them to account and am accomplished at scoring black marks against my name. I won't let anything go until I get a resolution. It is kind of hard to push for help when I know there can be none, but I still try as there is always hope. The most important thing I have learnt is to deal with each and every problem as it presents, don't let it fester and get worse, you can do irreparable damage trying to be stoic and put up with it. I'm a fine one to talk, exactly as I did and now where am I, up the proverbial creek without my paddle!
Take care.
Cheers

@blessedwildapplegirl every capsule bottle/package I have read says capsules are not to be opened up … perhaps taking only a part of a capsule opened up could be the cause of your problem …?

I’m glad to hear you’re taking vitamin B 12. I’m not a fan of those proton pump inhibitors and I’m sure you probably know all about them already, but they put my mom on those and once you get on them, it’s difficult to get off because you can have a rebound effect if you try to stop. After I read that you’re more likely to break a hip or have another kind of bone fracture while you’re on those, I tried to take my mom off them, but she had severe acid reflux when she stopped the drug and we had to put her back on, and guess what? First one hip broke - she didn’t fall and break it, it broke and then she fell. She had just gotten done with physical therapy for that hip, and was starting to walk again when her other hip cracked and she fell again and then was in a wheelchair. The rest of her life was hell for the next three years because they had to drug her – it’s a long story. She was very unhappy. It was horrible. Plus she got different infections in her gastrointestinal tract because she didn’t have enough acid. Again, I’m sure you only take that because you have to because it sounds like you’re not a big fan of prescription medicine and I’m sure you have read the side effects. I’m sorry you have to take it though.
I went to see the specialist today, and I knew what they were going to say before they even said anything and sure enough, they want to do an endoscopy and a colonoscopy and they wanted me to schedule right away and I said no, let me think about it. They didn’t even ask me what I eat or my lifestyle or any other questions. It was astounding. But was I surprised? No. You’ve got their number, too. That’s all they know how to do anymore.
You’re lucky to be in New Zealand though. That sounds like a great system. The US is so screwed up - I’m sure you know that.
I take B12 and vitamin D3 also. And zinc and vitamin C. I need to start taking some lutein and zeaxanthin because I’m getting macular degeneration. The last eye doctor I saw was so rude that she wouldn’t even tell me if I had wet or dry when I asked her. She said, “come in for your cataract surgery first and then we’ll talk.” I didn’t even know I had cataracts until she said that. I don’t think I’ll go back there. Although my sister and my late husband, both had eye surgery there and they came out fine, so maybe it was just that one doctor.
I think I might try to find myself a good naturopath or functional medicine doctor, although I might do the CAT scan this woman recommended because it was a different kind - something about your arteries. I never know for sure what to do. I do know, though that if my food is sitting in my stomach for 12 hours having trouble getting digested, I’m going to start drinking apple cider vinegar with my meals rather than taking an antacid. Hey, have you ever tried that? I’ve heard of other people doing that, but I haven’t tried it yet. it makes sense though.
Remember, the good old days when we could take eating for granted? I’ve always had IBS, but for the most part I ate pretty well. I hope you did, too. Take care.

PS. Sorry to go on so long. I forgot why I was responding. I just wanted to let you know that I have never done detoxing either because it sounds kind of weird and scary. I think you’re right that the body does it fine just by itself. I went out so long I forgot my point! 😁

I don’t think that was the problem because I never did take a full capsule. I’m very sensitive to stuff, so I always take less than recommended. I used those capsules for years and years that way, and then they changed an ingredient or something I think, and it reacted differently with me - either that or my body had some bad bacteria that was dying off and making me sick. It was the same with the yogurt: I literally ate it every day for three years and it didn’t bother me and then all of a sudden it makes me sick! I don’t get it. I think there are some things that you’re not supposed to open up because you don’t want them to be in your upper stomach, but I think it’s OK for probiotics. (not sure about that though - I know we have more stomach acid in our upper stomach than we do lower, so maybe that’s a factor, but I have a phobia about swallowing capsules due to something that happened to me when I was a teenager, so I try to avoid them!) actually, I have a phobia pretty much about trying anything new, which is very limiting, but sometimes I can get my courage up because I have to. Thanks for the idea though!

Hi,
I'm pretty much stuck on my minimal diet as a simple mouthful of filtered water can set the stomach off. Occasionally my see food diet gets the better of me but essentially I stick with wholemeal bread max 6 slices 2 slices shaved ham, the kind you can see through, and 6 cups of tea week per day. I may alternate out bread for two eggs. Weekends I try to get some veggies in with a samll portion of chicken grilled. Never enough food to be satisfied and in constant hunger. I use prunes, laxatives and canned peaches for relief although only mildly successful. My stamina is slowly declining and rely on my will power to get things done now. If I eat more than my diet I have to substitues something out or face severe reflux that strips the lips of some skin. Because my digestion is so slow I'm limited to the total amount of food or fluid I can take per day. I would think due to what I have had to do the stomach is probably shrunk by now not helping my situation any.
I wake up each day with the feeling of acid eating away my stomach, down my usual cup of tea which initially hurts but then starts to sooth the gut, If I go 3 hours without something in the stomach I'm back to the acid feeling. So I regularly down a cup of tea every 2 hours. Stress out and I'm back to square one. I eat food which I'm not supposed to be able too and equally I 'm unable to eat some foods that are supposed to be good for IBS. Fodmap was a joke to me. One thing I know I shouldn't eat but enjoy and find it helps sooth the gut when it starts to kick off it Gingernuts, 2 or4 a day. If I let my eyes run away with food I'm in trouble shortly after.
Well gotta cut this short need to get moving to get my tri monthly bloods done.
Cheers