1. < Digestive Health

Sudden onset, stomach distress, and inability to eat.

Posted by blessedwildapplegirl @blessedwildapplegirl, Apr 20 3:57pm

Hi. I posted a couple of months ago I think. In mid November, I suddenly had a really bad attack of what I thought was irritable bowel, but it went on too long. I had eaten an apple and some coconut milk yogurt, and got severely sick about an hour later and couldn’t eat for a week and then finally was able to eat a little bit, but had terrible diarrhea for a week and went to the ER and they did a CAT scan, and said I had inflammation in my lower bowel, which I could feel because it was burning. I’ve had IBS on my life, but I had never felt like this! then I saw my doctor and he wanted me to take an ad acid, but my food felt like it was sitting in my stomach for 10 to 12 hours, so I said no. He recommended aloe vera gel, and I bought some, but I’m highly allergic to all kinds of things and very sensitive, so I never tried it. The burning was starting to go away, so I didn’t think I needed it. I started blending my food and then I was able to eat a little bit more and fast forward to five months later and for the past three weeks I’ve been eating pretty normally, although still blending about half of my food, and I’m always on a bland, mushy diet since they removed my gallbladder in 2012. Well, the other day, I stupidly, decided to try some more coconut milk yogurt, the same exact kind of triggered my stomachache five months ago! Guess what? I was in massive pain all night and I tried to eat half an avocado this morning and I’m in pain and I think I’m gonna go without eating again and I’m scared because I only weigh 82 1/2 pounds. I’m 5 foot four. I can’t believe I did that again. Has anybody else experienced that? When I googled it, it looks like I might have SIBO and the probiotics in the yogurt triggered it. I’m scheduled to go to a gastroenterology clinic this Tuesday and I didn’t want to go because I don’t want to take a bunch of pills or have a bunch of tests. I can’t believe I was feeling better and I screwed it up by eating the yogurt. I’ve also been under a lot of stress lately, but it’s never been like this except for that thing that happened in November. I also had some sleep difficulties when this first came on and I googled it and it’s possible you can get Covid in your stomach (I know someone that happened to) and I had been in a car with someone five days before I got sick, so I thought I might have long Covid. I stupidly didn’t test myself when I first got sick because I’m here alone and I was afraid I would panic. Yes, I’m very anxious. I just wondered if anybody else had reacted to probiotics that way. I was taking probiotic capsules, but they started upsetting my stomach, so I stopped them. Does anyone else suffer from SIBO? Does it sound like what this could be? I’m so scared I’m gonna lose more weight. I can’t believe I was just starting to feel better and had been actually going out of the house which I hadn’t been doing for months because I was so weak. I feel like an idiot. Thank you for any help anybody can offer.

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blessedwildapplegirl | @blessedwildapplegirl | 2 days ago
In reply to @rashida "@blessedwildapplegirl and @cheyne like you two, I am averse to prescription medications, much to my doctors’..." + (show)
@rashida

@blessedwildapplegirl and @cheyne like you two, I am averse to prescription medications, much to my doctors’ chagrin. I often worry that my refusal to take prescribed medications (I only do when desperate, and only for as short a period of time as possible) will get me “fired” by my GP and any specialist she sends me to, and in Canada one cannot afford to lose a doctor since there is a much shorter list of available doctors than there are patients on waiting lists for them. 🤷🏼‍♀️ So I essentially pick my battles and choose which hill to die on - while I hold my breath when visiting my doctor or specialist, hoping I will not be prescribed anything! lol.

While I have built up a strong threshold to pain on my health journey, for certain procedures I still actually beg for freezing or anaesthesia! lol. Other than that, the only “bad” medications I take on a regular basis are just once a day medications for GERD (because of hiatal hernia), thyroid, psoriasis and overactive bladder. I have fibromyalgia and severe arthritis among other ailments but refuse prescription painkillers - especially any that have to be taken more than once a day. I just thank God I don’t have diabetes or heart disease because that would mean a much bigger list of medications!

Jump to this post

I hear you on doctors handing out prescriptions! May I ask what the symptoms of your hiatal hernia were, and how they diagnosed it? Last night I had such terrible stomach distress, and when I pressed on the very top of my stomach, where I think my esophagus ends, it really hurt. My mom had one of those. Plus, she had colon cancer when she was about 65. She lived through it though.
I’m sorry you have to deal with all that. I’m lucky I have a primary care physician who is understanding and doesn’t get angry with me when I don’t take the things he suggests. But I know I frustrate him. But I’ve had some doctors walk out on me. It’s terrible. I like the way you put it: (although it’s sad, of course.) you have to choose the hill you want to die on. I get it! It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. I suppose there are pluses and minuses to having government supplied healthcare. It sounds good, but I have heard there are long waiting lists. Although to get into my doctor now is about a six month wait. It didn’t used to be that way.
Take care of yourself and thanks for sharing. 💕

REPLY
1 reply
blessedwildapplegirl | @blessedwildapplegirl | 2 days ago
In reply to @pjrj "Good morning, you probably need to wait for suggestions on diet and over the counter meds..." + (show)
@pjrj

Good morning, you probably need to wait for suggestions on diet and over the counter meds until your gastroenterologist appointment. Just continue to eat bland foods until that time. Please stay away from the yogurt and coconut milk!😊

Jump to this post

I swear, I’ll never touch coconut milk yogurt again! Which is a shame because I’m on a limited diet and I loved it. Oh well, nothing is worth feeling this bad. I learned my lesson! I can’t believe I ate it again after it triggered such a terrible stomachache in me that last five months. Although I wasn’t 100 sure it was that, but I was about 90% sure. So much for listening to my voice of reason which told me I should probably not try it again! I do eat a very bland diet. I’ve been on one since they removed my gallbladder in 2012. It’s not fun, but I’m actually happy if I can eat anything, so I enjoy my food even though it’s bland and mushy. At least it’s food! Thank you for your support.

REPLY
rashida | @rashida | 1 day ago
In reply to @blessedwildapplegirl "I hear you on doctors handing out prescriptions! May I ask what the symptoms of your..." + (show)
@blessedwildapplegirl

I hear you on doctors handing out prescriptions! May I ask what the symptoms of your hiatal hernia were, and how they diagnosed it? Last night I had such terrible stomach distress, and when I pressed on the very top of my stomach, where I think my esophagus ends, it really hurt. My mom had one of those. Plus, she had colon cancer when she was about 65. She lived through it though.
I’m sorry you have to deal with all that. I’m lucky I have a primary care physician who is understanding and doesn’t get angry with me when I don’t take the things he suggests. But I know I frustrate him. But I’ve had some doctors walk out on me. It’s terrible. I like the way you put it: (although it’s sad, of course.) you have to choose the hill you want to die on. I get it! It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. I suppose there are pluses and minuses to having government supplied healthcare. It sounds good, but I have heard there are long waiting lists. Although to get into my doctor now is about a six month wait. It didn’t used to be that way.
Take care of yourself and thanks for sharing. 💕

Jump to this post

@blessedwildapplegirl oh wow … do you mean you sometimes have to wait a month to see your primary care physician?? The longest I have had to wait is about ten days, but if the receptionist thinks my problem needs to be taken care of sooner (they always ask what you want to see the doctor about) she will fit me in sooner - or I can ask her (and any specialist office) to put me on their cancellation list if they have one, to get an earlier appointment.

For specialists however, there can be anywhere from three to six months’ wait - if one is interested in taking on your case because of their full patient load! I suspect they are not interested in those who don’t warrant surgery or extensive treatment (read: if the government health plan does not think it is necessary or it is too expensive so will not pay for it) - but that’s just my take on it. One prime example is a woman who needed a specific medication to combat the rare cancer she had. She was refused the payment for it, and she certainly couldn’t pay for it. End result, she died. Then then the government made an about turn on the need for the medication but it was too late for her. Her months long fight, however, has benefitted future sufferers of that cancer - but at what cost to her!?

My GERD is caused by a hiatal hernia. The reflux I get can be severe enough to make it feel like I am having a heart attack because I can get chest pains that radiate into my jaw and back. After several cardiac tests a cardiologist prescribed nitroglycerin spray as needed because he thought I might have angina. The tablets did ease the pain. One day I went out without my spray and one of those attacks. Desperate, I went into a store and asked for a glass of water. Within minutes the pain subsided! The next time I got the pain I took a few sips of water and again the pain eased off, so that’s what I decided to do each time. I told my physician about it and she was okay with my stopping the spray. It finally turned out to be not angina, but acid reflux!

Here is a link that explains GERD:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17019-acid-reflux-gerd

REPLY
2 replies
blessedwildapplegirl | @blessedwildapplegirl | 1 day ago
In reply to @rashida "@blessedwildapplegirl oh wow … do you mean you sometimes have to wait a month to see..." + (show)
@rashida

@blessedwildapplegirl oh wow … do you mean you sometimes have to wait a month to see your primary care physician?? The longest I have had to wait is about ten days, but if the receptionist thinks my problem needs to be taken care of sooner (they always ask what you want to see the doctor about) she will fit me in sooner - or I can ask her (and any specialist office) to put me on their cancellation list if they have one, to get an earlier appointment.

For specialists however, there can be anywhere from three to six months’ wait - if one is interested in taking on your case because of their full patient load! I suspect they are not interested in those who don’t warrant surgery or extensive treatment (read: if the government health plan does not think it is necessary or it is too expensive so will not pay for it) - but that’s just my take on it. One prime example is a woman who needed a specific medication to combat the rare cancer she had. She was refused the payment for it, and she certainly couldn’t pay for it. End result, she died. Then then the government made an about turn on the need for the medication but it was too late for her. Her months long fight, however, has benefitted future sufferers of that cancer - but at what cost to her!?

My GERD is caused by a hiatal hernia. The reflux I get can be severe enough to make it feel like I am having a heart attack because I can get chest pains that radiate into my jaw and back. After several cardiac tests a cardiologist prescribed nitroglycerin spray as needed because he thought I might have angina. The tablets did ease the pain. One day I went out without my spray and one of those attacks. Desperate, I went into a store and asked for a glass of water. Within minutes the pain subsided! The next time I got the pain I took a few sips of water and again the pain eased off, so that’s what I decided to do each time. I told my physician about it and she was okay with my stopping the spray. It finally turned out to be not angina, but acid reflux!

Here is a link that explains GERD:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17019-acid-reflux-gerd

Jump to this post

Actually, I usually have to wait 3 or 4 months to see my doctor! We have a shortage here apparently. How crazy that you had to discover for yourself that water could help you rather than nitroglycerin! Before my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer, they told her that she was having heart issues and had her on medication for years. That’s why I find it difficult to trust doctors. Thank you so much for the link! I appreciate it. Your GERD sounds very painful! I hate it when I feel like I can’t breathe. 😩

REPLY
1 reply
rashida | @rashida | 1 day ago
In reply to @rashida "@blessedwildapplegirl oh wow … do you mean you sometimes have to wait a month to see..." + (show)
@rashida

@blessedwildapplegirl oh wow … do you mean you sometimes have to wait a month to see your primary care physician?? The longest I have had to wait is about ten days, but if the receptionist thinks my problem needs to be taken care of sooner (they always ask what you want to see the doctor about) she will fit me in sooner - or I can ask her (and any specialist office) to put me on their cancellation list if they have one, to get an earlier appointment.

For specialists however, there can be anywhere from three to six months’ wait - if one is interested in taking on your case because of their full patient load! I suspect they are not interested in those who don’t warrant surgery or extensive treatment (read: if the government health plan does not think it is necessary or it is too expensive so will not pay for it) - but that’s just my take on it. One prime example is a woman who needed a specific medication to combat the rare cancer she had. She was refused the payment for it, and she certainly couldn’t pay for it. End result, she died. Then then the government made an about turn on the need for the medication but it was too late for her. Her months long fight, however, has benefitted future sufferers of that cancer - but at what cost to her!?

My GERD is caused by a hiatal hernia. The reflux I get can be severe enough to make it feel like I am having a heart attack because I can get chest pains that radiate into my jaw and back. After several cardiac tests a cardiologist prescribed nitroglycerin spray as needed because he thought I might have angina. The tablets did ease the pain. One day I went out without my spray and one of those attacks. Desperate, I went into a store and asked for a glass of water. Within minutes the pain subsided! The next time I got the pain I took a few sips of water and again the pain eased off, so that’s what I decided to do each time. I told my physician about it and she was okay with my stopping the spray. It finally turned out to be not angina, but acid reflux!

Here is a link that explains GERD:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17019-acid-reflux-gerd

Jump to this post

@blessedwildapplegirl here’s something else that might interest you or help you:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vagus-nerve-stimulation?utm_source=feedotter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FO-04-16-2025&utm_content=httpshealthclevelandclinicorgvagusnervestimulation#msdynttrid=DohTpQhL8USSOGhdCa9BFZ9SxQxg2X9BTm-5h9X0LS0

REPLY
rashida | @rashida | 1 day ago
In reply to @blessedwildapplegirl "Actually, I usually have to wait 3 or 4 months to see my doctor! We have..." + (show)
@blessedwildapplegirl

Actually, I usually have to wait 3 or 4 months to see my doctor! We have a shortage here apparently. How crazy that you had to discover for yourself that water could help you rather than nitroglycerin! Before my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer, they told her that she was having heart issues and had her on medication for years. That’s why I find it difficult to trust doctors. Thank you so much for the link! I appreciate it. Your GERD sounds very painful! I hate it when I feel like I can’t breathe. 😩

Jump to this post

@blessedwildapplegirl the breathing problem could be caused by anxiety perhaps …? Just throwing something out there!

I suffer from general anxiety disorder (GAD) too, although I have not been diagnosed officially, and I find breathing exercises helpful. The second link I sent you about the vagus nerve also talks about breathing.

REPLY
blessedwildapplegirl | @blessedwildapplegirl | 1 day ago

Thank you for the link. I haven’t checked it out yet, but I’m going to. I have terrible anxiety! I always have. And I carry it in my stomach. I’m also under a lot of life stress currently, so I’m kind of not surprised, but I need to be able to eat. I’ve always had IBS, but I’ve never had it come up so high like this. I suppose as you get older (I’m 70) it probably starts pushing on that flap. I was supposed to go have a CAT scan today and I was so afraid it would mess up my ability to eat that I canceled it. I’m more anxious on weekends and on Monday I start being able to eat again and I didn’t want to mess it up, so I think I’ll try to reschedule for a Friday. I know that sounds crazy, but if you understand anxiety, you know sometimes it seems to have a mind of its own. I’m sorry to hear that you struggle with that as well. Anxiety can cause so many different things. It’s hard on the body and also it can masquerade as other things, which I’m sure you’re aware of. I’m constantly trying to figure out whether or not something is 100% organic, 100% emotional, or a mixture of emotions and physical. It’s very hard to tell the difference. Thank you again for your help. I wish us both some relaxation and peace! Wouldn’t that be nice? They say you can rewire the brain, but it sure isn’t easy. Take care. 💕

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