Over the last 6 years I have been diagnosed with mild gastritis, sm haital hernia & possibly SIBO. Also GERD & IBS diagnosed 20 yr ago. (I was also diagnosed with lung issues of Bronchiectasis and nontuberculosis mycobacterium infection after coughing up blood - during the same time period 6 yrs ago). But my worst symptoms disrupting my life are from my gut. Meds: have been on & off PPIs for more than 20 years (try to stay off completely, but hasn't seemed possible), famotidine when not on PPI, and tried most every functional med & holistic remedy.

I have a very limited, mostly FODMP diet, fresh veggies, some fruit, nothing processed, no dairy but hard cheese, no gluten, limited grains (translate: boring 😆). I exercise regularly & am quite thin. ALL tests (blood work, endoscopy, colonoscopy, heart, etc. are "normal" other than what I listed and some benign stomach polyps).

But frequently I get horrible upper gut pains (in center right below sternum) and to left under lower ribs. Bloated (I guess that's what it is-extreme pressure in upper stomach making me short of breath even), horrible nausea, unable to eat, pooping 5-6 times a day, chest pressure/pain, exhausted, sweating, horrible gut noises top to bottom. It can wake me in the night with gut pains & leg tremors. It can go on for 1 or 2 days (the best), or has been up to 2 weeks or more at times. I describe it as feeling like I ate something that has poisoned me! It is usually a day or so later, so I'm never sure if it is something in particular I ate. When I feel like this it gives me anxiety (which I don't have at any other time), which I know compounds the issue. I never know when it is going to hit or why, so that is stressful too. When this is not happening however, I can feel almost like I am a normal person.

MY QUESTION: Can foods that might trigger my IBS/GERD/hernia really make me feel this awful? They make IBS sound so benign, but this is absolutely miserable and completely makes me non-functional when it is happening and I know it sounds dramatic, but I feel like I am dying. I keep thinking it MUST be something else to make me feel sooooo bad. And why can I feel almost normal at times? Could you please share your experiences with IBS/GERD/Hiatal Hernia/Gastritis/SIBO so I can get some perspective on this?

Thank you so much!!