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Digestive issues
I started having digestive issues last fall. By December I was told I had bilary dyskenisa and had my gallbladder removed.
That did not fix my problems.
I sometimes have traditional heartburn but mostly I have sour stomach and stomach pain mostly middle immediately below sternum and to the left. Increases after eating. I often feel like food did not make it into my stomach. Like it's stuck down there.
I will get this weird fast quiver like spasm deep inside. I can feel it with my hand I push down and so can my husband and it goes on for hours at a time. Anyone have that before? It's very strange but something inside is not working properly. I also have postprandial hypotension and intermittent difficulty swallowing.
My blood tests show slightly elevated liver enzymes but doc said they are not dangerously high. My stool is frequently bright yellow and liquid:(
Also I cannot seem to get a straight answer but do those of you with experience with ulcers did it cause excessive burping?
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Maybe test for SIBO? Those symptoms seem like SIBO. I tried FODMAP its really very hard… 🙁 I changed my diet to whole grains - low fat low sugar high fiber diet and have been very regular since. My weird bowel movements gas bloating burning guts suddenly stopped after being on antibiotics for another issue. Gastro thinks I may have had SIBO.
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3 ReactionsI have the same issues.
My doctor had me do a SIBO breath test and a GI Mapping stool test and both showed bacteria in my gut. 😩
So I would find out if you have the same problem.
Good luck!
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2 ReactionsI also thought of SIBO but I can't get the test as it is not available where I live ( developing country). I have read that low FODMAP diet could be helpful for SIBO as well, I don't know whether this is true or not.
So do you know if SIBO can be treated without changing your diet ? I can manage to get a prescription for antibiotics to try as SIBO test is not available where I live, but should I have a restrictive diet along with the antibiotic ?
I did FODMAP diet last fall when horrible abdominal pain occurred. My PA recommended it. The diet worked for me. If I remember correctly you restrict yourself from 3 to 4 weeks, something relatively short-term. Then you slowly add in one non Fodmap food at a time to see what your digestive tract can handle. I didn't think the restrictions that big a deal, especially for such a short term. I suspected I had SIBO but no one would refer me for a test. I read the Johns Hopkins write up on the FODMAP diet which said it could help with SIBO and IBS. Depending on what is causing your problems, it may work for you. If I were you I'd try it and see what happens. Print out the Fodmap list of food to eat/don't eat and go shopping. If it doesn't work for you, that adds one more piece of information for you. If it does work, life changing. Here is a link to a list of foods acceptable in a FODMAP diet; there should be somewhere on the internet a printable chart. You can spend the time finding it. Good luck! https://dietingwell.com/low-fodmap-foods-list/
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3 ReactionsIt can be helpful. I tested positive for SIBO and low food map was recommended. Try it and then slowly add in foods you love to see how you feel. What is also very helpful is to go sugar free (if you need a sweetener for tea or coffee or plain yogurt, use organic stevia), also go gluten free. This may help a lot as it did for me and I have permanently done so. Eat only fruits in the berry family. Try also going dairy free for at least two weeks as the fat in dairy can be hard to digest. Then add one product back in and see how your gut reacts. Drinking Kefir is good as are pickles from the refrigerated section of the market. These foods are fermented and good for the gut to build up the good bacteria in your digestive tract. There are also other fermented foods such as kimchi and kombucha if you like the flavor.
Best to you, it’s a journey to find what works and doesn’t as each of our bodies are different.
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4 ReactionsThank you.
This sounds great. I am glad that low FODMAP diet helped you.
For me, I just hate the idea of restriction but it is not difficult for me to follow this type of diet. I just needed some positive experiences to give me the (push). As I have bothersome symptoms and no formal diagnosis, the only thing I can do is to experiment with diet. I will try to start soon and hope it helps.
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1 ReactionThank you. Another positive experience. The fact that low FODMAP diet helped you is encouraging to me.I think I am going to give it a try.
Just a note, I found some of the foods on that diet to avoid were actually foods that I did fine on - avocados is one. It may be helpful as well to keep a daily journal of what you eat and how you feel.
I wish you the best. It’s not easy but it can be done to find what foods work for you.
I have a hypersensitive, IBS-C gut. I eat zero and trace FODMAPs (after much experimenting with the greater variety of low FODMAP foods). I use the Monash University FODMAP app as they have measured lots of different foods.
I also eat grain-free and lactose free milk products (mostly nonfat milk).
(Note that if you eat at a single meal that has five FODMAP foods at the low FODMAP levels, they could still add up to being over the threshold for you.)
The Monash-listed zero/trace FODMAP foods saved me. Also, apple cider vinegar with my three main meals -- I guess I needed a more acid environment. There is some literature on how apple cider vinegar can help IBS. The vinegar actually seemed like the last piece of the puzzle for me.
I do other things -- a peppermint oil pill to settle my gut before a meal (studies on that), animal fat as it is a trigger (I focus on oil and a small quantity of some nuts).
Relaxing/destressing is huge too. There is an app called Mahana. The first segment is free and is great. Give it a try.
Belly-breathing, pushing out your diaphragm when you take a breath, is very calming. For me, the stress-gut connection is very strong.
Good luck! Keep at it and experiment, experiment. Hopefully you won't have to be terribly restrictive in your diet.
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