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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Janell | @jlharsh | 13 hours ago

In reply to @blessedwildapplegirl "Would you believe that the supplements this doctor recommended for me contain things that I told..." + (show)

Oh, my! Maybe he can update his recommendation once you remind him. 😜 I’ll

It will be interesting to learn what your GI doc thinks about further testing, especially now that you have more information from a functional perspective.

Are you able to find food you can eat? You have had such and difficult time and I know it it’s important to you that you keep your weight up as much as you can. I completely understand having the feeling you want to find out something is wrong. too. It’s something you can point to, own, deal with. But, in the meantime you just may not understand it.

So, do I have this correct? Your PCP told you to take antacids. Did you try them, and when was that? Now, this new alternative doctor thinks you need something to help digest foods since you do not have a gall bladder, and also a colonoscopy/endscopy. What exactly will that help you know? You aren’t able to follow your alternative doc’s recommendation because of a dairy allergy. Do you think having a conversation with your GI pulling this all together would help?

blessedwildapplegirl | @blessedwildapplegirl | 12 hours ago

Believe it, or not, when I went to the G.I. doctor, I didn’t even get to talk with the doctor! I met with a nurse practitioner and she barely asked me any questions, and just perfunctorily told me that I had to get the colonoscopy/endoscopy and a CAT scan. I felt like she would have recommended that for everyone. So I don’t think I will mention the functional doctor because it might not go down well. And I emailed the functional doctor today and told the receptionist that I couldn’t purchase what he wanted me to because of the dairy allergy and she just answered back and said OK and if I had any more questions I had to pay for another visit. No explanation of why he would recommend something he knew I would be allergic to. She just said he trusted that brand. I think it’s his own brand! That feels like a conflict of interest to me. And no, there are really no foods I can eat when my stomach hurts like this, although sometimes I can have a few bites of an avocado, and it seems to help the inflammation. I think they’re looking for diverticulitis, colon cancer, and a hiatal hernia from the colonoscopy/endoscopy. That makes sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if I have diverticulitis because it runs in my family. But I’m allergic to almost all antibiotics, so I don’t want to take that route. I’m sure that’s what they would suggest. I have read though that you can use oil of oregano and it’s as effective as an antibiotic! I read that on the national institutes of health website. Now I just need to decide if I want to see if I can eat for a few days and get stronger before I have my test or if I should go ahead and schedule it while I’m already not eating very much. Kind of a conundrum. How are you feeling?

Janell | @jlharsh | 13 minutes ago

Ah, avocado helps you! Anything else help? Olive oil has been heavenly for me. I had to watch how much I used when I reintroduced it and now it helps add those calories I need. I also feel like vitamin C has been helpful, working it into each meal.

It is interesting you bring up oregano oil. I used it for a time and thought it was helpful. I have since, sorta reset everything and finding care to help me make progress instead of going in circles. To answer your question, This makes me hopeful!