I was born with a condition called pyloric stenosis. It is rare in girls but you know I always have to be different :)
I had surgery as a weeks old infant to repair what was a closed stomach muscle. As a result I have had lifelong effects of belching, reflux, and IBS. I used to lose my voice from the reflux, and rarely had heartburn from it, it was mostly symptomless besides the hoarseness. Now though, I often have heartburn as a result of emotional upset and have started taking antacids. Add a couple of mood disorders and there is a recipe for disaster.
I work on this by working on my emotional health. My new meds have cut my appetite and I am not emotionally eating any more. I have dropped some weight that my other meds contributed to. That is also helping to calm down my system. I drink a lot of water, also helpful.
It was interesting to hear about the garlic and onions and IBS. It was a piece of garlic bread with a tiny amount of minced onion that had me doubled over. I appreciated seeing the food maps.
As I get older I am better at choosing healthier options and I do a lot of research on food. I put my health above everything else. I am finally learning consistent self care. I have even given up chocolate (that was hard) as I have a caffeine allergy and haven't eaten red meat in years and years.
I had pyloric stenosis as well. The only effects that are still with me, at 41, are minor ibs and gastric reflux, but only if I eat late or before lying down. If I do, I usually wake up gasping for air from severe reflux and my epiglottis closes over my airpipe.
For IBS, the protocol I mentioned earlier is referred to as FODMAP. Its an acronym that stands for the type of short chain sugars that IBS sufferers cannot easily digest in their small intestines. There are two types of reactions—diarrhea (IBS-D) and constipation (IBS-C.) you can get the FODMAP App in the App Store of your IOS device.
IF you go to a GI doctor, because they are focused on certain procedures they do and drugs, they may not think to tell you about the FODMAP solution.
Jeanne, that was my experience, first being sent home from a GI doc with instructions to use Mirolax (propylene glycol beads) regularly as well as simethicone chewables. Being sent for imaging for my gallbladder because a PA thought she felt something, where the sonogram tech thought she saw something in my pancreas, and finally having a CAT scan of my pancreas. NOTHING to see there. And it all started with complaints of IBS. Fast forward, when I looked at what Mirolax actually was, I was done with those instructions.
Eliminating high FODMAPS food has worked so well for me.
Ghandigirl, you had a piece of garlic bread with onions -- 3 troublesome foods there, the wheat gluten, the garlic, and the onions, a virtual FODMAP bomb.) I bet that you can feel so much better.
FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are short chain carbohydrates. Get the app and start learning which foods you can enjoy and which foods cause GI havoc.
I think there are many good suggestions here especially around yogurt. Years ago, I was diagnosed with acid reflux and given two expensive medications. I took a trip to Spain and forgot the medication. However, while I was there, I felt great. Why? When I got home, I did some research and found that Edgar Cayce recommended 1 T per day of olive oil. I did that and was completely cured. It was 20 years ago. SPAIN soaks everything in olive oil which explained why I didn't have any problems there.
I want to caution anyone with serious GI symptoms not to assume that it is IBS, or stress-related. Nearly 30 years ago I started feeling unwell, which progressed fairly quickly to feeling quite ill. More than one doctor suggested stress or anxiety as the cause. By the time I was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis in my entire colon, I had lost 20 pounds in a month and was very close to losing my colon as well. This was at the end of one of the most relaxed summers I had ever experienced.
Thankfully my UC has never flared anything like that again. I take very expensive medication to help me stay in remission, and I get regular colonoscopies because my risk of colon cancer is elevated. There does not seem to be any diet component to my symptoms nor does stress appear to be an issue—if it were, I would be sick all the time, and I should be hospitalized right now instead of comfortably lounging at home.
I’m not saying not to try home remedies, but at a certain point you really need to see a doctor, and maybe a second doctor if the first one doesn’t take you seriously.
I think its lovely that so many caring people here are offering help and hope to those suffering from seriously painful and problematic digestive "gut" issues.
Many here have a wide variety of diagnosed issues as do many in my extended family. One extended family member went through every test, second and third oponions of a variety of health practioners.
After going gluten free for many months including a totally gluten free kitchen (separate spaces, foods, measuring, serving and baking utensils, toasters, pancake griddles, waffle irons--you get the picture what a severe gluten allergy gut issue could require) nothing worked. Even had to give up All alcohol etc. Added allvthe kefirs, fermented foods etc. Again, nothing made a difference.
They are apparently now doing better knowing they did all they could. At the end all of the specialists went back to the old standby--"stress".
As our second brain it often mimics our primary one known as our center of pain creating stimuli. Now more than ever we're all realizing what comllex physical beings we truly are where so much right goes so horribly, painfully wrong.
My heart goes out to all of you. As a Reiki/healing touch/healing non-touch/distance you name it practitioner of many decades as well as a avid believer of mind-body medicine through acupuncture and other alternative health practices, different things really seem to work for vastly different conditions and people often without rhyme or reason they can be quite effective even miraculous but for others, nothing seems to process through that old body-brain barrier.
Certainly thinking best thoughts for finding anything that works for each and every person who suffers here. Oh, the painful challenges so many of us suffer from! My love to all of you. May you find peace ???
Anecdotally, I would guess at least a third of what we see in the ED is abdominal pain and related gut issues. Stress is a huge component.
It’s no secret that repression of feelings and “swallowing” of pain and anger sits right in the stomach, leading to ulcers, bleeding, GI tract inflammation, ulcerative colitis, cancers and constipation.
Then there are whole industries devoted to managing GERD and reflux, both homeopathic and Western medicine.
More than anyone wanted to hear from me this morning, I’m sure. ?
@jeanne-mayell I have been on a low FODMAP diet for many years now. Nothing else was working for me! I found it on my own - the GI doc I had just wanted to keep running colonoscopies and endoscopies for me only to be diagnosed with IBS and then not really given any solutions at all.