Chronic digestive problems =( page 2

[Siren]

[SIZE=3]
is it possible you have a parasite or low-lying virus/infection from dirty water?

SIZE]

We tested for ova, parasites, bacterial, and viral infections. All negative. Sigh...

[vb66]

What happens if you add fats/meats into your liquid foods? Does that still upset your stomach?

[KerryK]

At this point, perhaps you should check out Chris Kresser's website at Chris Kresser. He has alot of blog articles on leaky gut. I have Crohn's and working on my gut with bone broth, etc, and found some of his info useful.

[Blackcatbone]

What does the pain feel like? Burning/stabbing?

Is it mostly in one spot or area or widespread?

Have you been on any medications over the last couple of years? OTC? Before it started?

Have you traveled to anywhere tropical or with questionable sanitation?

What do you feel might be causing the flares?

Were you given a hydrogen breath test or an endoscopy?

Any other health issues that may not seem to be related?

[Siren]

What happens if you add fats/meats into your liquid foods? Does that still upset your stomach?

I don't yet know. I'll be adding meats to my diet in 2 days, starting with basically pureed, poached chicken. I've been eating coconut butter, which gives me some mild cramps, but nothing really bad, not like when I eat something solid.

[Siren]

What does the pain feel like? Burning/stabbing?

Is it mostly in one spot or area or widespread?

Have you been on any medications over the last couple of years? OTC? Before it started?

Have you traveled to anywhere tropical or with questionable sanitation?

What do you feel might be causing the flares?

Were you given a hydrogen breath test or an endoscopy?

Any other health issues that may not seem to be related?

It feels like burning, from just under my rib cage to about the middle of my belly. Sometimes it's all over, sometimes it's very localized to one or two spots. I haven't been on any meds other than tylenol and prescribed vicodin for the pain. I haven't been anywhere tropical, but on my visit to NC I was drinking well water (it's all well water in that part of the state). I can't rightly say what might be causing them, since eating the exact same things from one day to the next seems to cause different reactions or none at all. I haven't done hydrogen breath testing, but I have had an endoscopy w/ biopsy- biopsy was negative. Other than occasional mild insomnia, night sweats, some heart palpitations, and the stress of it all, my health seems otherwise fine.

[zizou]

Are you sure it's not fat related? I had some severe gall bladder attacks about ten years ago, but every single test was negative--no stones, nothing. My GI told me that he's seen that before, and if eating very low fat helped, it probably would eliminate the problem eventually because the gall bladder had become 'irritated' for some unknown reason. Eating high fat would bring on an attack.

I know that something like almond butter seems as though it would be soothing to your stomach, but it's really high fat.

I ate low fat for about a year, and I was able to gradually increase my fat intake. This was especially true when I went Primal and gave up all grains. That combination was particularly bad.

I never found out why I had those attacks, but all is fine now.

I think i need to adjust my fat intake aswell because my stomach has acted up and i think my liver might be slightly inflammed as a result, had high iron in my blood which can indicate inflammation. So what type of diet are you on now? Is it primal with high fat and protein or have you found a balance that doesn't upset your digestive system?

To the OP, your symptoms sound like a possible case of gastroparesis. H.pylori is worth checking for aswell. Those are two avenues you can explore, i would know because i was diagnosed with both and can relate to some of your symptoms and what i've seen others report.

[patski]

If you have gallstones, the extra fat you're now consuming is giving your gallbladder more work: it is trying to secrete bile, but it's JAMMED!

Have you had an ultrasound done on your liver/gallbladder?

Been there, done that. Had mine removed. I feel your pain.

[Blackcatbone]

It feels like burning, from just under my rib cage to about the middle of my belly. Sometimes it's all over, sometimes it's very localized to one or two spots. I haven't been on any meds other than tylenol and prescribed vicodin for the pain. I haven't been anywhere tropical, but on my visit to NC I was drinking well water (it's all well water in that part of the state). I can't rightly say what might be causing them, since eating the exact same things from one day to the next seems to cause different reactions or none at all. I haven't done hydrogen breath testing, but I have had an endoscopy w/ biopsy- biopsy was negative. Other than occasional mild insomnia, night sweats, some heart palpitations, and the stress of it all, my health seems otherwise fine.

You should definitely look into the gall bladder possibility with a doctor, but many of your symptoms sound like fructose malabsorption, possibly small intestinal bacterial growth (SIBO) on the side. Which foods do you feel may be contributing? Because unfortunately, FM tends to limit a lot. Many people go through hell trying to figure out what's wrong and it often takes years. I'm gluten intolerant and when I cut that out the FM became worse, which may be an issue. When you eliminate one offending food and your gut starts to heal foods that you didn't realize were a problem become more obvious. FM is actually much more common than most people realize, about 30% of the population has it on some level. Most doctors have no idea how to test for it or treat it and certainly don't think of it when presented with the symptoms. The symptoms may vary, not everyone gets the same one. I belong to an FM group on Yahoo (not searchable if you aren't a member) and looked up night sweats and heart palpitations and some people do experience them. I don't recall those being issues for me, but it's been a couple of years since I've eaten much of the offending foods. Google "fructose malabsorption" and your symptoms, maybe one at a time. See if any of this resonates.

[Blackcatbone]

Oh yeah, and someone mentioned Chris Kresser. Here's a good post that touches on many of the things I mention: The hidden causes of heartburn and GERD