Health & Fitness
pennstated912
member
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Endoscopies complete!
I had my upper endoscopy and flex sigmoidoscopy this morning. They found internal hemorrhoids in the sigmoidoscopy but no swelling in the upper endoscopy. They took biopsies of my stomach and small intestine. I should find out the results of the biopsies next week.
I am glad that there was nothing that they could readily see. However, I'm angry and upset that they couldn't find the reasoning behind the pain in my stomach, nausea after I eat, acid reflux, and distended stomach. Ugh!
Re: Endoscopies complete!
That is good news! I know it sucks, it took them almost 4 years to figure out what was wrong with my stomach issues, but the good news is that is is nothing too worrisome, like cancer, or other diseases. Did they do a biopsy for celiac? How about blood work for the vitamin deficiencies and celiac?
Just some suggestions! In the meantime, keep taking your gerd meds, and it wouldn't hurt to add in a probiotic. I love Florstor, it is def the best for the money, but Align and culturelle aren't bad either.
I know that they are looking for H Pylori in the biopsy of my stomach. I've previously done bloodwork for celiac and that came back normal.
Also, in the recent days (starting before the endoscopies), I've had ridiculous heartburn/chest pain, so now we are adding that to the list of symptoms.
I feel like every food, no matter how bland and spiceless or caffeine-free, makes me feel miserable. The only thing that doesn't make me feel full or give me nausea is water.
The doctor that performed my endoscopies treated me like I was losing my mind. So, that makes me feel great about the entire situation.
I'm on 20mg of Omeprazole once a day. It's an extremely low dose but I guess since this is new to my health they are starting me off slow. Although, since starting it I've been having more heartburn and chest pain. My next appointment with my gastroenterologist is August 22nd. They insist that there is nothing before that.
My eating habits are reduced to one meal a day, usually salad with chicken and I don't drink anything but water and sprite, anymore. Everything else is too acidic or contains caffeine. I've lost a considerable amount of weight.
Maybe they will switch me off the omeprazole and try something new. Right now, I'm not sure what the next step is.
Your story really reminds me of what I went through two years ago. Losing weight nausea, diarrhea, acid reflux, diet reduced to eating white rice, crackers, boiled chicken, mixed veggies and even that gave me reflux. All my tests, endoscopies, and Celiac came back negative. I saw a holistic doctor who gave me HCL capsules to take because my stomach wasn't producing enough acid to digest my food.
It sounds bizarre but if taking a Omeprazole which reduces your stomach's acid content is making your symptoms worse it's very possible that your stomach is not producing enough acid. The symptoms for too little and too much acid are exactly the same but most doctors don't know this. Taking Omeprazole for years is not good for you as explained in this NY Times article http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/combating-acid-reflux-may-bring-host-of-ills/. I took HCL capsules for a year and half and I no longer have acid reflux. They helped me digest my food until I could fix my diet so that I wouldn't need them anymore.
You shouldn't be eating salads. They are hard to digest. I suggest that you boil your vegetables and add oil and salt afterwards. It's easier on the stomach. Sprite also makes things worse because of the high fructose corn syrup which feeds the bad bacteria in your stomach.
I really hope you feel better soon.
I think it's awful that your GI won't get you into his office prior to Aug 22 when you are in such pain. Could you ask your friends and coworkers for GI recommendations and try someone new? My doctor got me in within a day or two when I was in discomfort or when the medicine wasn't working for me.
As for diets, plain carbs worked best for me. And if you can, I'd cut out soda and stick with just water. Also the usual recommendations that GIs give you - elevate the head of your bed with blocks (adding pillows doesn't work), don't eat 5 hours before going to bed, etc.
I hope you find relief! I know how awful that pain can be.
There are actually some studies out saying that these ppi's are not good for people (and in the ICU I work in EVERYONE gets one when they're intbated). The latest study I saw said that it was causing people's stomach to overproduce acids thus making reflux worse.
Good luck to the original poster!