Thanks, Hope2Heal for getting me on the IBS trail (rather than GERD). I had written earlier about the burbles that felt like a trapped gas thing under my breastbone on the left side. I also was having left rib pain off & on...well, I looked up IBS in the Merck Manual and ran across Splenic Flexure Syndrom, and it sure clicks with my symptoms. It's when a gas pocket gets stuck in the splenic flexure of the large intestine. Spasms and pain can then radiate up under the left rib area & feel like pain, pressure, spasming or can mimic heart pain. Treatment is basically the same as for gas & IBS. One can take a mild. low-dose antianxiety med, too, I guess. I started on enteric-coated peppermint tablets and charcoal--it's helped a ton!

Thanks again!
Maggie C.

Thanks, Hope2Heal for getting me on the IBS trail (rather than GERD). I had written earlier about the burbles that felt like a trapped gas thing under my breastbone on the left side. I also was having left rib pain off & on...well, I looked up IBS in the Merck Manual and ran across Splenic Flexure Syndrom, and it sure clicks with my symptoms. It's when a gas pocket gets stuck in the splenic flexure of the large intestine. Spasms and pain can then radiate up under the left rib area & feel like pain, pressure, spasming or can mimic heart pain. Treatment is basically the same as for gas & IBS. One can take a mild. low-dose antianxiety med, too, I guess. I started on enteric-coated peppermint tablets and charcoal--it's helped a ton!

Thanks again!
Maggie C.


Glad you are finding answeres. Be careful with the charcoal. It has its benefits of binding toxins, but also binds everything else, including vitamins and nutrients. Don't take it everyday. Research it first. AS for peppermint, it doesn't work for me, but glad it does you. keep us posted if you find any new supplements that work.

Thanks, Hope2Heal for getting me on the IBS trail (rather than GERD). I had written earlier about the burbles that felt like a trapped gas thing under my breastbone on the left side. I also was having left rib pain off & on...well, I looked up IBS in the Merck Manual and ran across Splenic Flexure Syndrom, and it sure clicks with my symptoms. It's when a gas pocket gets stuck in the splenic flexure of the large intestine. Spasms and pain can then radiate up under the left rib area & feel like pain, pressure, spasming or can mimic heart pain. Treatment is basically the same as for gas & IBS. One can take a mild. low-dose antianxiety med, too, I guess. I started on enteric-coated peppermint tablets and charcoal--it's helped a ton!

Thanks again!
Maggie C.
when you burp, does if feel like a 2 stage burp? My doc says I've got weak esophegeal motility, gerd, and a hiatal hernia. I'm on zantac, prevacid, and domperidone (a motility drug) None of these seem to help. I no longer feel any heartburn, but still get chronic nausea, pain under my left lower ribs and breastbone. When I burp, It feels like I have 2 stomachs, and the gas moves from one, to the other, then up my esopheagus.

when you burp, does if feel like a 2 stage burp? [snip] When I burp, It feels like I have 2 stomachs, and the gas moves from one, to the other, then up my esopheagus.

Interesting you'd mention this. Usually it didn't feel like that to me, but once in a great while, it did. Since doing charcoal (wait 2 hours before or after any meds, vitamins or meals), enteric-coated peppermint (ease into these, if used--I got peppermint-scented, burny diarrhea when I took too many!) and digestive enzymes, I finally am successfully getting burps up, at least 75% of the time now. I'm also drinking more water, though still less than the 8 glasses/day recommended.

Hope you feel better soon!
Maggie C.

Hi, I have gerd and a hiatal hernia too. I am taking Protonix for it but I really feel sick all of the time. It sucks. I feel the same way! I get pain under my left lower ribs also. When I burp (which seems so often now that i have gerd), it feels like the air is trapped in my hernia and my stomach feels sick so i have to like force push it out of there but by bending my body to the left side and then i can burp easily. It's really weird but it helps. I think this is one of the joys of having a hiatal hernia.
Another thing is that I think I have ibs and dyspepsia which would have a lot to do w/why i feel sick all the time, when i eat and when i don't- on and off, day by day, month by month. It just depends on when it decides to flare up. I've had it pretty bad for the last 5 months so I am going to the doc and hopefully he will make sure i don't have something life threatening like crohns or cancer and if not, then hopefully i can start experimenting w/different drugs to help me. I don't really like drugs but i have run out of options.
Do you have anything that is helping you yet? Please let me know. Thanks. :)
Oh my god, someone has the same feelings i do, i'm not alone.