Severe Bloating after tiny nibble of food - Digestive Disorders Message Board

jhamilton401 · 05-24-2006, 09:53 PM

I am so sick of being sick!
Can anyone relate? I am sure some of you have read my posts before.
I have been suffering from undiagnosed stomach/digestive issues for over 2 years now.
Today at work I sat down and after weeks of another flare-up I was feeling well enough to eat something solid. I went down to the cafe and bought a sandwich and some Doritos but as soon as I took one small nibble off of the corner of my chip I bloated up severely and everytime I do my stomach inside feels so raw and gritty feeling.
I can't eat solid food without feeling like I'm going to choke to death. It feels like it just scrapes down the sides of my throat then just sits at the top of my stomach and won't go down. I sometimes can't even drink water without getting this way!
I've had an ultrasound of my gallbladder with weird results. The doctor couldn't find it. He said either I was born without one which is rare or it has contracted up underneath my liver. That doesn't sound like a normally functioning gallbladder if it is contracted.
I've also had an endoscopy and colonoscopy and the only thing to come back on those was mild colitis. I refused the Barium swallow because I am paranoid of choking and I flat told the doctor this that I didn't think I could even do this test if I have a hard time even drinking water.
I've been tested also for Crohns, gastroparesis,gastritis GERD, IBS, you name it i've been tested for it, all with negative results.
Every morning I wake up and my stomach feels so raw inside and feels like my stomach is full of sand or something. I am always burping and passing gas and have attacks of bad diarrreah that last 2-3 days at a time then clear up or I'll go back and forth from diarreah to constipation.
Can anyone relate? What do you think, could it be my gallbladder because of the weird ultrasound results?
I finally am back on insurance and I go back to my gastro doctor June 1.
I haven't seen him in almost a year. Last time before I lost my job and therefore insurance for being sick all the time and missing so much work.
He wanted to do a HIDA scan before I stopped seeing him so I'm sure thats where he'll want to pick back up.
He is a great doc! Very understanding and nice. He promised me the day of the endoscopy that whatever it is he will find it and i believe him.
I just want to eat normally again.

PK777 · 05-26-2006, 12:01 AM

Hi -
I also have something VERY wrong with me - with symptoms very similar to what you described and am trying to get an appointment with the county hospital, since I don't have any health insurance.

For me this started the day after Christmas so I've had it for about 5 months. For the past 3 weeks I have ONLY eaten raw food - fruits, vegetables, raw almonds and cashews. Nothing processed - nothing even cooked and my stomach is 99 percent better. I was feeling so great in fact I ate a veggie taco a couple days ago because I thought I was cured because I hadn't had the pain or bloat in 3 weeks and BOY OH BOY did I pay the price for that. My stomach balloned up and I had horrible gas and felt like I had several ice picks jabbing into my stomach. Needless to say I immediatly went back to my raw only diet and now I feel really good again as I await my doctors appointment to try to find out whats wrong with me. I have no idea if this kind of diet will help you but it has made my life manageable. Yes, I miss eating 'normally' but I don't miss the bloat and extreme pain and diarreah or constipation. Oh and when I say raw only I mean it - salads cannot have normal salad dressing (like in a bottle) I am making guacomole as salad dressing now and really, it's better than any dressing I've ever had. Good luck!

bhjmom · 05-26-2006, 01:44 PM

I too relate to this first poster. Today, I learned from my HIDA scan, ultrasound and hydrogen breath test that I have a 30% EF on my gallbladder (needs to be removed) AND I have small bowel bacterial overgrowth. Now I am taking antibiotics and will get my gallbladder removed. Have you had these tests?

Charity

jhamilton401 · 05-26-2006, 05:00 PM

I haven't had the hida scan yet. I go back to see the gastro specialist June 1. Last time I saw him was approx a year ago and he wanted the test done but I didn't have insurance so I had to wait. I finally have insurance as of May 20 and I immediately made the first available appointment he had.
I almost hope to see that it is my gallbladder malfunctioning and hopefully if it is removed that will solve my problems
Oh something else weird happened today. A new symptom. I had a GREEN bowel movement. That can't be normal either right?
I only ate some peanuts, 1/2 a piece of pepperoni and sausage pizza and 2 blue powerade drinks yesterday, oh and 1/2 a piece of chocolate cake last night before bed. I didn't eat enough peanuts to have excessive iron intake, I know that excessive iron digested can caused green stools.

jhamilton401 · 05-26-2006, 05:01 PM

What is a hydrogen breath test? That sounds scary.