Help with cause of Digestive issues - Digestive Disorders Message Board

boscot · 10-21-2008, 08:29 AM

Hello

I have had chronic digestive issues for about a year plus. Started as acid reflux symptoms along with chronic belching and a full feeling in the upper stomache. This only occurred in evenings particularly after big meal etc. Prilosec etc. seemed to address acid issue and by morning other symptoms were gone.

It has now progressed to point where it is almost daily...less acid but greater discomfort after every meal...larger meal worse it is. I have cut back eating over last 60 days...lost 20 lbs....don;t feel good most of the time.

I do have a lot of stress in my life...work...chronic condition has added anxiety to my life specifically my marriage...wife tired of my ongoing issues...certainly has effected my libido...hard to be engaged when you are feeling bad physically and then you start stressing about your inability to be on your A game with wife.

Anyone had anything similar...doctor is having me get a Cat scan...blood work shows nothing much

any thoughts?

Lou

boscot · 10-21-2008, 08:32 AM

Oh I should add...I am mid 40's in otherwise excellent health...physically strong excerise etc. Never had any real health issues previously...doctor is dumfounded that I am having these issues.

Ol'Line Rebel · 10-21-2008, 05:22 PM

Gastroparesis (GP)?

Lots of "gas", burping/reflux, feeling full - sounds like GP. Although could be other things, too. This means "stomach paralysis", or slow stomach emptying.

You can only really check for GP by going for a stomach-emptying scan, which estimates how long a prescribed meal takes to leave the stomach.

You might want to ask about it as a possibility.

What doctor are you asking that is "dumbfounded"? I can't believe a doctor would be stupefied if they know half of what they should. Certainly appalling if you're talking about a gastroenterologist (GE). If you haven't tried a GE, see if you can get to 1. Preferably - as all doctors - a teaching hospital type.

boscot · 10-22-2008, 08:12 AM

Rebel

thanks for the info...dumbfounded maybe a strong word but definitely not targeting anything yet....what causes this issue? never had any problems before...but last 3 years I have seen a huge increase in my stress levels which inturn have yielded some strong anxiety and some minor depression. Is this a stress induced issue...chicken or egg thoughts as to cause?

Ol'Line Rebel · 10-23-2008, 08:17 PM

Causes of GP - as far as I know. Well, no-one really knows why it starts (you find out alot about medicine including they don't really know everything, including how to solve it). But generally there are 2 main problems - 1 is nervous, the other muscular. Supposedly there can be a problem with your nervous system in that it's not signaling the stomach to move as it should. Another is the stomach itself (as a muscle) is weak and simply hasn't the strength to move enough. Also, apparently some people might have a virus that "ruined" the stomach movement, but usually for these lucky few (all too few, apparently), the GP eventually goes away. That's about what I've come across in my searching for answers.