[John Tarry]

My digestive problems seem to stem from a cycle ride in 1998 when I cycled from Bordeaux, France to Barcelona, Spain. Just before arriving at Barcelona I went down with, what I thought was a good dose of food poisoning. I was out for the count for five days when my doctor gave me some tablets which stopped the symptom almost immediately. I thought that was the end of the matter but unfortunately I continued to have periods of fatigue, sickness, diarrhoea, etc. After about 18 months I had an endoscopies and a colonoscopy with biopsies and stool samples taken. Nothing was found. I was put on a diet which comprised rice, chicken, water, potatoes, broccoli, and little else. The symptoms improved a little so, over the next year or so, I began eating bread and wider range of vegetables and a limited range of apples. In addition, I now eat salmon, cod, turkey and beef.I take four acidophilus capsules per day as well as calcium and multi vitamin tables.Even though I continue to eat exactly the same foods each day, I find that I still have periods of about a week when I feel completely well but then, for no apparent reason, the symptoms return. The symptoms have modified a little in as much as I rarely have diarrhoea but the fatigue and slightly nauseous persist. I�m sure I don�t need to say just how debilitating this is.My question is, what else can I do � not just to relieve the symptoms � but to cure the condition?You may have noticed that I live in the UK and understand that more thorough tests are carried out in the USA. If that is so, is it worth me coming over for the tests and if so where?Thank youJohn

 

[Tlyon]

I hate to say this, but....there is no cure. You just have to find your way through this thing. It does take along time, with hits and misses, and finally you will stumble on something that helps. However, something that works for awhile will sometimes stop working. Everyone here will attest to the fact that it is a horrible "disease" with tons of highs and lows. But you WILL have good days ahead, promise, and we are all here for the bad ones. Chin up!

 

[LNAPE]

Multi vitamins can cause stomach upset for one thing. Magnesium, vitamin e and vitamin c can add to the stomach upset. You may want to stop everything you can and try one thing at a time to find what may help. I know for me the calcium helped and you do need to have the right form and take it at regular intervals through out the day with food for it to help.Linda

 

[Billie24]

Linda.....what type of calcium do you take? I want to start, but I bought calcium/magnesium.Billie

 

[DavidLA]

Hi John-Here's something you may want to consider trying..its help me alot!! You mentioned, you're taking 4 acidolphilus capsules per day. I'll assume you're taking these the oral route. What I tried was mixing 30 acidolphilus/bifido capsules in 8oz of water via an enema. I know enema's are NO FUN!. But having this condition for the next 50 years itsn't much fun either!!tTaking it this route, the benefiical bacteria are going directly to where you need it..Your colon. Also remember bacteria double every 20 minutes. When you're putting in 40 billion bacteria directly into your colon, within a month..you're colon should be re-colonize with alot of beneficial bacteria. I'm not the only one this has helped..several people I spoke directly with said there feeling alot better. In any event,like everything, you never know until you give it a shot!! As one person I spoke with said..Just take a leap of faith!! Good Luck!!

 

[John Tarry]

Thanks very much for all your replies. I understand that my symptoms are mild compared to some of you other poor people but if I can find a way to get ride of it I will. That is why I was asking about testing in the USA. Has anybody any experience/suggestions about that? Just for a bit of clarification about what I�m eating; I understand what you say Linda about certain vitamins causing stomach problems but it would seem I need to take them because my diet doesn't provide all vitamins that I need. However, I have been suspicious for some time about the calcium in particular and I stopped taking that for a while. At the moment I�m taking the recommended one tablet per day of Osteocare calcium and magnesium with vitamin D, zinc and 4 supporting nutrients. I can�t take any diary products because they bring on diarrhoea as do things containing whole meal flower. So I really need some vitamin supplements of some kind. Like most other things that I eat/drink, it seems that I can consume it for several weeks and then it suddenly starts to upset me.My nutritionist recommended Acidophilus to me. She gave me the impression that there was a good possibility that they would actually cure the problem. Here we are two years from when I first saw her and there seems little or no improvement. The doctors that I have seen have all suggested that I would be over this in less than a year � that too was well over a year ago. I�m just beginning to get really frustrated with the restricted diet that I�m following, never going out to a restaurant, not going on holiday and so on, for fear of aggravating the symptoms. I�m not looking for sympathy because I know that some people suffer more than me with this but I am looking for some more things to try to see if I can find a cure. Any more suggestions would be welcome.Thanks a lotJohn