[Guest]

I am new at this so would like some understanding. My husband and children think this is in my head so i hide in the bathroom. ANd tell them evrything is just wonderful.My Gastro Dr diagnosed me with Gastroparesis or delayed stomach emptying in Febuary I have a lowfat low fiber diet to go by. Now I end up with a new diagnoses of IBSDr has put me on Fiber Con in hopes of helping me I gat gassy and have horrible cramps. Dr says that gastroparesis and IBS run hand and Hand The food sits in my stomach 6-8 hrs then pushes its way into the intestine were it is doing the work of my stomach the drugs they gave me make me feel jumpy so we discontinued those i have mild cases of being nauseated and throwing up and the acid in my stomach fels like it could burn naything up at times.Hoper someone out ther can understand what i go thru since my family thinks I am crazy...I was a perfectly healthy 38 yr old female with no health problems up until a few months ago.

 

[Guest]

Hi cheerful, guess you are not so cheerful right now.I understand what you are going through. I am IBS C with spastic colon. My husband thinks it is in my head too, so I don't say too much either. I was very healthy up to a few months ago as well. I hope you can find some help. Glad you found this BB! Everyone here understands! There are so many people here to talk to and get advise from, keep looking at the postings, you may find some advice to try from others! Have a great day!

 

[wanderingstar]

Hi Cheerful! Sorry to hear your family's not so understanding. Hopefully you will find lots of support here, and maybe strength to re-educate your family! Fibercon: I don't think it's unusual to experience gas and cramps from increasing your fiber intake. This should ease a little in time as your body gets used to the extra fiber.Acid: have you tried an antacid or something like Gaviscon? I find gaviscon helps a lot with the acid and a bit with the nausea. Nausea: some people find ginger tea (ginger root with hot water) helpful. Cammomile is quite good too.Are you taking anything else for the diarrhea that might be making you feel initially not so good? I find Immodium good for attacks of D, and Caltrate ( a brand of calcium supplement) good as a maintenance anti-D therapy. Some use L-Glutamine or Lotronex. You can search for these items on this board.Hope you feel better soon, and WELCOME by the way!

wanderingstar

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

No PC setup at home yet so stopped in office to check e-mail and popped in to see what was interesting for a minute. Read CHEERFUL's post and MuSTANG. Don't you just LOVE the close support of family, friends, and medical personnel who wave a dismissive hand (physically, mentally or both) and say its in yer head? What an easy way of "copping out on helping out". Then there are those who think its "funny" (yuk-yuk). I hope nobody takes this the wrong way but just once I wish one of the people who does that to somebody could get, like, a quick dose of staphyloccal food poisoning for a couple of days to get an idea what some people go through every day of their lives. Might make them more empathetic...you, know, like: "Here, pal, have a great big helping of this potato salad I made yesterday and put out in the sun to warm up for you for a few hours...eat up!ENJOY!"(step down from soapbox boy)Q: FOR CHEERFUL: just curious..gotta run but will be here tomorrow at work and would be interested in the following...you say you are 38 and were perfectly 100% fine until a few months ago. Hmmmm....something precipitated this and I bet I am not the only one who read that and wanted to know more about what was going on with you and your health and your life JUST PRIOR to these symptoms occurring...feel like sharing?See ya later.

 

[Guest]

I have the usual stress in my life. Marriage better then it has been. My husband is a farmer so we are always busy.I had a bad case of the flu over the holidays and it has been a costant battle ever since.one thing has lead to another.The dr ran test after test even the general prationer says it is in my head how about Christmas bills I laughed at him... We have payed cash for everything over the holidays. Got a dumb look out of him.I am not a constant complainer either. Now i tell everyone it is all fine. I have learned to eat little meals I have lost almost 28 ponds and am still losing weight...This gastroparesis means my food sits in my stomach for hours before it goes thru and GI Dr says this IBS D is caused from everything digesting there Hope this puts a little light on things and thanks for being helpful

 

[Guest]

I can totally relate. my husband thought it was all in my head too. so do friends and family. I think it's hard for enyone to imagine what we go through with this syndrome.I have putting my foot down lately mostly because i don't feel alone anymore. I tell people like it is and if they don't like it then they don't care about me. I used to hide it because everyone would just nod like they could relate and when a attack would come up they would ask me what was wrong and be in my face and make things worse. now I just tell them I'm having a attack and leave me alone I will talk to them later.hope you can find the support here.Cheryl :0

 

[Guest]

Hey Cheerful, you're not alone. I've had some friends and family who didn't understand my "problem" and face it, its pretty embarassing to explain. Don't give up on trying to get your hubby or other family members to understand. I once blurted out to one of my kids that I felt like I had a broomstick up my butt ( sorry folks don't mean to be crude)For some reason that little mind picture helped them understand a bit. When I get real bad one will say sympathetically " Broomstick?" and all I have to do is nod to be left alone

If I respond " With slivers " they clear the room! Sometimes when I'm not feeling well I need space but I also don't like to feel like I have to hide it or pretend. Hang in there - you'll have better days!

 

[JeanG]

My IBS alternates between C & D, but is nowhere as bad as what you all have here. I know it must be very hard on you.Angel, that was a great way to get your point across to your kids!JeanG

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Hi notsoCheerful. If you don't mind,Q:1. So you live on a farm...what kind of farm and where (not address, you know state only)? Near a big city?2. You had "the flu" over the holidays...like real influenza which means a respiratory infection? Or "flu" as in the common reference to "stomach bug"= origin unknown stomch and intestinal distress of sudden onset with or without fever that then goes away by itself more or less..3. You were then diagnosed with "gastroparesis" in February and they medicated you to try to stimulate motility (get things moving)4. "the drugs they gave me make me feel jumpy so we discontinued those"...what medication did they put you on and,besides the side effects, how did it affect your motility, if at all?5. How would you describe the GI guy? Is the GI doctor (no insult intended) a younger, Board certified gastroenterologist?I am just gathering some info to maybe pass along for questions to one or two of the docs I work with, for some of their "ideas" thats all. Your situation has some unique elements. One of them might think of something.

 

[Guest]

Hi Mike Heres some answaers toi your questions We live on a Dariy Farm I have always been raised around Animals My father worked at a Vetrinarians office so I have taken up the same love for animals.We my husband and I work along side of my inlaws we farm roughly 350 acres in Southeastmichigan 25-30 miles from the border of Ohio. I use the University of MIchigan Doctors. I had a bad case of influenza between Christmas it sarted out as flu (Stomach) which I don't throw up at a drop of the hat I usually have to be truley sick for that to happen I had 102 temp for three days that didn't go anywhere with tylenol or Advil. Went to see the doctorwho informed me it was a bad case of tosilitis... My throat was just raw inside they said I told them it really doesn't even hurt-Gave me Amoxicillin and two days later i started vomiting for a week straightwas in and out of the drs and was givendifferent drugs-Carafate,Tigan, i also was haveing problems with Acid Reflux in the middle of the night and was put on PrevicidI must have seen him 6-8 times with some of his nasty remarks being that it was stress do to Christmas bills(Wrong since we payed cash for everything)Sent me on to Gastro DrI had done my homework and wrote down everything that i had ate over a 4 week period thats when the gastroparesis was diagnosed plus I had already had blood work and gastro test run before tis to rule out ulcers and other things. They put me on reglan which helped me a little but made me feel on edge even at the smallest doses.I have only ever taken Motrin and Aspirin for my whole life.Nothing more..I also called when this D started thinking it was the medicine also..Still have had D after all the drugs were taken away. I can actually say that the drugs for my stomach didn't make me feel so full after just a little bit.but the side effects were killer at times.Plus i was losing sleep at night from it.This Dr that i see is a older 50's and isone of the top people.ANd yes comes with highstandards.He has not pushed for major test but we are looking at endoscopy and a colonoscopy both to be done at the same time.I was just wondering are these just disease's that you learn to live with.I am on a low fat low fiber diet. I am on Tigan,Previcid, Fiber COn and Vitimans. My Ibs comes with horrid abdominal cramps were i could just cry it hurts so bad. Last night was one of my cheerful times I had the Dry heaves and a bout of cramping and D again after it calms down I feel better. Thanks for listenig sorry it is so long but here is the history of this. My husband is coming aroud and being a little more accepting that his wife is truley sick. He wants to also know why this started just all of a sudden . thanks so much. My name is Sharon

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Hi Cheerful: Don't take this the wrong way, but you have a very intriguing history. Lotsa "red herrings" (like the Amoxicillin for the initial infection,the "farm", and all the circumstances around it). You actually said the key words that make it "not helpful" or appropriate for me to show this to one of the GI Guys I work with:1. You are using the U of M docs..fine clinics at U of M2. Your GI doc is 50'ish...perfect. Old enough to have at least 25 years clinical experience and not so old he does not keep up so much anymore with the current literature because the practice is "matured" and he is starting to kick-back a little. What you describe, personally, are the kinds of docs that I have seen do the best work. Just as a curious observation, there are only so many prokinetics that have been found "reliable" for gastroparesis...I was wondering if you were going to show up with a trial of erythromycin (some german studies have said this is the best prokinetic)...but then you turn up to have been on amoxicillin...Dairy farm huh? Naw.....You are with a very good diagnostician and he will get to the bottom of it. Good luck and best wishes froma former neighbor (born and raised across the lake there in Cleveland...moved to FLA in 1975).