complex gastrointestinal problem thats not getting better..

Interesting How sympathetic is your GP ??? (Admittedly as an experiment) ask him / her to start you on 2.5 mg Bisoprolol for review in a month

Hi, Im not really looking to start on any more meds, i'd prefer to do things with natural remedies rather than synthesised chemicals. Also after Google-whacking i see Bisoprolol is a beta blocker, with being a bass player in local bands, Ive heard beta blockers can cause pins and needles in the hads and limit finger dexterity which is the last thing i need!!

Today, i have very little if no symptoms of GERD or lower abdominal pain, i tend to have days like this after a bad episode. Although i have started using the DGL licorice supplement for the first time before main meals in the last couple of days (supposedly has a bismuth-like effect), maybe its just coincidence.....

Hi,if you still have helicbacter-have you researched curing with manuka honey?

Hi in Aug of last year I had an abdominal ultrasound done and I found out that I gave Gallstones. In mid Sept I had Chronic Cholesistitus and gastritis. The reason I am telling you this is because I have been taking PPI's for acid reflux and also had those esophagial spasms! Very uncomfortable and scary, at times felt like I would have a heart attack! Since I changed my diet all my symptoms have gone! Still on PPI's but no reflux anymore and no spasms. Have you been checked out for Gallstones? Bile production could effect your digestion? And cause discomfort. Hope you get some answers and feel better soon

Deedie - I have had three helicobacter tests since my last eradication treatment, stool sample was positive, biopsy was negative and the breath test was negative. Apparently, the stool sample tests for the antigens so they will be lingering around for a good 6-12months even if you are free of helicobacter. So I'm taking that i dont have it anymore.

I currently take low doses of Manuka Honey (10+) daily, a teaspoon full twice a day to be on the safe side. I prefer to stick to as much alternative medicines as possible. i dont like the idea of filling myself up full of synthesised chemicals all the time, only when needs are an absolute must.

Bigheart2 - Ive never been checked for gallstones, i have previous thought of this before, but i dont have pain on the right side of my upper abdomen and dont have acute attacks, but it could be worth mentioning at the docs.

Ive been tempted to start taking PPI's again but , as i mentioned in an earlier post, i dont like the idea of short circuiting my digestive system permanently, causing an imbalance of Gastrin... So it makes it very difficult to get off them.

Hi Matt,

I can understand why you wouldn't think of gallstones straight away but I suppose not everyone has the same symptoms. It might be worth a look into all the same. I just know that it has played a part in my abdominal discomfort. Have you had a Liver Function Test done? If your bile production is off it might be part of the problem.

I had a lot of pain and reflux for a few years, and other than having cholecystitus the consultant thought I may have had an ulcer too, I had an endoscopy done in Jan, no ulcers but it turned out that I have a Hiatus hernia. But once I changed my diet and lost a couple of stone nearly all my symptoms have disappeared. Seeing consultant in 2 weeks and hoping to come off PPI's.

It can be hard for some people to appreciate how uncomfortable and painful abdominal problems can be. I sincerely hope you find your answers soon.

Ursula

Oh by the way Matt I think you need to have a higher strength Manuka Honey to be effective, I looked it up for myself a few mths ago and read that a min of 20 is needed.

Thanks for the reply ursula.I possibly will up the Manuka honeys active rating but I'm not really taking it to cure/alleviate anything more as a preventative for a mild antibacterial effect and also...its very expensive. I've got a few tubs of mastic gum to try next after dgl licorice.

Did you have to have surgery on for your gallstones? Or just control it with diet? I'm aware that beetroot is very good at breaking down and moving stones I've been eating a lot of cooked beets lately and I've felt good offthem.

I have also noticed since mid October my eyes have become dry and much more veiny. It might not be related but it seemed to happen out the blue with no change of daily routine or environment. I'm using artificial tears to help alleviate things.

Matt.

had a lot of problem with my password-almost couldnt get back on.

it may happen again!

so trying the gallstone route sounds good idea.

perhaps research precise instructions for taking manuka for h pylori?

i researched it for my mother a few years ago.

i think it was in 'the lancet' as well as other places.showed that to her gp who i think therefore agreed it had been properly researched.

then mum was tested & found not to have h pylori after all so didnt try manuka cure.

i would type the medical conditions you think you might have into mercola.com & see if any help.

see what he says about ppi's & alternatives to.

Thanks for the info Deedie,

I've tried lots of various alternative medications , none really being effective (or at all) so as a last resort i thought I'd try Mastic Gum, 1g twice a day between meals or on an empty stomach . Its been sitting in my cupboard shelf since Autumn and i thought i would leave it to try last as i'd heard it can be a miracle cure and if that didn't work , nothing would.

I've Been taking it for five days now and I've never had this calm a stomach in a long time, Its like i would expect my stomach to be off high doses of PPI's. Within a day i could almost feel the difference. I've also been passing a lot of wind since then (unfortunately for my partner) and not getting as bloated/painful feeling down the lower part of my abdomen. I still have a little bloated feeling in my stomach and belchiness but i cant expect all symptoms to subside straight away.

My Doc has also referred me to the cardiologist as my ECG result looked a little erratic, mind you, i had eaten a ton of stuff i knew set off my heart rate just prior to taking the ECG hehe.

The doc was passive of the idea of it being gallstones, said i look to healthy for it to be them and I don't display the classic symptoms.... :-/

Things are on the up any ways, this Mastic Gum is amazing for gastrointestinal issues. I hope it continues to improve my symptoms even more, I've read somewhere it take 2 weeks to sort out symptoms using mastic gum and to carry on the same dosages for 2 months. Then take a maintenance dose of 1g a day after that as you feel necessary.

One other thing i am going to try is Magnesium Oil. I display classic symptoms of magnesium deficiency and maybe my digestive system isn't breaking it down and absorbing it. So a tissue absorbing supplement might be beneficial.

Thanks

Matt

although the gastric problem/symptoms are completely removed from the equation with mastic gum usage, i still have the palpitation and shortness of breath issues. this morning, so much so i went back to bed as i felt so fatigued. Ive been thinking it i may have a malabsorption of vitamins/minerals which could be causing this slow but progressive problem ? magnesium, vitamin b complex, iron, calcium etc ?

You've got a Heart problem

I hope not,

luckily I've got a referral to a cardiologist from my docs after the ECG, which looked mostly normal but a little off somewhere. I also asked about the beta blockers, House. I cant take them with having Asthma , I'm not having much luck over the last few years, health-wise.

Its hard to believe i used to be a fitness fanatic with a resting heart rate of around 48-50bpm around 5-6 years ago!!

Hello,

Just a quick message as this info is worth sharing. Not long after my final post to this topic, i met up with an old school friend who was visiting his home town and we got chatting away as you do, He asked how i was and i obviously droipped into the convo all the problems ive been having, and i could see he was intrigued. hhe kept asking more questions on symptoms such as "do you have muscle spasms? Do you not sleep properly at night, but you doze off a lot during the day? Depressive/anxious thoughts? Joint pains? Do your eyelids twitch? All of them i answered to with Yes. He said "you have hypomagnesemia - a magnesium deficiency" . He said he'd been to lots of different docs with the same symptoms a few yrs ago without any luck and eventually an naturopathist found he was magnesium deficient. He advised me to try out a transdermal magnesium spray as its uptake is more efficent and the body will absorb only what i needs and you wont be over loading yourself with it .

I thought "sod it, its worth a shot" so i bought a bottle off amazon for under 10 pounds. Tried it out not thinking anything would come of it, 1 spray twice a day andf wash it off after an hour. Within 3 days i noticed my palpitations weren't as noticeable. a week later i was feeling great, rejuvenated, energetic and most importantly of all,.... very little stomach issues or IBS symptoms. At the moment i feel like ive gone back to being my old self. im taking no medication for gastric issues or herbal remedies for it.

I think i owe my friend a few beers!!!

Ok,

So.... a quick update, The Magnesium didnt really work for long, once again... the palpitations came back really strong, shortness of breath etc. they are constant. Ive also gone back onto PPI's again, lansoprazole this time. Mastic gum seemed to stop working and it was driving me mad having constant heartburn.

ECG came back fine, doctors and a phyisician have listened to my heart and they say it sounds perfect although it is a little on the fast side (resting rate 80-90bpm). blood pressure is up sand down. at the hospital it was 124/78. at the doctors a couple of weeks later it was 155/110. it seems to have erratic spikes. Next step is a heart monitor and bloods.

Still no answers for what the cause is. Is it Internal Candida? Parasites? pernicious anaemia? god knows.....