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Is anyone out there suffering from dyspepsia (chronic indigestion)?

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 1/30/2006 7:56 PM (GMT -8)
I have been suffering from the worst indigestion/belching for over 1.5 years now... my doc calls it dyspepsia or gastritis.  Other than GERD (which I take Nexium for) and a hiatal hernia that my doc says is not to blame, my EDG looks normal.  I have been suffering from IBS for over 30 years and was diagnosed with UC 2 years ago.  I have tried everything from changing my diet (went on the Fit for Life diet for months with no change) to numerous medications.  Nothing helps, and it doesn't seem to matter what I eat... I suffer off and on all day every day.  Last year after a HIDA scan showed I had an abnormally functioning gallbladder, my doc recommended I have my gallbladder removed.  Well, whatever the problem with my gallbladder, it clearly was not the cause of my stomach problems.  I look forward to anyone's input... I just can't believe there is no solution to my problem... hopefully somone out there has some ideas. sad
Posted 1/31/2006 8:11 AM (GMT -8)
For about two to three years now I have issues with belching. My wife actually finds it funny. She gets a kick out of some of the belches I let out, others find it disgusting, but she understands that it has gotten to the point where I cannot control it, it just happens, which is somewhat comforting, she doens't look at me funny anymore.

I cannot imagine going 30 years with IBS, I am going on my 3rd year or so, and just want it to be over. It is sad that with all the technology we have that we cannot fix something like this, heck I am up for electroshock if it fixes me :)
Posted 1/31/2006 8:37 AM (GMT -8)
I burp a lot too... and I'm a chick. Yuck!
My parents are really proper and well mannered - as children my sisters and I were not allowed to burp or fart around others. So when my IBS started I got a lot of ugly looks and slaps on the mouth when I couldn't help myself. Now my mom just gives me a lecture on etiquette when she hears me burp.
Anyway, I agree it is gross... But what can we do???
Posted 1/31/2006 9:11 AM (GMT -8)
Thanks for the responses you guys... you both mentioned that you have belching issues, but do you also feel sick to your stomach when your belching?  What have you guys done to identify and/or treat your symptoms?  After doing a bit of research, I found a lab called Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab that does some unique GI testing for bacteria and yeast, i.e., 'Intestinal Permeability Assessment', 'Comprehensive Diagnostic Stool Analysis' and 'Bacterial Overgrowth of the Small Intestine'.  I'm considering asking my doc to order 1 or more of these tests... unfortunately, I don't think my insurance will pay, so I'll have to evaluate the cost.  If you're interested, I'd be glad to keep you posted.

Posted 2/2/2006 5:54 AM (GMT -8)
Lots of heartburn, belching, no nausea though.
Posted 2/2/2006 10:06 AM (GMT -8)
Hi jbara,
Somehow I missed your reply on 1/31.... Sorry.
No, I don't always feel sick to my stomach when belching. That usually only happens when I eat too much, or when I eat something I shouldn't. Normally it is just plain ol' gas I'm releasing. Have you tried taking Gas-X to suppress the belching (and flatulance)? It seems to work pretty well for me. I also stay away from anything carbonated.
Do you take probiotics? Probiotics help with bacterial overgrowth and excesses yeast.
Yes, please keep us all posted if you decided to order any of the Great Smokies tests.
Good luck!
Posted 2/2/2006 10:31 AM (GMT -8)
If you have problems with diarrhea, see a G.I. and ask for Welchol. That's the new thing they are giving people who are post-gall bladder (like me). It binds up the bile that causes the diarrhea. It works great!

Secondly, my G.I.'s N.P. told me that bile acid can go down (causing diarrhea) OR it can go up, causing heartburn. I don't know if the Welchol will help absorb that upper G.I. tract acid as well, but it's worth a shot. That may explain why you still have problems, even though you are on a prescription heartburn med.

If you go back a few pages, you'll find a post I put up (has a yellow caution sign beside it) on heartburn meds that contains a link to a news article on heartburn meds being linked to an increase in cases of c. difficile bacteria, which is very hard to get rid of and causes a lot of pain, gas and diarrhea. Certain heartburn meds are worse than others, so you may want to ask your doctor if he knows about this link between the two and if you should be tested for c. difficile (stool sample).
Posted 2/2/2006 11:29 AM (GMT -8)
i too belch like a big fat man... (i am not) i take gas x when i have gas pains, i figure the belching is natures way of getting rid of what i do not need...
i had bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, had the antibiotics and got getter, but i still belch a lot--BUT now i fart too, and that was rare for me...

my husband loves me....
--bunny
Posted 2/2/2006 11:33 AM (GMT -8)

LOL  Bunny, you're hilarious.  yeah

Be glad you have a man because I don't know how I'm going to get one.   tongue  

Posted 2/2/2006 11:35 AM (GMT -8)
Please Lil... don't rush into it or you'll catch the wrong one... you are young!!! He is out there and you will find him when the time is right. Obviously there are men that can live with us :)
Posted 2/3/2006 9:43 AM (GMT -8)
I am suddenly reminded of that scene in the second Harry Potter book when Ron is burping up slugs and Hagrid tells him "better out than in."

When I had my gall bladder problems, all of my gas got trapped inside and I could neither burp nor poot and boy, when I got to hurting bad, how I wished I could have let something out.  Now that I'm back to something approaching normal, I burp and poot almost as much as a regular person ought to and I really find being able to fart joyous.  LOL!  I went for five years pretty much without being able to, getting to do it now feels like such a relief. 

Posted 2/3/2006 10:01 AM (GMT -8)
Ya sure, until you accidentally shart. That happened to me the last time I had a terrible attack. How embarassing....
Posted 2/3/2006 10:02 AM (GMT -8)

i read somewhere that the average person farts/burps on average 13 times a day -and if you didn't at all you would literally explode! tongue

i think i must be making up for those who only do so a couple of times a day! tongue

Posted 2/3/2006 10:27 AM (GMT -8)
Yeah, speaking of making up for those "normal" people. 

I read somewhere recently that the average person has diarrhea only FOUR times a year.  confused

Posted 2/3/2006 10:34 AM (GMT -8)
What!?! Only 4 times a year.... That study can't right. If it is I am sooooo jealous.
Posted 2/3/2006 10:43 AM (GMT -8)
I can't recall but I think I read it from Yahoo health or WebMD or one of those really big health reference sites.
Posted 2/3/2006 10:48 AM (GMT -8)
So I guess the study is right.... I went around the office asking a few people and they said it only happens every several months - so 4 times a year is right. Holy cow!
Posted 2/3/2006 11:14 AM (GMT -8)
Before my gall bladder went bad, I don't think I had diarrhea that many times a year. Now constipation I had more than 4 times a year--maybe even so severe to need a laxative pill once a year.

Lil, as for being embarrassing, I'm sitting on the couch with my fiance the other night and I started coughing all of a sudden and I let out a poot. Normally, when I need to let one, I get seated so that it comes out quietly, but that was totally unexpected and noisy! Lol. Lucky for me he doesn't have any qualms about letting one when he needs to and he eats sugar alcohols and pew! Mine rarely smell anymore.
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