Constantly feeling like getting sick

**Disco** · 01-27-2010 07:53 AM

I just want to know if anyone has anything what I do and if so then what is wrong with them.
Since my doctors don't know anymore what tests to do I have to tell them what to have a look at.

I've been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, gastro-oesphageal reflux disease, ulcers. I don't know if I actually have any of them, the doctors don't know either.
They just throw those out there to explain why I feel sick all the time.

I've had problems for over 10 years. The main symptom is discomfort in the stomach and the last year has been really bad. I cannot eat and feel like I'm going to vomit any minute, day and night non stop. I have difficulties swollowing - sometimes I can't swollow at all, it's like my throat locks itself and other times, most of the times, I feel pain when the food goes down the food pipe. It feels like it gets stuck there. I feel like I'm always full and the appetite is gone. I can eat only a little bit, like a small bite off an apple and feel I'm completely full.
I try to eat but as soon as I put something in my mouth and chew it I feel the gagging coming on really strong. It's there when I'm not eating anything aswell.

I had gastroscopy in December but the doctor said he couldn't see anything wrong with my stomach.
I will have that and colonoscopy again in Feb and when I go there I want to tell him what to look at or just draw attention to something.

I've had a look around the internet and I'm thinking I might have something like dysphagia or achalasia. If anyone has something like it can you please share your symptoms.

I've been on omeprazole and Motilium tablets. I think Motilium helps a bit but I'm not sure about the other one.

Also I cannot find a connection between feeling sick and certain foods. I always feel sick no matter what I eat.

And another weird thing is that I start feeling especially sick before going to the toilet, you know for number 2. I've had that for years. I'm mostly constipated but even if it's normal or loose I feel sick.

**KMonte85** · 01-27-2010 08:17 AM

My SIL has similar symptoms with the feeling sick, and the trouble with food and eating. She doesn't have problems with feeling sick before a bowel movement, but she may just have not said anything about it out of embarrassment.

In any case, she was diagnosed with Pancreatitis and has been taking medications to manage her condition which have really helped, along with changing her eating habits and quitting smoking.

Not sure if this is of any help to you at all or lead you in the right direction, but I just wanted to let you know of the similarities between her symptoms and yours that I noticed.

**Disco** · 01-27-2010 09:16 AM

Oh I remember now, a friend of mine who is a nurse told me to get the doctor to check my pancreas.

I think I have had it checked before when I was a teenager but nothing was found. I read now that the blood tests can come out normal but you can still have something wrong there. I will most definitely tell my doctor to have a look at that. I have never smoked (only a couple of cigarettes to try it out) and never been drunk. The only thing I thought it could be is that I used to drink loads of milk. I read that too high calcium level in the blood can cause that.

Do you know what her medication is called? Or what the active ingredient is?

**KMonte85** · 01-27-2010 09:33 AM

Sorry, I have NO clue what the meds she's on are named...

But I'm thinking you could probably get an idea if you did an internet search for Pancreatitis medical treatments... or something like that!

**kira** · 01-27-2010 02:20 PM

Are you actually having trouble with your swallowing reflex or does it feel more like there's no space for things to go in to? The swallowing disorders would not cause the rest. A faulty digestive tract could cause difficulty getting food down. I'm assuming they checked for a hiatal hernia? You can have a sliding hernia where it only presents symptoms sometimes but a good look at the area should still show it. Both pancreas and gallbladder problems can come and go. I know a few people who it took years to diagnose something being wrong with their gallbladder because the tests never lined up with when they were having symptoms.

If everything seems more constant I'd look to the small intestine. Many diagnosed with ibs have bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine. Some trauma happens to the digestive tract (even just constipation or getting sick) and bacteria gets backed up to where it shouldn't be. It can do all sorts of weird things. This is what I'm dealing with and it took them 6months to get that far in diagnosing me. The excess of bad bacteria will damage the small intestine doing lots of things. It will stop enzymes from being made so you seem to have food intollerances. Mess with your stomach so you can't eat anything. Inflammation leads to diarhea, constipation, or both alternating. When it was really bad and I ate something that set it off I couldn't eat anything for a week. My stomach just immediately felt full and I felt sick. Feeling sick right after bowel movements was also a symptom when I first started to have problems. I ended up sitting on the bathroom floor one day because I couldn't go anywhere. Now that I'm on miralax and everything inside me is basically liquified I don't have that symptom. Problem is bacterial overgrowth is somewhat untreateable. Unless there is a one time cause and then you can take antibiotics to kill off all the bacteria and probiotics to put useful ones back in. Majority of the time it recurs making it not cureable and leading to the same lifestyle as someone with IBS.

Whether this is your problem or not a good place to find help for many digestive tract problems is a site by Heather van Vorous. If you google her name you'll find it. She's also written a few books on IBS. Without even knowing it I ended up doing everything on there. I've been drinking peppermint tea which helps kill bacteria and dissolve gas, taking various probiotics to replace good bacteria, and I started using acacia powder which is soluable fiber. It's worked far better than anything the doctors tried and so far narrowed down the possible problem with my health more than their tests.

**PJhavinfunagain** · 01-27-2010 06:09 PM

I have colitis and experience many of the same things...

**Disco** · 02-15-2010 08:54 PM

Are you actually having trouble with your swallowing reflex or does it feel more like there's no space for things to go in to?

I have both, but mostly that the food doesn't go to the stomach. It does feel like the food pipe goes really narrow, but according to the gastroscopy it doesn't. A pharmacist said that the throat locking thing can be caused by damaged food pipe or the throat itself, you know from the acid.
I have been checked for hiatal hernia. First with barium meal and then the scope. Don't have it.

Do you know what tests they do for gallbladder and pancreas? Is it blood tests or the scope? Did the people you know have to keep doing the tests over and over to find out what is wrong or is there a certain test that actually shows it now matter if the symptoms are present or not?

I imagine the small intestine will be looked at when working the camera.
What bacteria are you talking about though? Is it the H pylor? I had a breath test for that one though and it came out negative. Although they sent me the appointment notice too close to the appointment itself that I was off my tablet for 2 days before the test. You have to be off of it at least a week, cause it hides the basteria.

I've never been prescribed miralax now. Just fybogel and stuff like that. Just fiber drinks, they don't really work at all.

My symptoms are very similar to yours, kira.
Especially the not being able to eat part. I just don't feel hungry or if I do I can only eat one bite and feel sick and full.
And another thing is that I can actually feel cramping or pulling in my food pipe/stomach. it's not a sore feeling, just the sensation of pulling/cramping.

I will go to the doctor on Wednesday and I will mention everything mentioned here to him. Hopefully will have the colonoscopy and gastroscopy next Monday then.

Thanks.

**Disco** · 02-15-2010 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by PJhavinfunagain

I have colitis and experience many of the same things...

The doctor thought of something like that. My belly's gone kind of big/swollen aswell and I get dull pain quite often.

**gmcp** · 03-01-2010 01:59 PM

i have hadall these tests been diagnosed with IBS and small hiatus hernia.was really sick over the week end.felt i must have over eaten.mind you thats not to hard.I am going to look up this women Heathervorous.thank you.