Functional Dyspepsia??? I think that's just a term the Docs use because they have no idea...

[MrsBigD]

Hi All,

I've been unable to eat properly for about 6 weeks now and am getting extreme pain approx 10 mins after eating minute amounts. I'm totally fine as long as I don't eat, and for once even have heaps of energy (go figure). Can't knock the weight loss either (nearly 10kg), which I've slowed down a bit by now adding sugar to my peppermint tea and having high nutrient/fat snackets 3x a day. I'm actually not hungry and the odd occasion I do get hungry a snack literally will leave me feeling stuffed. Type of food doesn't matter.

Had blood tests, ultrasound, h-pilori test, gastroscopy (with doc being rather surprised he didn't find anything) and CT and everything has come back normal... so WTF can't I eat!? Next step renal ultrasound, though not holding my breath.

Don't have GERD, GORD or the like. Ok so I've been a bit stressed, but I'm one of those people who have a really hard time loosing weight because I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I'm sad, I eat when I'm stressed... you get the pic.

So went back to the doc, who wanted to give me more pills to try. I DON'T WANT PILLS, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME (sorry for the shouty)

Has anybody had similar? Did you ever find a solution? I want to be able to eat a nice big fresh humongous salad again!

Any suggestions of avenues will be highly appreciated

cheers

MBD

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Did they check your gallbadder?

[MrsBigD]

Hi ThumbWitchesAbroad,

yup, gall bladder, pancreas, stomach, duodenum, ct for tumors that might be hiding etc... hence my 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah' rant

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Ok - what happened before it started, if anything - can you remember the first time it happened? WEre you ill, did anything stressful occur, anything at all?

[MrsBigD]

Hi again ThumbWitchesAbroad... I was ueberstressed at work and had a bit or a sour stomach which I put down to the stress. But normally if I get that I can still eat without pain, and actually want to eat to 'soak up' the acid (whereas now I am not even hungry and defo don't want to eat). Then I threw up in the office and could stop retching, so the doc gave me some anti nausea pills and some antiacid pills, which did help a tad but left me feeling woolly headed and as if I had marshmallows in my throat. So stopped the meds as nausea was getting bearable, that's when the early satiety (I learned a new word ;) ) and the pain started. So no proper gastro, no diarrhoea, no anything else.

Any suggestions what I might have missed?

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Well I hate to say it but it could possibly have a psychological basis from your stress reaction.

[MrsBigD]

oh I'm not ruling out that I'm a mental case, however the pain and discomfort is awfully real.

And yes, not being able to eat stresses me out even further... so it's a catch 22 if it's mental...

One of my colleagues asked me if I'm deliberately not eating, aka anorexic, but trust me it's not by choice.

[Belleview]

If I were you and western medicine was giving me a little label and nothing else, I'd shop elsewhere ie. Go to TCM. ( Traditional Chinese Medicine). Find a good acupuncturist and herbalist near you. Guarantee they will treat you and know what's going on.

[MrsBigD]

Thanks Belleview, I have been thinking about asking a friend for her naturalist/herbalist's details

[Belleview]

Don't forget the 'Chinese' part. Their system looks at our systems differently, so they see meridians and channels and blockages and stagnancies, heat and cold, not just 'organs that are working/not working'. So they have a wider frame of reference.

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

No no, sorry, not a mental case - but stress can have some very odd physiological effects and staying stressed can cause repeat patterns that otherwise would go away. The vomiting and retching could, IMO, have set up an ingrained response that your body is now reacting to whenever you eat - and it's trying to prevent the same thing happening again by reducing the load on your stomach.

Actually seeing a complementary practitioner isn't a bad idea, but for possibly psychosomatic reaction (possible, note) then I'd consider someone who could deal with body stress. Acupuncture, osteopathy, even an NLP practitioner could help to sort out the original causative factor.

[Belleview]

Lots of acupuncturists supplement their treatments with Chinese herbs. Ime they are super -effective.

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Or you could change jobs...

[weaselwords]

If it is likely to be functional then it will be related to the stress at work. This doesn't make you a mental case, it makes you human! Our bodies can do some very weird things when stressed and it is likely that you are a hard working, conscientious person who pushes themselves hard.

Listen to your body, it is telling you to stop. Reduce that stress and re-evaluate your life because no job can be worth this.

[Belleview]

If stress triggered your digestive issue, the TCM point of view will be that your digestion was in need of strenthening to start with, and that weak digestive set up made you vulnerable to emotional stress.

Strong digestion allows more emotional stability.

[MrsBigD]

hehehe ThumbWitchesAbroad & Weaselwords I know I'm not mental... just slowly getting there as I haven't been able to have a cup of coffee in that time either - which I guess on the upside helped curb my caffeine addiction...

Had people suggest meditation... ergh... not quite me... and I can't afford a boxing coach atm...

Also bosses are giving me a side-kick and coaching so here's hoping that with these stress reduction measure my body will cooperate again. If not... well then I give up and just slim down to a size 0 LOL (trying to stay positive here)

Thanks for everybody's input :)

[ErniesGhostlyGoldtops]

Just because you are in real pain doesn't mean the cause is not psychosomatic. Chinese medicine cured a friend of very extreme ulcerative colitis after all else western failed. I would give Chinese a go.

[TheMoa]

Has your liver been checked? Did the bloods you had done show/test for normal liver function?

[MrsBigD]

Thanks ERniesG, definitely have added 'find Chinese herbalist/practitioner' to my to do list.

TheMoa, bloods are perfect, besides slightly raised bilirubin (which every member of my family has) and low glucose levels (3.2 after eating)

better get to pick up dh from work now and cook dinner for everybody

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

You can probably afford one of these though... www.amazon.co.uk/Desktop-Punching-Stress-Relief-Vacuum/dp/B00T5X2NXK?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21


Do consider the osteopath as well - all that vomiting and retching could well have put something out of whack, and it could take as little as one treatment to put it back where it belongs.

[MrsBigD]

Thanks ThumbWitchesAbroad... love the link LOL

Ok, so now have added to my to do list:

1x Chinese Practitioner (should be easy enough to find in our neibourhood, the next suburb over is 'little china' with the best Chinese restaurants around, so they're bound to have an old Chinese lady or gentleman somewhere who might be able to make me some miracle concoction

1x Osteopath - the last osteopath I had was back in the UK and she was great, and came to me at home. She had her work cut out for her then already! The bane of being in an office job.

The weirdest thing is though, that usually my stress reaction is that I am totally fatigued, have breathing and lung issues and my hayfever/allergies are through the roof.

Since I've been on my non voluntary semi-starving stint, I've got loads of energy, no breathing problems and my allergies have disappeared...
Well guess that's a good thing... one problem at a time is plenty ;)

my colleague keeps telling me it's food intolerances that are causing my allergies. Granted I am almost ready to give her that one...

[Belleview]

Food intolerances are a sign of weak digestive energy anyhow, according to TCM, so it's the same underlying issue.

The stomach is a deeper organ than the lungs, in TCM, so your previous issue has shifted, most likely, to the next stop along. Find a good acupuncturist and be prepared for a fairly substantial course of treatment.

[MrsBigD]

Thanks Belleview hadn't thought of that at all! I have a couple of intolerances that came up during testing a long long time ago - rye, barley, oats - and those foods I have always avoided to my best ability. However, it seems something else throws my balance, given that I'm better with reduced food load... ah the joys of the human body in its non homeostatic state...

[Knittingnoodles]

I was told my pain was all in my head. Turns out it wasn't. So I would keep on at your doctor. Also ask for a copy of your hospital and doctors notes, or you can go in and read them for free. I found that when I saw a consultant they hadn't the remotest clue about my problems. I hope you get to the bottom of this and feel better soon.

[Walkswithbitches]

I know this thread is old but knitting noodles I was just wondering what was wrong with you in the end?
It's just I've been unwell for 6 years and the pain is getting unmanageable. I just had an upper endoscopy that showed nothing. Yet I can't speak out function because my esophagus is so painful from acid reflux.
I'm a little perturbed because the gastro I saw said he would take biopsies but the this being the NHS I couldn't get my scope with him and thus the gastro that oriented the scope just looked and saw nothing and left again. I wish he had been a little more investigative.
I don't know what else to do now. Gaviscon only helps a little. PPI does nothing. Can't get ranitidine anymore.
I do acid watcher diet .... I've tried low fodmap, fast tract, pimental low fermentation..... They all made me constipated...... Also tried gluten free, dairy free, etc again.... No result.
Three pain is so bad I don't know how to function. In at a loss

[greenspacesoverthere]

That sounds awful @Walkswithbitches