Someone reassure me this is normal

[Frequency]

For about a year now I've been getting crippling indigestion/excess acid. Whenever I have an episode I vomit uncontrollably for hours plus am unable to sleep or settle due to pain. These episodes last around a day or two. The pain subsides after a few hours but the sickness normally lasts 2-3 days of not being able to keep anything solid down and then random sickness and mild indigestion for about 2/3 weeks afterwards.

I've tried to get medical attention but due to covid I've only ever been given telephone appointments where I am told to buy Rennies or Gaviscon.

This weekend the episode was worse than ever. I ended up in an ambulance and given morphine to control the pain. The pain was worse than labour. I honestly thought something inside had burst. I sat in A&E for over 12 hours. By the time I saw the Dr the morphine had done it's thing and although I felt nauseous and achy the pain was mostly gone so they didn't seem interested in me (other than telling me to stop eating takeaways despite me making it clear I'd only eaten an omelette almost 24 hours earlier and then nothing else due to feeling sick)

They prescribed Omazprole for a month and sent me away.

I tried my GP again as I felt I wasn't taken seriously due to my weight in A&E. Again due to covid I could only speak to a nurse on the phone who basically told me there was nothing wrong with me and to stop eating fatty food (omlettes are bad apparently due to the fat content of the eggs and someone of my size should not be eating them).

Since Friday I've eaten nothing but yoghurts and milkshakes/meal replacement drinks which make me nauseous but I can manage to keep them down.

I just feel like this is not normal and that I'm not being taken seriously due to my weight. Surely throwing up for weeks after suffering indigestion is not usual for someone of any size?

I almost feel like I never want to risk eating a proper meal again because I can't get the help I need to stop the inevitable pain and sickness that will eventually result from eating a normal meal.

You're being given really shit treatment by your GP. You need advice not lectures. Could you afford £200 to go private? You need someone to listen to you. The consultant could probably put you on their NHS list for tests or recommend that your feckless GP do so.

My first thought is it's gallbladder problem.
Pain to the right side towards the back, Definitely worse than Labour. Also brought on by eating greasy food. Maybe a suggestion.
I had similar after I had c section I started getting immense pain, hospital told me to change diet, after a couple of episodes my local doctor immediately suggested gallbladder it was out within 3 months. Never had it again.
Good luck op

Gallstones

I thought gallstones, possible hiatus hernia. What is your weight/bmi?

I was 60 kgs when I had my gallbladder out.

Mine were caused by pregnancy

Fast and significant weight loss can also cause them

Gallstones were what the Paramedics and triage nurse suspected but no-one else has taken me seriously. Dr Google suggests the symptoms match mine. I could probably scrape £200 together but I'd be worried about the possibility of getting the same treatment.

I don't own scales and cannot see a GP so no clue about my weight/BMI. I'm a size 22 and 5ft9 if that helps? I am otherwise fit and healthy, work fulltime and walk the dog twice a day. My weight does not effect my day to day life.

Is there a way to manage gallstones with diet? Dr Google was conflicted when I consulted it.

Low fat

It is crappy treatment by your doctor but it sounds like gallstones (I have them and get the same episodes) so the advice to cut out fatty foods is pretty much standard. I've had to cut out full fat milk, cream, eggs, yoghurt, ice cream, most takeaways, pizza, minimal intake of cheese and fried foods. It sucks but it does ward off an attack, and if I do still get one I drink plenty of water, take lansoprazole, and only eat things like toast or plain pasta.

Being overweight can be part of gall stone issues as can eating fatty foods, which might account for previous comments. You might have more luck booking a appointment with the practice nurse or local pharmacist for advice.

Oh and if you speak to your GP again insist on an ultrasound just to confirm it is gallstones. They won't do much after the diagnosis unless they're huge and you need an op, but at least you'll know what it is and how to manage it. I had to be very firm last year to get my ultrasound and it was a relief knowing the pain was gallstones and not something too heinous.

Low fat I can cope with if it stops the pain. I don't like most of the low fat substitutes but meat/veg/salad are all fine and I seem to cope okay with milkshake meal drinks and full fat yoghurt.

Thanks all.

My partner had similar and was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia.

Can you complete an econsult?
If so ask directly if they could request an ultrasound scan as you are concerned you have gallstones. Mention if the omeprazole isn't helping. Don't get too bogged down in the questions eg don't waffle, just repeat I'm concerned I have gallstones causing recurrent bouts of abdominal pain and vomiting.

My friend had this type of pain due to a pancreas issue. Her's was down to drinking too much alcohol....not that I am saying you do that, but thought I'd just comment. There was also an issue with cholesterol. She would be OK one minute, then double up in pain and be violently sick for the next few hours....it was horrible to see.

Sounds very similar to when I had gallstones, the pain was unbearable, after my 3rd trip to a&e and a quick ultra sound scan it was confirmed. I’d push your gp for a ultrasound. No problems since mine was removed

The first episode was actually after I lost about 4 stone fairly rapidly and treat myself to a Chinese as a reward so I'm pretty convinced it's gallstones now.

I'm still feeling pretty ick after eating with mild pain from the last attack so I'm sticking to small, light, low fat meals such as muller rice and porridge or meal replacement shakes.

The issue I am worried about is that rapid weightloss makes gallstones worse and clearly living off 3 tiny meals a day will cause rapid weightloss but anything other than tiny meals makes me vomit which would also cause rapid weight loss and the GP is refusing to look into it any further until I've been on Omazaprole for a month.

Once the sickness stops it will be also be difficult to eat enough calories to prevent rapid weightloss while also cutting out fat.

So I'm stuck in a bit a circle. I do feel better that I'm confident it's gallstones now and not something worse.

Dairy may not help gall stones either, and watch the sugar content and artificial sweeteners in low fat/diet products. You may find protein such as plain chicken or fish easier to digest.

Push for an ultrasound.