Gut issues - GP not helping

[Herewegoagain22]

I’ve had raging heartburn for 6 months now, including bloating and fullness after meals. I look pregnant after just a bowl of cereal! Not to mention acne appeared around the same time and I am constipated on and off too. GP is useless, put me on omeprazole and said bye. I have been persistent and gone back multiple times and managed to get him to do an H-Pylori test which was negative. So he just doubled my tablets and told me to come back in 3 months. I’ve asked him to do a SIBO test but he says he’s never heard of it!! I asked for an endoscopy too and he wrote to the gastro team at the hospital and said they’ve agreed I don’t need one!

im at a total loss. Nobody is helping me and I’ve done countless hours of my own research and believe it’s yeast or bacterial overgrowth in my stomach. I’ve tried different diets and cutting out certain foods to see if it is an intolerance but my symptoms are just the same.

im willing to try anything at this stage including paying for a course of metronidazole which is used to clear bacterial infections but obviously don’t want to be messing with tablets if I don’t need to. I’m just at a total loss with no help.

anyone had anything similar and how did you get support?

Hi, I’m watching eagerly at your thread, I am in exactly the same situation, I’m so bloated, upper stomach pains, constipation (even laxido) not helping. Tried lactose free, gluten free and FODMAP diet. Dr gave me lansoprazole. Can’t see me until end of July. I’m totally miserable

@Allenabc It’s awful isn’t it. They just don’t want to help or at least seem remotely willing to try and get to the root cause. I’m finding myself spending hours reading and researching and exhausting myself with potential outcomes. I’m just as miserable as you’re feeling 😔

Me too, I’m self diagnosing which is not a good idea then friends mention ovarian cancer and other serious diseases which doesn’t help 😔, good luck

@Allenabc ive just been recommended herbal tablets called Pylopurge by a gut nutritionist I reached out to online. The reviews seem good and it’s all natural ingredients. I’m going to give this a go as I have nothing to lose, just thought I’d share!

What about some friendly gut bacteria? Those yoghurt things.

Thank you for sharing, I will give them a go too

If you're going to take probiotics take them in tablet form, have you tried things like kefir or kimchi, lots of fermented foods?

How is your thyroid?

I don’t have one! Had thyroidectomy in March and been unwell since. I’m on T3 because I was hypersensitive to Thyroxine

DH has all this - turned out to be a 'rolling hernia' leading to GERD.

Have you excluded gluten for at least 3 weeks to see if that alleviated symptoms?

I had different issues for almost 30 years and although I now have a diagnosis and treatment, I definitely recommend a really good probiotic (tablet form, don't bother with the drinks).

Enterosgel also helps me hugely (I have bile acid malabsorption, so diarrhoea was main symptom - different to you, I realise). That alone was life changing for me but I'd say as well as nagging GP/NHS route, go and chat to a small health food store and ask for recommendations for probiotics. Optibac are an excellent company and give good advice, as are BioKult but plenty more out there. Best of luck! X

I had similar symptoms over a period of 6 months. Had blood test which showed coeliac disease then an endoscopy which confirmed it. Have you had bloods done?

I’ve had full blood count test but nothing showed, all normal

My DH had similar symptoms. The GP suggested he try peppermint capsules first - they have worked!!

I’ve had bloods done and an H-Pylori test which all came back fine. But heard there can be lots of false negatives with HP tests. In all honesty the worst symptoms for me include the constant heartburn and the bloating/fullness after eating anything, I look 9 months pregnant. My diet is really good, I’m at the gym 3/4 times a week and I don’t drink or smoke. I take a decent probiotic already called ProVen and have cut down on my sugar intake. Tried various diet alterations and nothing. I’m honestly at a complete loss and I’m losing it with doctors, they just don’t care. I will literally try anything at this point. People are talking about mastic gum….i need to look into this more

Did anything happen that could have triggered your symptoms, such as an illness, or travel to a country where you could have picked up a bug, or a stressful event?

Not that I can think, but it could be anything! I’ve ordered those PyloPurge tablets and failing that I have a doctors appointment on 9th July where I will be pushing for an endoscopy or a referral to go private through my health insurance at work. Thankfully I got that a couple of weeks ago.

I did an intolerance test (sent hair samples away) after similar symptoms and was surprised at the things I was intolerant to.
I'd previously cut out gluten and lactose with no improvement.
Cutting out the main things I'm intolerant to stopped my symptoms, and the smallest amount of them brings symptoms straight back.
I'm sure the NHS could save money and so much time by doing intolerance tests. But as they won't, I would recommend paying for your own.

I have reached out to a few functional medicine specialists as I’m ready to just pay to get help. I’m lying awake in bed so full and bloated I can barely lie on my front it is so uncomfortable. I last ate 5 hours ago. I could cry, it is affecting my mental health too.

Have you been tested for coeliac disease?

I was just coming on to comment and saw yours.

I had the same symptoms around 9 years ago and was diagnosed coeliac. It’s very frustrating as I saw so many consultants before I got my diagnosis.

Ovarian issues can also cause bloating, please push this with your GP as many cancers can cause bloating. I’m no medical professional but my friend had similar symptoms and it was ovarian cancer which was quickly dealt with.

Hello :-) Just wondered how everyone is doing now and if anyone tried probiotics? Did they help and which ones can you recommend? I’m having the same symptoms and not getting very far with my gp…!

See a different GP asap. Anyone with ongoing unexplained heartburn requires an endoscopy at the very least. Do not be fobbed off.

Did you try that pylopurge? Was wondering if it was worth taking

@Herewegoagain22