Has anyone had experience of upper gut issues (gastritis, dyspepsia etc) - what were your symptoms?

[OutinmyMoHo]

I have had IBS for over half of my life but it changed around 6 years ago.

I say changed, I still experience the bowel issues but around 2019 I started suffering from upper gut issues as an additional issue. Excessive burping especially after eating, nausea, an acidic gnawing pain-like feeling in my stomach area, bloating in my stomach, a tickly cough, burning at the base of my throat, a sticky/phlegm feeling at the back of my throat so I have to keep swallowing etc. This is all now daily (upper and lower gut).

So literally every part of my digestive system is affected. It is fairly miserable if I am honest.

I have had lots of tests over the last 6 years. A gastroscope 6 years ago with biopsies, 2 colonoscopies, a BAM scan and a pill camera endoscopy. I am on a waiting list to have another gastroscope as my latest bloods flared up an abnormal IgA reading as being low. My gastroenterologist says she is fairly confident that I don't have Coeliac disease as I have been tested several times but she will do a scope anyhow, she hasn't put this as urgent so it will be some time away.

Sorry for TMI but I suffer from horrible sticky, loose stools and I am convinced that it is all starting from my upper gut issues. I feel that my acid issues are perhaps agitating my intestines/bowels and causing the loose/sticky stool and urgency? It's so hard to get an appointment with my gastro and my GP just says she doesn't know if this could be a possible cause and doesn't know what else to prescribe but I am wondering if maybe I have high or even low stomach acid (tried PPI's and H2 blockers but they gave me awful diarrhoea) and this is causing the issue, or maybe I am just grasping at straws as I am miserable living like this?. I live off Gaviscon now which does nothing and follow a very careful diet avoiding anything which is supposed to trigger acid/IBS symptoms but nothing is really helping (am low fodmap and even tried the Acid Watchers Diet).

Has anyone suffered anything like this? Did you manage to overcome it or find out the cause? I am getting a little bit desperate to find something to ease, manage or cure it now.

Hi,
I suffer from a lot of those symptoms on and off since my 20s. Not so much the IBS but the gastritis symptoms. It has been particularly bad recently and I just had a Urea breath test for H. Pylori and am waiting on those results.

I had an endoscope and biopsy years ago which showed up redness and also positive for H.Pylori. The triple therapy cleared up the symptoms in days.
Since then I have had a Urea breath test for similar symptoms (years later) and it didn't detect the bacteria. The UBT is less sensitive for detecting H.Pylori than the biopsy so I am actually hoping this recent one is positive so that I can start on the antibiotics.

I go through phases of living on Gaviscon, the PPI don't do much for me regardless of the strength/quantity. I also have an excellent diet and really avoid all unhealthy foods these days (also try to eat really slowly and in a straightback position, so never on a sofa for example). I am under a lot of stress right now with work and a mother with Alzheimers who I am partially caring for.

While I feel stress and diet definitely play a part, I know my main issue stems from a hyper acidic stomach (I also literally never get tummy bugs/food poisoning - the acid kills everything!). I know I am on the way to developing ulcers but am hoping that bacteria are the cause as that way there is some treatment!

Have you been tested for H.Pylori? Presume you have given your history.

Sorry am not more of a help, you're not alone.

I really feel for you, I also help to care for my mum who is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's, the stress from it all certainly doesn't help things.

I have been tested for h pylori several times. I am often concerned because when I had the pill camera endoscopy back in 2022 the results came back as normal but did show a small slightly raised area, I questioned this and they said it was probably as a result of irritation from the prep I had to take before the procedure and it would go away on it's own. I do often worry that it never went away and has worsened.

I hope you get your results back soon. Wishing you all the best.

Thanks for your kind response.
Out of interest, were you ever found to be positive for H pylori, even with the endoscopy?

Nothing ever came up as positive for h pylori even via the biopsies.

I had do many issues. So many tests to eliminate gallstones etc. I have found out I have a fluid sac on my kidney. It doesn't require any treatment but it does cause me issues with pain. Apparently they are quite common. It worse when im lying down. At night I have to sometimes switch to lying on my side. I take paracetamol. I also have fibromyalgia (my pain threshold is really low as a result)and a fatty liver- been told to lose weight. You have my sympathy OP. It crap bring in pain/ discomfort.

I have Ibs and developed terrible upper gi signs also. It was after severe stress. Gas, bloating, huge burps. All the antacids made me worse, as did digestive enzymes etc. I was eventually diagnosed with functional dyspepsia which is like Ibs but in the stomach not just my intestines. I was given something to calm the nerves down which worked really well and only have Ibs again now.

That's interesting. I have a very large Bosniak cyst on my left kidney, it's larger than the actual kidney. It was discovered 6 years ago as an incidental finding when I had an ultrasound on my stomach. I had to have it monitored for a few years. I've never associated it with any of my gut issues.

I feel for you, it really is crap.

Functional dyspepsia is the diagnosis my gastro gave me for the upper gut issues too. I do wonder if my stress is exacerbating everything.

Can I ask what you were given for your nerves?

It’s miserable isn’t it?
I never had digestive issues of any note until 3+ years ago. I did get some trapped wind occasionally but that was it.
I had covid & boom! - you can search on my name to find out more but I have had terrible reflux f

Sorry, posted too soon. Search on my name for details. I suffer with all the reflux symptoms and do all the lifestyle changes but never found total relief. I now have gastritis and gastric polyps, plus inflammation in the lower bowel they’ve never properly diagnosed. I’m thinking of going back to my GP again after I saw a GI consultant who I thought was very lame.
What sort of food do you eat and have you made any lifestyle changes?

IBS (and Diverticular disease) Gastritis and Oesophagitis here (dx after scopes)
Standard dose of Omeprazole did nothing and I had to have double doses for a while...now mostly under control.
Apart from the discomfort upper stomach and swallowing issues, I also had palpitations with it, which was quite scary.
I had to cut out everything acidic..tomatoes, chocolate (can't rem why), no wine or anything like that... it helped and is now in a liveable place!

I’ve pm’d you @OutinmyMoHo

I'm sorry you are suffering too, it really is no fun at all is it?

I am really quite strict with my diet. I have worked with several dietitians and have kept a food and symptom dairy for a few years now but tbh I can not see much of a pattern other than hormonal. I could of course be all the stress that I am under, I shouldn't underestimate that I know but I am always hoping it would be something as simple as removing something out of my diet. The stress part of my life is much much harder to remove. It is a vicious cycle for the more my guts play me up the more stressful it is - urgh!

I do all the things we are supposed to do for good health (keeping my weight down, exercising, eating well, no alcohol, no smoking, meditation, lots of sleep etc) but I am still struggling.

It is beyond frustrating.

I have an autoimmune condition that requires several medications that can cause tummy troubles but never have in the past.. Have always had a very 'efficient' digestive system if you know what I mean 😂This spring started with a terrible burning gnawing pain under my ribs along with bad upper backache. Much worse at night, it would wake me up and I would sit with two hot water bottles - one on the front and one on the back! At first the GP thought it was gallbladder but a gastroscopy showed gastritis and I am now on famotidine which seems to hold it at bay. If I am stressed my symptoms start to break through again so I know that doesn't help. No ulcer no H Pylori but it was so painful. I do feel for you. I am no good with omeprazole but the famotidine does seem to work.