Gastrointestinal problems

[Raziaar]

Do any of you guys have gastrointestinal problems?

Man... for as long as I remember I've been having issues involving my digestive system. Cramps, diarrhea... you name it.

I'm fairly certain I am lactose intolerant... since often consuming dairy products such as a glass of milk seems to quickly cause this sort of problem.

But it's also other things. Even if I eat right and eat healthy foods they'll still trigger bouts of diarrhea and horrible stomach cramping pain. Every time it happens I feel like I want to die too.

Terrible, terrible stuff.

I suppose it's been a good thing I don't have much of a life since this would severely get in the way of it... eating something and then having to be stuck to the bathroom for a good while.

 

[Danimal]

I get them quite often, I think it's because lately I've been eating some pretty terrible food.

Gasbuddies?

 

[Warped]

what kinds of foods are you eating??

 

[Raziaar]

Like I said... pretty much any type of foods will trigger it.

Eggs... fruits and vegetable... even things like lentils and oatmeal cause it. With them though they are often hit or miss. Either they get me, or they don't. They often get me.

With dairy products, it's almost a definite. Hard too, because I love dairy products. Ice cream, milk on my cereal. Chocolate milk. Cheeses.

Anyway, I'm going to bed. I'll read responses and all the nasty laughter tomorrow.

 

[Warped]

maybe you should stop eating, and see if that helps

 

[Raziaar]

maybe you should stop eating, and see if that helps

Hey! That's worth a shot. I'll stop drinking water too. All I'll need to survive are deep breaths off of clean air.

I'll call it... breatharianism.

 

[Warped]

there actually is a group who believe all they need is air but they don't seem to share their info with the world that much. i suggest you do some live webcast to prove your new found anecdote

 

[Sedako]

Look into IBS as a possible affliction:

https://www.google.com/health/ref/Irritable+bowel+syndrome

 

[Hazar]

visit a doctor, not helplife2.net

D:

 

[Captain M4d]

Do you ever have blood in your stool? Do you have great urgencies?

You may have the disease that I have, but you should visit your doctor to be sure. Colonoscopies are the best for a proper diagnosis.

Beyond IBS, look up irritable bowel disease, which is actually different from IBS. This includes Ulcerative Colitis, which is the disease that I have, and it's terrible brother, Crohn's Diease.

For now, what I might suggest is that you lower your dairy intake to almost none and start switching to soy and rice alternatives (as much as it may suck, I did get used to it and some of the stuff does taste good). Also, raw vegetables are fiber-licious, so try to cook all your vegetables before you eat them.

Please let me advise you that I'm not a professional in any way (meaning GO SEE A DOCTOR DAMMIT), but this is just from my own personal experience with some similar symptoms.

 

[Raziaar]

visit a doctor, not helplife2.net

D:

Yeah... I've been living with it for most of my life.

I think I'll wait to see if this health care reform thing pans out first. I don't really know what a doctor would accomplish, unless maybe in conjunction with a dietitian or something to figure out what foods are causing it and why.

SOUNDS EXPENSIVE THOUGH.

Do you ever have blood in your stool? Do you have great urgencies?

You may have the disease that I have, but you should visit your doctor to be sure. Colonoscopies are the best for a proper diagnosis.

Beyond IBS, look up irritable bowel disease, which is actually different from IBS. This includes Ulcerative Colitis, which is the disease that I have, and it's terrible brother, Crohn's Diease.

For now, what I might suggest is that you lower your dairy intake to almost none and start switching to soy and rice alternatives (as much as it may suck, I did get used to it and some of the stuff does taste good). Also, raw vegetables are fiber-licious, so try to cook all your vegetables before you eat them.

Please let me advise you that I'm not a professional in any way (meaning GO SEE A DOCTOR DAMMIT), but this is just from my own personal experience with some similar symptoms.

Rice and soy milk cause it as well. I really like soy and rice milk too. In those instances it's not lactose intolerance causing it though of course.

Anyway... by blood in your stool, what do you mean? Like... dark blood that I can see in the water? Only once that I can remember, and I'm still not sure what that was. I do always have blood on the tissue paper though, bright red and for many many years now. Yeah yeah, gross i know. If you don't like it you shouldn't have entered the thread! I chalk that up to a tear that hasn't healed after all those years... just constantly being torn open again.

Whatever I have, I think my brother has too. Might be a genetic thing. Then again that could be because he just eats crappy foods. He doesn't make an effort to eat healthier foods like I do.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

If you lived in a country like Australia you could just go to a doctor for free. But the people of your country seem to be retarded in some way and don't like the idea. Strange.

Anyway, i have this shit all the time.

 

[Raziaar]

If you lived in a country like Australia you could just go to a doctor for free. But the people of your country seem to be retarded in some way and don't like the idea. Strange.

Anyway, i have this shit all the time.

Yeah. Sigh. I wish.

I have some legitimate reasons to go and see the doctor. Several things, including my deteriorating hands and this solid lump that's been causing all sorts of pain in my neck that has been there for the past year.

But I don't go because I have no money and am afraid of being charged outrageous sums of money. My past two doctors experiences have really turned me off to going because it's so hard to pay the bills for them.

Anyway... bedtime. Serious this time.

 

[Stigmata]

Yeah. Sigh. I wish.

I have some legitimate reasons to go and see the doctor. Several things, including my deteriorating hands and this solid lump that's been causing all sorts of pain in my neck that has been there for the past year.

But I don't go because I have no money and am afraid of being charged outrageous sums of money. My past two doctors experiences have really turned me off to going because it's so hard to pay the bills for them.

Anyway... bedtime. Serious this time.

I don't know anything about the rest of the thread, but my guess is that the lump in your neck is a goiter i.e. swollen thyroid. Get some iodine in your diet! Most table salt is iodized, and you don't need much. I think half a tablespoon of table salt a day will give you enough iodine.

 

[VirusType2]

Raz, less dairy, more fruit and fiber.

Cut back on coffee and other inflammatory foods if you can't handle it. Painful cramps followed by explosive shit.

 

[Warped]

seems like some of those "comfort" foods are more like "not some comfort" foods

i used to eat half a gallon of ice cream every day for a while and now i can't bodies change, you gotta adapt faster. listen to what your body is telling you. if your tired, go to sleep, if your hungry eat, if you feel like punching someone in the face do it

 

[Stormy]

I have ulcerative colitis, its pretty ****ing nasty tbh but has been fine for a good year or so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulcerative_colitis

Sounds like you have some of the symptons, might be worth getting it checked out just in case =(

But very much hope you dont!

Woh captin m4d, you have the same plage as me! how intresting! What drugs you on?

 

[Captain M4d]

I have ulcerative colitis, its pretty ****ing nasty tbh but has been fine for a good year or so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulcerative_colitis

Sounds like you have some of the symptons, might be worth getting it checked out just in case =(

But very much hope you dont!

Woh captin m4d, you have the same plage as me! how intresting! What drugs you on?

Dude, we're colon bros!

Actually, I've been in remission for two and half years now. I have no idea how it happened. I took myself off Asacol, 6MP and Prednisone, and the symptoms slowly started to disappear. I wouldn't recommend doing it because I could have screwed up my body very badly by doing that.

And Raz, that little blood on the tissue could be enough. Any amount of blood found in your stool should be reported to your doctor ASAP.

Contrary to what Virus said, I would try to stay away from too much fiber for right now. It may be good for some gastrointestinal problems but it doesn't do someone with IBD any good.

In short, you should really go see a doctor as soon as you can.

 

[Raziaar]

I don't know anything about the rest of the thread, but my guess is that the lump in your neck is a goiter i.e. swollen thyroid. Get some iodine in your diet! Most table salt is iodized, and you don't need much. I think half a tablespoon of table salt a day will give you enough iodine.

I make sure we get iodized salt. And I consume enough of it... though half a tablespoon is an insane amount of salt, way more than recommended daily intake.

Also... isn't the thyroid at the front of the neck? The lump I have is on the back right side of my neck, right behind my ear. There's no visible protuberance but I can feel it in there and I know it doesn't feel right.

I think diet has something to do with it, at least it has a secondary impact. When I consume more salt than I need, it seems to cause significantly more pain. So I try to eat more properly in order to help it out.

Raz, less dairy, more fruit and fiber.

Cut back on coffee and other inflammatory foods if you can't handle it. Painful cramps followed by explosive shit.

I don't consume dairy a whole lot. I rarely drink milk. I rarely have ice cream. The only other dairy(classified as dairy sometimes) I consume at times is eggs and very rarely cottage cheese.

I eat cook and eat frozen vegetables(great by the way... cheaper, almost no less nutritional). I don't consume a lot of fruits because we don't typically buy a lot.

I don't drink coffee or really eat any other foods that I would think be inflammatory. Then again I don't know what other foods.

I have ulcerative colitis, its pretty ****ing nasty tbh but has been fine for a good year or so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulcerative_colitis

Sounds like you have some of the symptons, might be worth getting it checked out just in case =(

But very much hope you dont!

Woh captin m4d, you have the same plage as me! how intresting! What drugs you on?

Some day I'll be able to.

Dude, we're colon bros!

Actually, I've been in remission for two and half years now. I have no idea how it happened. I took myself off Asacol, 6MP and Prednisone, and the symptoms slowly started to disappear. I wouldn't recommend doing it because I could have screwed up my body very badly by doing that.

And Raz, that little blood on the tissue could be enough. Any amount of blood found in your stool should be reported to your doctor ASAP.

Contrary to what Virus said, I would try to stay away from too much fiber for right now. It may be good for some gastrointestinal problems but it doesn't do someone with IBD any good.

In short, you should really go see a doctor as soon as you can.

I don't have a doctor man. And everything I've read says that bright red blood in small quantities is nothing to be alarmed about. Going to the doctor right now is almost out of the question. The last two times I went to a doctor have been very difficult to pay off. They're just not affordable especially when they prescribe shit.

Like so many other Americans who can't go to the doctor because of expense, I'll have to live with the consequences later, even though I wish it weren't the case. One of these days maybe I'll save up for a full physical. Never in my life had one, and never had a regular checkup either. My body and all its issues are for the most part a mystery to myself and the people around me.

<grumbles>

You guys all sound like you come from a family that frequently went to the doctors to diagnose problems you have. And that's great. But my family has always basically except for the most critical emergencies just sat back and did nothing about any medical condition. I swear they're Christian Scientists or something sometimes because of that.

The only way I'm going to get some of this stuff checked out is if I can save up and afford to do it myself. I've told my dad about some of them quite frequently as they started and progressed, and he shows concern but in the end does nothing and it never seems to be a worry enough to go get it checked out. So in the end, it'll be up to me to save up for it all and get it done myself.

 

[CR0M]

Cow. Follow these three steps.

1) Stop eating white bread of any kind. That also means pizza bases, dough, crackers, anything wheat-flour based. Change to a seed based or oat bread, ideally with no wheat in it. If you can't get any, go for a loaf that has as little wheat in it as possible, but lay off everything else made with wheat flour.

Vogel's Soya and Linseed is the best I have found, and it took me 3 years of testing countless breads. Vogel's tastes great especially toasted, and it has the added benefit of slices being a lot smaller than standard loaves so you also eat less of it without really noticing. It may be hard to find where you are but try, it's worth it.

2) Every time you eat, add a couple of handfuls of green salad leaves like watercress, rocket, spinach to your plate and eat it all. Om nom nom.

3) Walk 2 miles every day, ideally straight after lunch. Walk as fast as you can, as far as you can, rain or shine. You want to work up a sweat. Walking works the muscles in your guts which compacts food down and releases the gasses that get trapped and cause painful bloating. You will find you belch more after a while. This is good.

I had IBS for 10 years, doing all these three things together stopped it dead within weeks. If it doesn't happen soon enough for you, stick at it, because it will happen and life will be good.


Now, about that bleeding - is it painful when you take a dump?

 

[Raziaar]

Cow. Follow these three steps.

1) Stop eating white bread of any kind. That also means pizza bases, dough, crackers, anything wheat-flour based. Change to a seed based or oat bread, ideally with no wheat in it. If you can't get any, go for a loaf that has as little wheat in it as possible, but lay off everything else made with wheat flour.

Vogel's Soya and Linseed is the best I have found, and it took me 3 years of testing countless breads. Vogel's tastes great especially toasted, and it has the added benefit of slices being a lot smaller than standard loaves so you also eat less of it without really noticing. It may be hard to find where you are but try, it's worth it.

Hmm. There's an idea. I honestly don't eat that much wheat anymore, but I do eat some. I could give it a try.

I used to take oatmeal with a little water and seasonings, and then put it on the skillet and make a form of Oatmeal Pancakes. I would call them Panoatcakes(genius!), and they would make sandwiches so amazingly hearty. I used them just like bread.

2) Every time you eat, add a couple of handfuls of green salad leaves like watercress, rocket, spinach to your plate and eat it all. Om nom nom.

The only salad greens we really get here is the frozen kind. I think I started getting them because of calcium content since having drastically reduced my milk intake, I was worried about calcium levels.

I should eat them more often though.

3) Walk 2 miles every day, ideally straight after lunch. Walk as fast as you can, as far as you can, rain or shine. You want to work up a sweat. Walking works the muscles in your guts which compacts food down and releases the gasses that get trapped and cause painful bloating. You will find you belch more after a while. This is good.

Ugh. I used to go for frequent and long walks of 4-6 miles a few years ago, but that all but stopped and I don't remember why I didn't resume. I haven't been walking or exercising in a long time now, and have resorted to an amazingly sedentary lifestyle. I even stopped my weightlifting due to my excruciating nerve pain in my arms and my deteriorating hands and fingers along with grip strength from so much excessive finger popping(of the unnatural, non gas bubble kind).

I had IBS for 10 years, doing all these three things together stopped it dead within weeks. If it doesn't happen soon enough for you, stick at it, because it will happen and life will be good.


Now, about that bleeding - is it painful when you take a dump?

Nope. Not painful when I take a dump... except maybe the rare, occasional sharp pain which I assume is that little tiny cut producing the small amounts of blood.

Glad you got your IBS under control dude. I don't know what I have, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It makes for a pretty miserable existence at times.

 

[VirusType2]

My brother and my step brother also have Crohn's disease. I just know his gut always hurt like a mother ****er. Certain foods like coffee would absolutely **** his world up. He had to have lengths of his intestine removed. Hope that's not you, man.

The blood is probably hemorrhoids. Comes from not eating enough fruit (and probably other things), and it's pretty much permanent (generally reoccurring) without surgery or something.

 

[Raziaar]

My brother and my step brother also have Crohn's disease. I just know his gut always hurt like a mother ****er. Certain foods like coffee would absolutely **** his world up. He had to have lengths of his intestine removed. Hope that's not you, man.

The blood is probably hemorrhoids. Comes from not eating enough fruit (and probably other things), and it's pretty much permanent (generally reoccurring) without surgery or something.

Okay, now that you mention it, and from reading about it... I'm almost convinced the bleeding is from Hemmorhoids now. I don't want to get into the disgusting little details though. Haha.

 

[Laivasse]

I second the recommendation for soya & linseed bread. I was briefly with a girl who forcefed me that stuff and man, it is a fibre powerhouse. I had never been so regular and haven't been since.

I would also suggest cutting out eggs and finding your protein some other way. Eggs aggravate my uncle's bowels pretty bad.

If you have trouble motivating yourself to go walking, find a way to incentivise yourself. Explore your area to help you decide on the nicest routes, take a camera with you, treat yourself to an mp3 player to listen to on the route, find a cafe to work into the route or something so you can have a hot (and healthy) drink on the home stretch.

The blood when wiping might be separate or not directly symptomatic of your itchy bowels. It could just be a haemorrhoid, brought on by strained bowel movements or whatever. Try squatting in a warm bath for a few minutes every day (but be careful not to follow through on any bubblefarts). That, and making your bowel movements more regular with an improved diet, should deal with any troublesome Dan Ackroyds, if that is the problem. VT is right that they recur, but keep yourself regular and it should never be a significant problem. There are creams which sooth them and minor medical procedures which wipe them out if they really do bother you.

 

[VirusType2]

I've just got a minute but I came back because I forgot to say that inflammatory foods are generally processed foods. White bread, things like American cheese, saturated fats, high fructose corn syrup, meats with fillers (cheap chicken nuggets), textured vegetable protein (processed soy)(veggie burgers and fake sausage links), etc.

I'm no expert, I forget things, i make mistakes etc, but you should look these things up on your own if you want the full run-down of what is Crohn's, what is processed foods, inflammatory foods, and all these other things that people suggest.

When it comes to medical science, many problems have similar symptoms. But you can possibly rule out some things.

I had to skim much of the thread due to time constraints, but if you are experiencing significant pain in your gut after eating and this goes on for extended periods of time - like more than a week, and you aren't sick, something is very wrong. You need to go to the emergency room.

If you are unemployed, they might probably chalk it up to charity. They won't deny treating you.

 

[CR0M]

The blood is probably hemorrhoids

Exactly what I was gonna say. Lack of fiber doesn't help sure, but high blood pressure is the main cause of them, triggered by stress, over exertion (like weight lifting) etc.

Bright red blood is real low down in the intestine where they would be, and occasional sharp pain is usually caused by internal hemorrhoids. They are not cuts but blocked blood vessels that balloon out and burst. Once they have done that they keep doing it until removed or you take steps to reduce the likelihood of them flaring up again, thus letting them heal. In a way you are lucky they are internal - you do not want external ones, believe me. Unless you enjoy having a length of white-hot razorwire slowly pulled out of your ass, and a blood splattered toilet bowl from hell.

Eating lots of fiber (like FRESH fruit / green leaves - not sure frozen stuff really cuts it) solidifies stools and reduces the amount of acid in your intestines that you get from a bad, diarrhoea causing low fiber diet. It's the acid that causes the inflamation of both hemorrhoids and intestine, along with blood pressure, this is what you need to reduce.

So. Moar fiber, moar walking, less blood pressure. Raw onions / garlic naturally thin the blood, reducing pressure. Eat them often. And get off your arse and walk!

Good luck.

 

[Shift]

See a doctor, you know, the experts in this sort of stuff?

 

[CR0M]

Doctors know shit. I spent years visiting doctors who all had different opinions and treatments, none of which helped me - the only smart thing to do is help yourself, unless you suspect possible life threatening stuff, which a case of IBS and The Piles aint.

 

[Stormy]

Ahg the US and its health care really makes me sad, I think its pretty damn disgusting that your ill and pretty much nothing you can do about it because it will probably bankrupt you. Really hope Obama can sort out the health care for you!

ATM im taking um

Asacol and Azathioprine.

Where you on pred every day? Its frigging horrible that stuff When ever i have been on it its been just here and there when its been really bad but the doctors have always hated giving it to me.

 

[Dinnesch]

I have diarrhea every morning but rest of the day i never have any problems.

 

[staticprimer]

Dude, we're colon bros!

Actually, I've been in remission for two and half years now. I have no idea how it happened. I took myself off Asacol, 6MP and Prednisone, and the symptoms slowly started to disappear. I wouldn't recommend doing it because I could have screwed up my body very badly by doing that.

And Raz, that little blood on the tissue could be enough. Any amount of blood found in your stool should be reported to your doctor ASAP.

Contrary to what Virus said, I would try to stay away from too much fiber for right now. It may be good for some gastrointestinal problems but it doesn't do someone with IBD any good.

In short, you should really go see a doctor as soon as you can.

UC over here too. Represent! I was in remission for a while when I was on colazal, but I ****ed up and over time took less and less and my body built up an immunity to it. Now I'm going through hell trying to get back into remission. I'm on 6MP and Lialda, but they still haven't completely worked. I'll probably have to switch to a new regiment on my next doctor's visit. My cousin has Crohn's, and even though I have UC, I am so glad I don't have that.

 

[Stormy]

Not heard of the drugs your on.

What really worked for me was getting rid of dairy from my diet, might be worth trying out!

 

[jverne]

i have them more often than i'd like.

i know what the cause is. i eat very irregularly, eat too much all at once and i eat to few fibers (fruit especially) and also i sometimes mix not too compatible foods. sometimes stress is a bit of a factor.

but when i do everything correctly i shit like a king.

 

[AKIRA]

sucks that a lot of americans who don't have health coverage won't go see a doctor because either they don't want to pay or they just can't afford it...sad

 

[staticprimer]

Not heard of the drugs your on.

What really worked for me was getting rid of dairy from my diet, might be worth trying out!

6MP is a mainstay drug for UC, but Lialda is pretty new. It is a once a day thing, which is pretty nice, but it doesn't seem to work completely for me. As for dairy, I haven't really noticed it having much of an effect for me.

 

[dfc05]

I get abdominal cramps (and acid reflux) whenever I'm really stressed out. In high school, the cramps even got to the point where I was willing to drink a couple of glasses of laxatives and then let some doctor pump radioactive barium up my butt and x-ray it to see if there was something wrong with my intestine, on the day before Thanksgiving no less (too much information?). Nowadays I just ignore it.

Just be glad you don't have real, serious intestinal diseases. I know a guy who had to get his colon cut out and they wouldn't even let him keep it in a jar.

 

[VirusType2]

That's funny that you say that. My brother got to keep his in a jar. He was very intent on that.

 

[Captain M4d]

That's funny that you say that. My brother got to keep his in a jar. He was very intent on that.

I didn't get my appendix in a jar, but I did take it to the carnival.

In my first year of having colitis, my first gastroenterologist recommended that I take out my colon simply because it was convenient during the summertime so I wouldn't have to miss any school. There was no other good reason. ****ing ridiculous.

 

[dfc05]

I didn't get my appendix in a jar, but I did take it to the carnival.

In my first year of having colitis, my first gastroenterologist recommended that I take out my colon, simply because it was convenient during the summertime so I wouldn't have to miss any school. There was no other good reason. ****ing ridiculous.

Dang that's pretty crazy. Doctors do crap like that a lot, it seems.

Question since it seems like people here are having their colons removed left and right:
Do they take out the whole thing or just part of it? Cause it seems like you'd need to keep at least some of it???

[edit]
I just read Virus's post from earlier. Crohn's disease is what the guy I knew had also. It sounds pretty bad, although he was at least given extra time on exams for having a disease. This guy also had appendicitis but when he had it, he felt chest pains, so they cut open his chest to check his heart before they saw the swollen appendix. I feel really bad for him sometimes...

 

[Raziaar]

I didn't get my appendix in a jar, but I did take it to the carnival.

In my first year of having colitis, my first gastroenterologist recommended that I take out my colon simply because it was convenient during the summertime so I wouldn't have to miss any school. There was no other good reason. ****ing ridiculous.

Dee Colon.