i have been in moderate pain every single day now. i had a tunafish sandwich yesterday and man, bad idea. last night the pain in my stomach went through to my back and i ended up taking vicodin. geez, i hate to take it but nothing else seems to even touch the pain.
i don't vomit, no fever, just stomach pain which wraps to both sides and through to the back. my lower abdomin is kind of sore. i am going to the bathroom. no foam or bubbles, just soft and mushy.
i am nauseous and loosing weight because i can't eat.
could this be lyme? i have these "attacks" at least twice a year and this time it hasn't stopped.
i have an appt with a new gastro on wednesday, the 29th. i am afraid i will say something and he'll think i'm nuts.
could this be pancreatitus, ibs or something? this pain drives you to the ground.
not posting much because i'm so sick.
Posted by payne (Member # 26248) on :
randibear, i to eat tuna last night wheu, that was ruff going. not to my knees tho, the food intake when your stomach isnt working is ugly.. I will say it will pass, yet, it's always good to get the ducks in a row. Hope you find away to curve your symptoms. alka seltzer does help me. you know i aint a Doctor, be wise. Lord bring relief, wayne
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Randi... I'm sorry you are still in that much pain. I hope the new gastro has some answers for you. Try not to say anything about lyme .. except you'll want to put it on your paperwork.
I would say you have some severe gut issues unrelated to Lyme. Might be bartonella though.
Get well soon! Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Think about all your current symptoms and the details of what happens before during and after the "attacks".
Also think about anything you have tried that made your symptoms better or worse.
Write these things down so that your new GI doc can really see what's going on.
Hang in there. We'll pray that this new GI doc can help.
Posted by Jane2904 (Member # 15917) on :
Daughter's ND says Bartonella causes many GI issues.
Hope you feel better.
Posted by scorpiogirl (Member # 31907) on :
I too had many of such attacks that past year. I really think my juicing and raw foods saved my stomach. But it took 30 days on juicing/raw foods at 90% compliant and coffee enemas to get better.
Now I try to only eat "live" foods. But when I cheat my body pays for it. For example this past weekend we were at a bday party and I ate all the junk and today I'm still having joints swelling, puffiness, rash and stomach upset, etc. So I'm back to juicing and castor oil packs until I get rid of all this toxins.
Honestly you should consider eating clean and only live foods for a few weeks and see if that helps.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
what's a live food? if i eat raw vegetables, wow, the pain is unbelievable. caffeine, chocolate, anything with fat, etc, sets me off.
but the pain is not immediate, it's 8-12 hours after i eat.
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
Whatever it is, I would think you need to stick to liquids and low residue foods. I have a lot of GI issues related to bart too.
You could have some inflammation going on. If that is the case, then you don't want the intestines working too hard. You want to give them a break...hence the liquids and low residue foods. Once your abdomen feels better, you can slowly increase he foods you eat. And as scorpio stated, try sticking to only healthy foods and then work on healing your gut.
Regardless of what is causing the problem, eating anything other than liquids and low residue foods at this point is going to make the problem worse. I have to do that every once in a while and I usually stick with the BRAT diet...bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
Obviously, if yeast is a problem you'd have to watch out for that.
I hope your appt gives you some answers and you can start feeling better soon.
Posted by lyme987 (Member # 22148) on :
Randi,
Have you treated for Bartenella? The pain in my stomach was brutal whenever I flare, I've had it for 25 years, been treating for 3years
For me I can't even stand up, I have to lie down and curl up in a ball-feels like acid is eating away at my stomach
Treating with rifampin took away the pain in about a week
Hope this helps and you get some answers.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
well no ain't treating for nothing right now.
can bart really affect the stomach that bad?
Posted by scorpiogirl (Member # 31907) on :
Live food is just that live. Nothing processed or with added chemicals that have a shelf life of 20 years! I try to eat things that have less than 6 ingredients, if I cook the food myself then 3 ingredients. Clean and lean.
Even now I can't tolerate tuna sandwiches (my fav by the way). The Mayo would kill me!
Posted by BoxerMom (Member # 25251) on :
Intense pain wrapping to the back is the hallmark sign of pancreatitis.
Babesia is known to cause pancreatitis, but I'm guessing Lyme and Bart could be players, as well.
You should get blood and/or urine levels of Amylase tested. (Pancreatic enzymes leak into the blood when the pancreas is inflamed.) That's how it is diagnosed.
If they can't find an infectious cause, care may be palliative - liquid or mushy diet until inflammation resolves.
Good luck. Pancreatitis is awful.
Posted by scorpiogirl (Member # 31907) on :
Boxermom bought up a good point... why are they not running a blood test? I get my organs checked once a week. I am trying to stay pro-active as much as I can.
Doesn't seem right that they leave you in so much pain for so long!!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by BoxerMom:
Babesia is known to cause pancreatitis, but I'm guessing Lyme and Bart could be players, as well.
- So can long term antibiotics.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
Yeah, Bart and long term abx can cause severe digestive problems and pancreatitis. And Lyme can cause severe digestive problems, too.
Yes, to check for pancreatitis, the blood levels of lipase and amylase are tested---even if only somewhat elevated, it's significant for Chronic Pancreatitis. There's also a Fecal Elastase test for pancreatitis. As well as ultrasounds, MRCP, and endoscopic tests. I believe that you've already had some of those tests from what you've said, but I don't know how recently.
Did you call the office to see if they can fit you in sooner? And ask to be put on a cancellation list?
No high fat foods for now, and really simple, healthy foods for now. Esp liquids are good. Hang in there.
Oh, and how about Castor Oil packs to relieve the pain? They are supposed to help a lot.
Posted by sandyk (Member # 17959) on :
Talk about tuna? My husband used to love it, but now no way in hell! In fact now I realize he avoids mayo totally now, and not by choice, I believe his body is just like "no way dude"
He just finished taking a break off treatment for a year due to 4 episodes of pancreatitis within the prior year, some followed ABX others didn't. Went everywhere, Columbia, UPenn, Mayo.. no one could tell us what the cause was - just idiopathic.
But that pain was massive, I think he looked worse than me giving birth. But, in no way when it hits will you stay home, you are headed to the hospital ASAP.
So Randibear, if pain is bringing you to the ground go immediately to the ER to get your levels check. Pain wrapping around to the back is a sign of pancreatitis.
Since then he has had his gall bladder out and stomach pain on and off almost constantly. He went to the ER a couple times to be sure the amalase/lipase levels were ok and they were.
Our LLMD had the best reason for this happening -the toxins overload and Lyme itself affecting the organs.
So we are starting Bicillin shots now and I am trying to focus on diet and detox just terrified of it happening again, but your between a rock and a hard place..
Randibear - do you do the castor oil stuff? I was just looking into that.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
Don't bring up you "lyme" sx. Just put it in medical history and meds you are on for this and that sx.
I don't think you are on abx right now. But if you were taking abx for something like lyme that another rx'ed for you, write the truth as something that is just medical history.
Let the GI bring up your history and ask questions. Let GI ask what problems you were having and why you were on a certain abx.
I remember you came off an abx 6 weeks or so ago. Let this GI treat your stomach sx. Ask what rx he is wanting to try on you.
If one of them is a steroid. Tell GI I will not do a steriod. Why? Because my immune system is in overload and I do not want to shut down my immune system period!!!!
He can come up with something to calm down stomach, GI whatever he thinks is happening.
Gall bladder? Have you ever had gall bladder attacks. Some things you said reminded me of my mother years ago walking around the house in the middle of the night in severe pain all through her digestive track and her back.
I hope you can prepare yourself to not point to anything lyme related at this point. Let this doc get to know you and let doc show you if they know anything about tick borne illness.
My GI/friend didn't.....he does now know a little more than before but he's still a work in progress. I made the mistake of getting frustrated and walking away for 3 yrs.
I'm back with him. That was a mistake on my part. I should have been educating him the last 3 yrs. Whats it going to hurt? I could of helped him understand some of his other patients woes with GI. I failed. Not my friend/GI doc that has been voted the "best" GI in Louisville.
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