I haven't been on here for a while. Struggling every day and putting out all the fires that come up with this disease.

My current question is about problems with the GI system. This has been an ongoing problem for me. My gut was a mess with oral antibiotics and rocephin IV. I've been on bicillin LA injections for 8 months now (with some good results).

I no longer have problems with severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (those came along with the oral antibiotics). My problem is that what started as annoying abdominal bloating and weight gain has become horriblly painful GI symptoms.

The main symptoms are severe abdominal bloating, excruciating and burning pain in my lower abdomen as well as stomach area, constipation, and significant weight gain. I seem to meet criteria for "irritable bowel syndrome." It's become more than irritating now though! I couldn't get out of the house today due to so much pain.

I had a full work up of my endocrine system and am increasing my thyroid meds, but overall, everything checked out okay.

None of my docs have any useful suggestions other than more prescription meds that make things worse. I'm working with an acupucturist and chiropractor who both agree that my system is "stagnant and putrified" from so many meds over these last three years (I literally have two storage boxes of meds that were prescribed and tried including almost all of the oral antibiotics plus IV rocephin).

None of the herbal/natural remedies are helping either. I have gained over 20 pounds in spite of being so careful about what I eat. (I'm pretty petite so 20 lbs, mostly in the stomach, really stands out!) I have been working hard on eating a good diet. My abdomen gets so swollen that I really do look 5-6 months pregnant. The pain, burning, stabbing sensations are constantly in my abdomen and stomach area.

Although my neurological symptoms seem to be improving, I'm now unable to get out of the house some days due to so much abdominal pain and constipation. I can't live on laxatives, although they have temporarily helped.

I was wondering about these colon cleansing products to digest and clear toxins? Any advice? This does feel like a toxin build-up problem, and I just never understand what to do when people say "de-tox".

Thanks so much for any ideas,

My personal opinion is that it sounds like toxin build up. Candida and parasites especially. I can personally relate to the abdominal bloating. The only thing that has helped us is a full body cleanse, then a liver cleanse, then a parasite cleanse.

I am ready for bed so my answer is rather quick. Feel free to email me and I will help in any way that I can.

We've been down the IV and the oral route and are now abx free. We are concentrating more on cleansing out our bodies and rebuilding our immune systems.

Again, please feel free to contact me.

frenchbraid

An assesment by a gastroenterologist might be in order.
After battling lyme and babesia for years, I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. This is an auto immune disorder that leads to all sorts of unpleasant GI issues, and malabsorbtion of many nutrients and some medications.

I absorb fats in the wrong way and that is why my doc thinks that Mepron didn't get rid of my babesia after 8 months. Can't absorb fat, can't absorb Mepron properly.

Celiacs can present with tremendous loss of weight and the runs or with what you have described.

Diagnosis begins with blood work, so ask your doctor if he/she will test for celiac.

The treatment for celiac is simple....a gluten free diet. Maybe not an easy thing, but a simple one. Gluten found in wheat, barley and rye triggers the autoimmune reaction.

Today I asked if many of my LLMD's patients have celiac along with their lyme and he said that lots of them do.....
Could be why we are not absorbing our meds properly?

It's certainly worth a blood test to see....
If it's not celiac, a GI doc is a good place to start. I woudl ask my doctor for a referral to a lyme friendly GI doc.

Joanie, I received your email and will get back to you as soon as I feed my troops some breakfast. I just wanted to add that Candida and parasites are what cause Celiac disease and autoimmune disorders. When there is an overgrowth, they distroy the lining of the gut by eating all of our nutrients and eventually eat through the gut itself.

When there are any small pores in the intestines, toxins leak back into the system. These toxins were meant to be removed and if they are reintroduced to the body, the body can't digest them and reacts in an "allergic" way. Most of the time, the body doesn't know what to do with these "foreign" materials, so it just stores it. That's where the weight gain comes in.

One of the most helpful things that you can do is to take digestive enzymes with every meal. Right before eating. This will help to digest your food and help your body absorb the nutrients that it needs.

Most trigger foods will need to be avoided (wheat, dairy, eggs, etc) while the lining repairs itself. Also, a very low carb diet so that you don't feed the Candida.

If you follow a strict diet and address the Candida and parasites, you can completely heal from this condition.

I will email you shortly.

frenchbraid

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Stay positive. Smile. People care.

I think it is more than a coincidence that there seem to quite a few of us with the Celiac disease/gluten sensitivity and Lyme disease combo. I have been on a gluten free diet since January and I am sure that along with the antibiotics is helping me to get better.

You can have your stool tested at enterolab.com You do not need to have a doctor to do this as you order the test kit on line and they e-mail you the results. It is a very good lab and the tests will give you some idea if gluten sensitivity and other food intolerances are at the root of your problems. Go to http://www.enterolab.com/

Also there is a very knowledgeable and supportive group at Braintalk who can help you figure this out. Go to the gluten sensitivity board and ask your questions. They will help you with answers about gut problems here http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=141

These are all great ideas and make great sense. Thanks for all of the information and websites. Frenchbraid, I received your e-mail this morning and purchased the products you recommend. Many many thanks for your advice and recommendations! I'll send an e-mail when I feel a little better later on. It's been a rough health day.

Thanks so much!

Do you take in any dairy products? I used to get so bloated I looked pregnant too. If you did a search on bloating and looking preg.

You'd find a post from me. I switched my pain meds. to something I can tolerate better.I don't need to take them everyday but the new one helps.

I'd say to everyone that I have a maternity wordrobe and a regular wordrobe. Because I never new what I was going to look like

I had constipation so bad that in Jan. I was admitted into the hosp. for it. I had an xray of my abdomen and it showed an impaction there.

It was horrible and very painful. Before I went in I was in so much pain. My stomache hurt so bad on days it was bloated and it hurt to use the bathroom.

None of my doctors new what to do. I went to see my llmd for the first time and she said she heard no bowel sounds. She said she'd never seen this before.

She changed my diet to a very strict diet. Put me on Sporanox liguid for yeast. I started taking acidopholis pills and I've only experienced it a few times since!!!(I also lost 40lbs!!!!)

I'd lived like that for at least a year!!! I was miserable. I too couldn't leave the house. When I did some people would ask me how far along am I?

My life is so much better. I too take bicillin shots (well I stopped for 3wks due to itching sooo bad.)

Anyway, I'm so sorry you are going thru this. As I know first hand how horrible it is....I hope you find relief soon

Jamie

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