Constantly bad stomach - any suggestions
Discussion
I have a reoccurring stomach problem, its like bad indigestion but only it seems to come in waves and once it comes its constant for a week or more at a time. I went to the doc and he prescribed a two week course of capsules to help me (The name escapes me now)
I eat a meal (slowly) and then it just likes to stay sat in my gut for a few hours making me feel lethargic and generally not feeling like doing anything.
Today I have eaten:
Crumpet
Banana
Mackerel salad - two mackerel fillets, spinach, avocado, spring onion.
Dinner will probably be something light and healthy. I occasionally chuck in a kit-kat or something similar during the day. I rarely gorge myself on snacks and crisps and chocolate etc.
I used to go to the gym every other day, I was very serious about it in fact for about 3 years I really went at it and drank protein shakes (they were very heavy!) I also used to eat and eat....and eat, boring stuff really, brown rice, salmon and greens. I never had any problem at all. My metabolism was very quick indeed.
I drink peppermint tea after meals as it is supposed to ease digestion and I just read that you can drink lemon in warm water so I've been doing that today which seems like a step in the right direction. Also I've got rennies on hand too they are a last ditch effort.
I think going back to the gym would help as your metabolism is much quicker however I commute for 2 hours a day so after that you just want to relax and take it easy.
Any suggestions? What has worked for you?
p.s. I also quit smoking completely about 5 days ago. I used to smoke about 10 to 15 a day and it crept back up to 5 a day which I've just cut completely now.
I eat a meal (slowly) and then it just likes to stay sat in my gut for a few hours making me feel lethargic and generally not feeling like doing anything.
Today I have eaten:
Crumpet
Banana
Mackerel salad - two mackerel fillets, spinach, avocado, spring onion.
Dinner will probably be something light and healthy. I occasionally chuck in a kit-kat or something similar during the day. I rarely gorge myself on snacks and crisps and chocolate etc.
I used to go to the gym every other day, I was very serious about it in fact for about 3 years I really went at it and drank protein shakes (they were very heavy!) I also used to eat and eat....and eat, boring stuff really, brown rice, salmon and greens. I never had any problem at all. My metabolism was very quick indeed.
I drink peppermint tea after meals as it is supposed to ease digestion and I just read that you can drink lemon in warm water so I've been doing that today which seems like a step in the right direction. Also I've got rennies on hand too they are a last ditch effort.
I think going back to the gym would help as your metabolism is much quicker however I commute for 2 hours a day so after that you just want to relax and take it easy.
Any suggestions? What has worked for you?
p.s. I also quit smoking completely about 5 days ago. I used to smoke about 10 to 15 a day and it crept back up to 5 a day which I've just cut completely now.
You could try keeping a 'food and symptom' diary for (say) a week, recording what you eat, the time you eat it and in what quantities and then any digestive symptoms you have such as wind, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, headache etc. - whatever you suffer in fact. You may see a pattern emerging.
In the meantime, go back to your GP and tell him this is a continuing problem so that he/she can consider any investigation that might be necessary.
HTH!
In the meantime, go back to your GP and tell him this is a continuing problem so that he/she can consider any investigation that might be necessary.
HTH!
LBird said:
You could try keeping a 'food and symptom' diary for (say) a week, recording what you eat, the time you eat it and in what quantities and then any digestive symptoms you have such as wind, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, headache etc. - whatever you suffer in fact. You may see a pattern emerging.
In the meantime, go back to your GP and tell him this is a continuing problem so that he/she can consider any investigation that might be necessary.
HTH!
Good idea. Thanks. In the meantime, go back to your GP and tell him this is a continuing problem so that he/she can consider any investigation that might be necessary.
HTH!
Could it be IBS? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irritable_bowel_syndr...
Check the typical triggers. http://ibs.about.com/od/ibsfood/a/triggerfoods.htm
For me it was coffee - self inflicted from overdosing on strong black filter stuff.
Tother thing to bear in mind is that you've as much nervous tissue in your gut as your brain or thereabouts, so your gut can be seen as a second brain.
Hence stress etc can have odd effects.
And for a simple fix I'd try Alternate Day Fasting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting
( as discussed on another thread ) http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Check the typical triggers. http://ibs.about.com/od/ibsfood/a/triggerfoods.htm
For me it was coffee - self inflicted from overdosing on strong black filter stuff.
Tother thing to bear in mind is that you've as much nervous tissue in your gut as your brain or thereabouts, so your gut can be seen as a second brain.
Hence stress etc can have odd effects.
And for a simple fix I'd try Alternate Day Fasting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting
( as discussed on another thread ) http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...
WeirdNeville said:
rudecherub said:
T'other thing to bear in mind is that you've as much nervous tissue in your gut as a cats brain or thereabouts, so your gut can be seen as a second brain.
Fixed that for you TheJimi said:
HonestIago said:
Intermittent fasting. I cannot express this enough.
Ok, mabe I'm missing something here, but how is that gonna help the OP?Letting the gut have some down-time so to speak has huge health benefits. There is a poster on here (forget the name) who has pretty much cured his IBS through intermittent fasting (and no longer uses medication).
TheJimi said:
HonestIago said:
Intermittent fasting. I cannot express this enough.
Ok, mabe I'm missing something here, but how is that gonna help the OP?IDK but it could be fasting ie really calorie restricted days, might just let the OP's gut sought itself out.
TheJimi said:
Well how about that!
I thought that if an issue existed, I didn't understand how fasting intermittantly would help that, based on the premise that IF would simply be delaying the symptoms.
Seems I'm wrong though
It reduces or removes the symptoms, not merely delay them. Its very simple really: less time spent processing irritating elements = less overall gut irritation. In my experience fasting can "counter" a lot of what would be irritation. Hence me saying if I eat once per day I can eat pretty much whatever and still have a perfect one-wipe wonder the next day! I thought that if an issue existed, I didn't understand how fasting intermittantly would help that, based on the premise that IF would simply be delaying the symptoms.
Seems I'm wrong though
HonestIago said:
It reduces or removes the symptoms, not merely delay them. Its very simple really: less time spent processing irritating elements = less overall gut irritation. In my experience fasting can "counter" a lot of what would be irritation. Hence me saying if I eat once per day I can eat pretty much whatever and still have a perfect one-wipe wonder the next day!
Echoing that the evidence from calorie restriction also suggests you get biologically younger.It's an entirely subjective personal experience but since starting ADF late last year I've noticed my eyes have been less dry - as a contact lens wearer it's an issue, one which the Optician told me was age related, over 40 we make less tears - which was the case for a couple of years, but not now.
That certainly makes sense 
I think what was in my mind was that if the issue was an underlying one, as opposed to it simply being the case that certain food types are an irritant.
The latter, I can see where IF would help but surely if the issue went deeper than that, relying on IF would just delay the symptoms and hinder diagnosis?
I think what was in my mind was that if the issue was an underlying one, as opposed to it simply being the case that certain food types are an irritant.
The latter, I can see where IF would help but surely if the issue went deeper than that, relying on IF would just delay the symptoms and hinder diagnosis?
WeirdNeville said:
The OP needs to get himself medically checked out before adopting what could be considered "extreme" dietary practices with no guidance.
It could be something as simple as an allergy to a particular foodstuff, it could be a deep seated and serious underlying medical condition.
Once he KNOWS what it is, he can try odd diets that have been proven to help particular conditions, rather than ancedotal evidence from people on the internet who may suffer from something completely different.
Intermittent fasting is not "extreme" and it is not a "diet". What guidance does it require to skip breakfast? (That's all IF essentially is!) What do you suppose might happen if he recklessly takes the plunge and tries fasting without the say-so of some medical professional?!It could be something as simple as an allergy to a particular foodstuff, it could be a deep seated and serious underlying medical condition.
Once he KNOWS what it is, he can try odd diets that have been proven to help particular conditions, rather than ancedotal evidence from people on the internet who may suffer from something completely different.
WeirdNeville said:
It just pisses me off when people, without any knowledge of the OP's problem, suggest some dietry regime as a solution.
How do you know it will help him? It could worsen his condition. Who knows? Only a medical profession can correctly advise once they've investigated what the ROOT CAUSE of his symptoms are.
And the intermittent fasting diet is not yet "accepted" as a "good" diet and it's not recommended for the treatment of any gut conditions YET. It might get there in the future, but it's not yet been subjected to the level of scrutiny needed to be proven effective. There's been an interesting TV programme on it, and preliminary studies being done, but that's it. Right now it's a fad diet and no-one who isn't fully healthy to start with should try it.
It COULD be Crohns - in which case the OP WILL feel better on fasting days because you feel better when you don't eat. My sister in law has in the past starved herself down to six stone because she could not bear the pain of eating. My Wife never got that bad, thankfully, but also suffered agonising pain and lost a stone as she could not bear to eat. Should someone start down that route to mitigate symptoms of an undiagnosed condition?
It COULD be any number of other conditions which need diagnosis, and probably drug treatment, and diet may form part of the treatment, but only under the careful guidance of medical professionals.
So don't recommend some diet (and it is a diet - a change in the way you eat) as a panacea.
The OP needs medical attention. After that they can see the range of diets that may help them, and make their own informed decision.
Read the thread title again. Why does it piss you off that someone offers a suggestion when the OP asks for one?How do you know it will help him? It could worsen his condition. Who knows? Only a medical profession can correctly advise once they've investigated what the ROOT CAUSE of his symptoms are.
And the intermittent fasting diet is not yet "accepted" as a "good" diet and it's not recommended for the treatment of any gut conditions YET. It might get there in the future, but it's not yet been subjected to the level of scrutiny needed to be proven effective. There's been an interesting TV programme on it, and preliminary studies being done, but that's it. Right now it's a fad diet and no-one who isn't fully healthy to start with should try it.
It COULD be Crohns - in which case the OP WILL feel better on fasting days because you feel better when you don't eat. My sister in law has in the past starved herself down to six stone because she could not bear the pain of eating. My Wife never got that bad, thankfully, but also suffered agonising pain and lost a stone as she could not bear to eat. Should someone start down that route to mitigate symptoms of an undiagnosed condition?
It COULD be any number of other conditions which need diagnosis, and probably drug treatment, and diet may form part of the treatment, but only under the careful guidance of medical professionals.
So don't recommend some diet (and it is a diet - a change in the way you eat) as a panacea.
The OP needs medical attention. After that they can see the range of diets that may help them, and make their own informed decision.
You sound like someone somewhat incapable of thinking for yourself who hangs onto the words of the medical profession for what you should and shouldn't do.
The medical profession are forever changing their minds about what is good and bad for us; they are not the be all and end all in nutritional knowledge. Remember the egg fiasco? Saturated fat? Cholestrol? A lot of mainstream medical advice is horse-sh!t.
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