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Anyone recognize these symptoms?

Hi everyone.
I name is Mike and I'd like to see if anybody else who had the same symptoms that I have and how you're dealing with it.
First, I'll give you a little background. I started feeling this way when I returned from Desert Storm back in '91 and '92. Although the symptoms back then were nothing compared to what I deal with daily basis now. It started out that every once a while if I had a dairy product I would have diarrhea. And that was about it. Now, it's not what I eat that's the problem it's because I eat that's the problem. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease (through a colonoscopy) but according to the doctor, I don't show signs or symptoms of Crohn's. Generally, in the morning when I wake up I feel okay. I don't eat anything in the morning for breakfast because it will upset my stomach. So I eat a very small meal at lunchtime and then a bigger meal at dinner and then snack throughout the night.
So here are my symptoms: a constant sour stomach. And I say sour because it just feels upset; not necessarily any pain, but just "off". I can't run around or jump when playing with the kids because it will upset my stomach. I can't go anywhere after I eat a meal of any size for fear that I'll have to go to the bathroom. I can't tell you the last time that my wife and I went out to dinner at a restaurant. I don't have a whole lot of pain, chest discomfort and again, sour stomach and Nausea. When I do go the bathroom, I never feel as though I am "finished". Always feel like I didn't get everything out regardless of how long I sit or how hard I push. I know that may be a little TMI, but at this point I don't have much to be afraid of.
Is there anybody with those same symptoms? If so, how do you deal with it? I know that everybody's digestive system is very individualized, but I've tried so many things that don't help I am looking for any kind of answer I can get. Here's a list of the medications that I am currently taking: bupropion, Omeprazole, Simvastatin, Dicyclomine, and budesonide. I quit smoking about three years ago after 20 years. I was really hoping that when I quit and he would actually help my stomach, but nope.
If anyone out there can give me any sort of comfort by doing something that they're doing, I would be extremely thankful.
I just joined this site hoping to gain a little insight on how many other people may be feeling the same way I do, and what they've done to alleviate some of the symptoms or uncomfortableness. Absolutely anything would help. Any kind of advice for something you do or take, anything!
Thank you any help that you can give me, and God bless.
 

DJW

Forum Monitor
Hi and welcome.

That sounds awful. Ive not experienced those types of symptoms. I'm sure someone will be along who can help.
Have you seen the doctor recently? That's where I would start.

I hope you get answers quickly.
 

Lady Organic

Moderator
Staff member
Hi and welcome, sorry about your issues.

Feeling of not fully emptying could be constipation or similar sensation could also be small hemorhrroids (feeling of chronic light pressure in the ano-rectal region). Its better not to push too hard on the toilet to avoid irritating the veins.

does your GI know about all your symptoms?
 
I've been seeing a gastroenterologist for the last several years (endoscopy and colonoscopy both within the last 12 months)
When I say sour stomach, I mean upset stomach. I don't taste anything if/when I burp.
 
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Jennifer

Adminstrator
Staff member
Location
SLO
Hi SoCal Dawg and welcome to the forum! :D

Have you had any other tests done to show if anything is going on in the small intestine? A colonoscopy will only go so far so it would be good to have some sort of imaging test done to be sure (MRI, MRE, small bowel follow through, CT scan, or a pill cam). What's your CRP and ESR (both show inflammation levels in your blood)? Have you taken any other medications for Crohn's besides the steroid (Entocort/Budesonide)? Dicyclomine is more for IBS and not a treatment for Crohn's unless you have another condition that you take it for. What dose of Budesonide are you taking and how long have you been taking it? Also if your disease is considered to not be active by your GI then why are you taking a steroid? I find it odd that your GI would say that you don't show signs or symptoms of Crohn's when you're clearly having symptoms. Perhaps your GI feels that blood loss and vomiting are required before acting but it would be best to avoid getting that bad.

In the live chat I thought you had also mentioned distension. It's possible that you could be dealing with a narrowing which would explain the distension, discomfort after eating anything, frequent bowel movements (because only a little bit passes through the narrowing at a time) etc. This can be quite common with chronic inflammation that Crohn's causes so even if your test results show no active disease, you will still have scar tissue from previous inflammation. If a narrowing wasn't found during your scopes then the small bowel is a likely place to start looking by doing some imaging tests mentioned above.

In the meantime if it is in fact a narrowing/stricture, you can reduce some of your symptoms by drinking more fluids, eating smaller meals more often, avoiding foods that move through you quickly (like high fiber foods) and by eating softer and easier to digest meals (the low residue diet is a great place to start).

Keep us posted on how you're doing. :)
 
Yes, I have had MRIs and x-rays with nothing really to show for it. I do realize that I am constipated to a certain degree, but take MiraLAX in the evening before bedtime and it's helped a little, but not much.
And I'll tell you, if I didn't have this "sour stomach" or constantly upset stomach, I wouldn't even be here, to be honest. The medication that I take doesn't seem to help and I'm just wondering if anybody else had the same symptoms and what they were taking to help alleviate them.

I hope to hear from somebody out there who can help point me in the right direction.

Thank you in advance.
 
I'm curious why he diagnosed you with crohns after the colonscopy but then said you didn't have any signs or symptoms? Does that mean he did or did not see ulcers and inflammation during the scope?
 
The doctor said there was inflammation and ulcers seen during the scope and actually showed me the pictures. However, I do not have any of the tell tale signs or symptoms of Crohns - blood in the stool, fever, loss of appetite, mouth sores, perinatal disease. As a matter of fact, I rarely get cramps (maybe once or twice a month) or diarrhea. Because I'm not showing signs of Crohns, the doctor doesn't want to treat it (which I'm sure you know has some pretty significant side effects). Which all makes sense, but I can't seem to find any relief from this sour stomach!

Anyone?
 
I'd find a different doctor if I were you, you want one that's going to try and tackle the inflammation, from the sounds of it the steroids aren't dong enough, where was your inflammation located? But yeah I think the sour stomach/upset stomach if inflammation and that needs to be addressed because you're going to feel like shit while that's going on... Find a more informed GI, but also I see you're in Cali, have you thought about medical marijuana? You'll be surprised how effective it is at mitigating symptoms and inflammation.
 
Generally, in the morning when I wake up I feel okay. I don't eat anything in the morning for breakfast because it will upset my stomach. So I eat a very small meal at lunchtime and then a bigger meal at dinner and then snack throughout the night.
So here are my symptoms: a constant sour stomach. And I say sour because it just feels upset; not necessarily any pain, but just "off". I can't run around or jump when playing with the kids because it will upset my stomach. I can't go anywhere after I eat a meal of any size for fear that I'll have to go to the bathroom. I can't tell you the last time that my wife and I went out to dinner at a restaurant. I don't have a whole lot of pain, chest discomfort and again, sour stomach and Nausea. When I do go the bathroom, I never feel as though I am "finished".
Sounds familiar to me. I'd wake up feeling more or less okay every morning. I would have breakfast, and would start getting some discomfort within an hour or so, but not too bad. Then I'd have lunch and it'd get much worse and by the evening I'd be feeling so sick I wouldn't want to eat anything. For a while I was skipping lots of meals, but that's not good, and started to force myself to eat. Usually I'd feel much better when I did eat, for a while, then later on start feeling bad again. "Sour" is about right. I've had pain, but through this period (for about a year up to this July) it was rarely painful, just a sick feeling. I couldn't do anything like run because it'd feel like my stomach was sloshing around and I'd quickly feel very sick.

But I also had my abdomen swelling and gurgling, particularly in the evening. Unfortunately I could never get it to perform in front of the doctors or I'm sure I'd have been diagnosed much sooner. I mostly had constipation, but would get some diarrhea every 7-10 days. And yes, always feeling like I wasn't finished.

From everything I read I didn't think it was Crohns: no blood, not much diarrhea. Colonoscopy showed some mild inflamation, but CT scan made it clear: a terminal ileum stricture "consistent with Crohn's Disease".

Hope you get some answers.
 
The doctor said there was inflammation and ulcers seen during the scope and actually showed me the pictures. However, I do not have any of the tell tale signs or symptoms of Crohns - blood in the stool, fever, loss of appetite, mouth sores, perinatal disease. As a matter of fact, I rarely get cramps (maybe once or twice a month) or diarrhea. Because I'm not showing signs of Crohns, the doctor doesn't want to treat it (which I'm sure you know has some pretty significant side effects). Which all makes sense, but I can't seem to find any relief from this sour stomach!

Anyone?
This is interesting. Basically kind of describing me. Minus the blood in the stool, I've had that a few times, and when I had my first/only flare (this far) with blood and D. I don't get fevers, pain, cramps, and if anything, I'm usually constipated! Going maybe two times a week if I'm lucky.

The sour stomach you describe. My stomach always feels "off". Like discomfort, like a nervous stomach, slightly nauseous but not to the point where is get sick. I can't ever describe it.

Anyways, all this being said, I feel that I don't have very many signs and symptoms like you said relating to crohns, but my colonscopy showed ulcers and inflammation, and my doctor wants to treat it. I agree with the others, you should find a doctor that will treat your appropriately. It's nice (and confusing) not to have all the extra painful things that
Comes with crohns, but left untreated those could arise.
 
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