Need some advice

[TiredOfThis]

I have not been diagnosed with Chron's but I have been reading alot about it lately and think I may have this god-awful disease. My insurance doesnt start until next month (just got a new job) so I am trying to get a little input from forums and stuff until then.

The main time I have trouble is in the morning time. Every morning I feel really queezy and throw up white foam and yellow bile. This happens just about every morning no matter what I eat or drink the night before. Alcohol and dairy seems to make things worse. I also have to sit on the toilet about 3 times every morning before I even go to work. The first time is very relieving but from then on out hardly anything comes out and it can be quite painful. My bowels are never normal, alwayz too hard or too soft, and sometimes bloody but most of the time they arent. Also, I burp CONSTANTLY. This has become a big problem because I am very social and it is a little embarassing burping uncontrollably in public.

I'm sure I have left some details out that would help so please let me know if you need any other info to help me out. I do not take any medication and do not drink often; although I do smoke a little less than a pack a day. This is starting to take over my life. TIA for any advice!!!!

 

[D Bergy]

Sounds like a stricture to me. Of course without a scope or CT scan it is impossible to know for sure.

They are serious symptoms that need to be checked out. I do not know what state you are in but my state has insurance for people below a certain income level. You may want to see if something similar is available in your area.

Either way, going to the doctor is better than going too late after some real serious damage is done. Insurance or not.

Our country is really going to have to do something about this ridiculous insurance problem. We are a stone age country when it comes to a reasonable health care solution. It is really quite embarrasing.

Dan Bergman

 

[TiredOfThis]

What exactly is a stricture? From the sound of it it sounds like some kind of restriction in the intestines. Am I right? If this was the case, i wouldnt really be able to go to the bathroom at all would I?

 

[Shane]

I agree with Dan, you may need to see a Doc sooner rather than later. I left it too long before going, and I was in a right state by time I got admitted to hospital.

 

[D Bergy]

Partial blockage is close to what it is. It can vary depending on if it is irritated or not. The blockage may bother you more when you are laying down depending on where it might be. That is if it is a stricture to begin with. No way of knowing for sure without testing.

Try eating things that will easily pass through your guts. Chunks of meat, cheese and other swelling gloppy foods are not a good idea.

Ginger may help some, but if it is a stricture, nothing short of surgery will make it normal again.

I had a stricture and would puke about two hours after I ate on occasion. Some food got thru, depending what I ate. The food will come up if it can't go down. It is about that simple. It can't sit there only so long, or you would really be in trouble.

Try to get it checked out if at all possible.

Dan Bergman

 

[TiredOfThis]

Do any of you guys/gals, that have been actually diagnosed, have any kind of burping problems? I havent really seen anything mention burping so far on any threads.

 

[Kev]

Think I may have mentioned this long ago, also looking (unsucessfully at the time) to see if anyone else experienced my (at the time) bizarre symptomology. Here is what I experienced, and which all of my doctors just totally ignored or dismissed. I would get this uncontrollable 'burping' or 'belching', that was almost like a 'burp' and a 'hiccup' at the same time... And once these started, I could not get them to stop. Literally, I would have these for hours, to the point my stomach muscles hurt. A couple of doctors told me that I was unconsciosly swallowing air, and were totally dismissive... think one even thought that I did it on purpose. So, I tried exhaling/inhaling into a paper sack, same way one would treat hyperventilation. I tried yoga, Eastern disciplines, even Tantric teachings.. no avail. These have occurred in me throughtout my adult life, way before IBD symptoms, but were at their worse during my pre N post diagnosis phase. However, as my disease progressed, they lessened, and went away. Knock wood!!! In my mind, I'm totally certain these weren't self inflicted, and no way psycho-somatic (I'm the furthest from a hypochondriac that there is). I am totally convinced that these are somehow connected to IBD, but rare ... OR at least treated as mine were, and thereby dismissed or disconnected from IBD symptoms people generally talk about. Hell, I'd even get them in my sleep, and they were never 'stress related', or connected to any apparent common cause.

Don't know if this is what you're encountering, but if it is, you aren't alone, OK!

 

[D Bergy]

I had the burping real bad. Toward the end, before my surgery the burbs smelled bad. So bad, that I had to roll down the window in the car so my wife would not puke.

The food rotting behind the stricture was causing this. The stricture was closed down to the size of a pencil when the surgery was done. The surgeon did not even want to discuss what he found in there. It must have been bad to gross out a surgeon.

So I would say unusual burping, especially if it smells bad is a good indication that a stricture is involved.

Dan Bergman

 

[TiredOfThis]

The burping is the thing that is really driving me freaking mad. It doesnt do it all the time but when it does it can last for days at a time. I mean about every other minute I get 5+ huge dry burps and they can be really loud. When the burping starts is when my throat starts burning from the acid. Not pleasent at all. Thank you guys for your answers and opinions. I do plan to see a doctor ASAP. The last good job I had I lost because of a physical injury. I do not want to lose another because of this. I will post again if I think of any other questions or actually get to see a doctor. Thanks everyone!

 

[Kev]

You know, at the time, with the doctors reactions, I really thought I was a 'FREAK'

Just hearing that others experienced similar burping issues, even all this time later, makes me feel better.

 

[D Bergy]

If you can swing it, see a Gastroenterologist. Crohn's and the host of similar diseases are very hard to diagnose. It really takes a specialist to get it right.

I wasted two years with a GP.

Dan Bergman

 

[Kev]

Yeah, I agree completely with Dan. As soon as your insurance kicks in, get in to see a GI. Now, you may need to be referred by a GP (etiher because insurance regs OR because typically the best GI's only make referral appointments) but your best bet at getting this diagnosed promptly AND accurately is Gastroenterologist.

I sometimes tend to forget the benefits of living in Canada. I can see my GP as often as I need, or any specialist my GP refers me to as often as I need, and it doesn't cost me a cent. I know you are waiting for your insurance thru work, in the meantime, try to learn as much as you can about your coverage, and see if you can find out who the 'best' GP's and/or GI's are from friends or colleagues.

 

[cindypat]

I don't so much have the burping, but the bubbly, gurgling sound in my stomach. It's awful and it usually does not start until mid-afternoon, I guess after I have eaten. My gastro says it is gas and acid getting trapped, but until I belch or pass the gas, I have no relief. I have been put on a acid reducer ( not sure the name of it, I take so much lately it is hard to keep up with all the names).

 

[TiredOfThis]

Well I finally got a chance to go see a GP today and everything seemed to go ok. He says it sounds like UC or just a sever case of IBD. I got some blood work done and just have to wait for the results of that before I go any further. I have never had a doctor stick his finger in my ass until this morning, and I have to say it was not pleasent at all. It hurt sooooo bad I screamed the whole time. I'm sure everyone in the whole building heard me. I hope there wasnt any new patients in there to hear that haha. I dont know if it was hemerhoids or what but it hurt BAD. I will post an update when I hear of the test results. Thanks EVERYONE for your support and posts!

 

[capecod]

Go to the Doc!!

Hey there,
I am new here. I have had Crohns for about 5 years. I found out after having emergency surgery. I had a lot of your symptoms. It is better to be safe than sorry. If you would like to talk more about it, I am happy to. My intension isn't to scare you, but to be preventitive. I hope you feel better, I understand.

I have not been diagnosed with Chron's but I have been reading alot about it lately and think I may have this god-awful disease. My insurance doesnt start until next month (just got a new job) so I am trying to get a little input from forums and stuff until then.

The main time I have trouble is in the morning time. Every morning I feel really queezy and throw up white foam and yellow bile. This happens just about every morning no matter what I eat or drink the night before. Alcohol and dairy seems to make things worse. I also have to sit on the toilet about 3 times every morning before I even go to work. The first time is very relieving but from then on out hardly anything comes out and it can be quite painful. My bowels are never normal, alwayz too hard or too soft, and sometimes bloody but most of the time they arent. Also, I burp CONSTANTLY. This has become a big problem because I am very social and it is a little embarassing burping uncontrollably in public.

I'm sure I have left some details out that would help so please let me know if you need any other info to help me out. I do not take any medication and do not drink often; although I do smoke a little less than a pack a day. This is starting to take over my life. TIA for any advice!!!!

 

[Kev]

Yeah, TOT, the old rectal exam isn't something folks queue up for in droves. try to keep a positive mental attitude. The symptoms you mentioned could be as simple as a wonky gall bladder, which is causing you bile salts diarhea, and the strain of that has loaded you full of internal hemmerhoids, explaining the pain and bleeding. (also makes the rectal a definite screaming process, for which there is no need to appologize... to anyone, ever!). but it could be some form of IBD... UC, CC, even CD. If it is one of the latter, you may want to get referred to a GI. not knocking GP's, they're the first line of defense, but you really need a specialist for such a complex disease with ever changing treatments like IBD.